Loss Of Water In Airlock

[Brewlord]

Guys,

I am new to brewing and have just started a batch of Coopers Real Ale using closed brewing. I mixed and cleaned in accordance with directions and started the wort at the top end of temps (28-32 deg C). Later I noticed the content bubbling and foaming (normal I guess) and then overnight the content of the airlock were ejcted and so was some of the wort. I quickly refilled the airlock with cooled boiled water and the brew continued to bubble for the rest of the day. The last brew I made was no where near as active but brewed perfectly.

My question from those of you more experinced is that is the brew recoverable in this case or a lost cause? Th epresence of significant CO2 after this incident leads me to believe that its all Okay as this may have stopped any nasties but I wouldnt mind a few other opinions.

Brewlord

 

[Trev]

At this stage I don't think you should worry as it will probably be OK. If the fermentation is that active then yes, the evolving CO2 will help to keep nasties out.

Minimise the amount of handling you do, use preboiled water and just keep topping it up if it blows out.

You may want to lower the starting temperature a bit in the future. I am assuming you're using the yeast that came with the kit and you can probably start everything a bit cooler, maybe 20 - 22C. A higher temperature will increase the rate of fermentation but can also produce a very estery (fruity) flavour profile. It can also produce some higher order alcohols called fusels that are known to accentuate hangovers (or at least with me they do ).

I think the reason that sometimes we read on kit instructions to keep the temperature a bit higher is to try and get the fermentation over with quickly so that there is minimum chance of infection. If you keep everything clean then the brew can last a lot longer in your fermenter.

There are some great tips elsewhere on this forum. Have a look around, search for the topic and see what turns up, but most importantly, welcome

 

[Stuster]

You'll be fine. Lots of people use no airlock. Since carbon dioxide is still coming out of the airlock, very little will be passing the other way.

Those temperatures are really too high and can result in fusel alcohols which cause headaches. For a better tasting brew, I'd be aiming for 18* or so, or at least low twenties. Just ignore the instructions on the kit, they are wrong. You'll find plenty on fermentation temperatures by using the search function next to links.

There are lots of reasons why one ferment can be quicker than another and a quicker one usually leads to higher temperatures when fermenting so is not all good. Lower temps will help with avoiding too active a fermentation.

Anyway, the brew should be fine. :beer:

 

[Stuster]

Snap.

 

[Uncle Fester]

At those temps, the brew should be brewing so vigourously, thet the empty airlock would just about be whistling.

As long as there has maintained a positive pressure inside the fermenter, then you will be fine.

FWIW, keep 1 bottle of your first beer for 6 months, and re-do the kit when temps have cooled a little, and you can brew it at 18-20 degrees. Then do a taste comparison. All of a sudden you will be off to K-Mart for a 100 can esky to keep your fermenter nice and cool, and you will be brewing all summer.

Good luck, and welcome to the fraternity.

M

 

[sah]

It is certainly better to blow the water out of your airlock than to pull it in, such as when forgetting to remove it before taking a hydrometer sample or racking to another vessel

If you added the airlock from the start without any water, chances would still be pretty good that you wouldn't suffer any contamination from that source. Bacteria and fungal spores do float around in the air but they don't have arms and legs. Negotiating the S-bend in the airlock would be a challenge for the little beasties

 

[cal]

While were on the subject, why is it that instructions always say to use cooled boiled water in the airlock but say that tap water is fine for filling the fermenter?
It is certainly better to blow the water out of your airlock than to pull it in, such as when forgetting to remove it before taking a hydrometer sample or racking to another vessel

If you added the airlock from the start without any water, chances would still be pretty good that you wouldn't suffer any contamination from that source. Bacteria and fungal spores do float around in the air but they don't have arms and legs. Negotiating the S-bend in the airlock would be a challenge for the little beasties

[post="117331"][/post]​

 

[Brewlord]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I was at the top of the temperature spectrum to start and the brew was warm to touch from the outside. Good advice on keeping the whole thing cool and interesting to note the comments provided on potential alcohol content after brewing at higher temps. I purposely chose a cooler day too start with too but it might have been that slight amount too much of boiled water to melt the concentrate from the can that was nearly my undoing.

Overall I guess my fears have been tempered a bit and its all about experience. Thanks again.

 

[sah]

While were on the subject, why is it that instructions always say to use cooled boiled water in the airlock but say that tap water is fine for filling the fermenter?

[post="117421"][/post]​

A rhetorical question perhaps?