I'm pretty new and I'd like to make some mead but I have no idea what an airlock is. I understand what the purpose of it is but not sure what you use for one. Is it something I could make or do I need to buy one? I've heard people use ballons but what do I need to use?
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airlocks
- Thread starter Oddr
- Start date
Oddr,
Welcome to the forum!
Airlocks are cheap, you can pick them up online. You'll need a stopper with hole for your carboy or gallon jug, but the lids on fermentation buckets will already have a pre drilled & gasketed hole for the airlock.
http://www.morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=16598
wrathwilde
Welcome to the forum!
Airlocks are cheap, you can pick them up online. You'll need a stopper with hole for your carboy or gallon jug, but the lids on fermentation buckets will already have a pre drilled & gasketed hole for the airlock.
http://www.morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=16598
wrathwilde
Airlocks can be purchased from any brewshop and often cost no more than a dollar. You can make one yourself simply and cheaply by just fitting your fermentation vessel with a piece of sanitized hose and running the other end into a vessel containing water or sanitizing solution. A balloon is a very quick (and half assed) way of making an airlock and i would suggest against it as its very easy to make a good one.
Well I Don't Have Any Brewshops In My Area So I'll Try To Do What You Suggested But If I Get Pissed I'm Sure I'll Just Order Me One. Thanks For Your Input.
Hey Oddr,
Welcome to the forums
Most probably the shipping will cost more than the airlock itself :-\ I woulg go with JoeM's suggestion. It is called a blow off tube and it is the best way to keep your brew safe and also not have a mess to clean up if the airlock gets blocked. Use a piece of plastic tube about 4 inches long to go thru the cork/stopper, connect to it a length of hose with its other end immersed in a jar with water and a teaspoon of bleach. That way the CO2 is released and no nasty bugs get in. If you need a recipe for a starting batch, use the Ancient Orange, fast, easy, little/no aging required, delicious. The longerit ages, the better it gets...I'm told, mine is gone in a few weeks. I start one just about every month now. Follow the recipe to the letter.
Hope this helps,
Ted
Welcome to the forums
Most probably the shipping will cost more than the airlock itself :-\ I woulg go with JoeM's suggestion. It is called a blow off tube and it is the best way to keep your brew safe and also not have a mess to clean up if the airlock gets blocked. Use a piece of plastic tube about 4 inches long to go thru the cork/stopper, connect to it a length of hose with its other end immersed in a jar with water and a teaspoon of bleach. That way the CO2 is released and no nasty bugs get in. If you need a recipe for a starting batch, use the Ancient Orange, fast, easy, little/no aging required, delicious. The longerit ages, the better it gets...I'm told, mine is gone in a few weeks. I start one just about every month now. Follow the recipe to the letter.
Hope this helps,
Ted
I no longer use airlocks on my fermentors. This is what I use now - http://shop.piwine.com/shopsite/prwc/product177.html -
Anthony
Anthony
byathread,
What I like about these, No messing around with fluid in the aorlock, low profile - had the cats knock a couple of airlocks off, easy to clean, after fermentation pull the tail down to seat the flap and its a solid bung - nothing in nothing out, if pressure pushes it out of the carboy - one piece to clean not four.
Anthony
p.s. I've been thinking about making an airlock with the tail of a whoopy cushion that way you can here if it's venting gas or not.
What I like about these, No messing around with fluid in the aorlock, low profile - had the cats knock a couple of airlocks off, easy to clean, after fermentation pull the tail down to seat the flap and its a solid bung - nothing in nothing out, if pressure pushes it out of the carboy - one piece to clean not four.
Anthony
p.s. I've been thinking about making an airlock with the tail of a whoopy cushion that way you can here if it's venting gas or not.
