Question about homemade airlock

[Cachalote]

Here are a few wineries in Brazil. Back in the good old days before the explosion of homebrew/winemaking suppliers we used to get our yeast, airlocks, etc from the local wineshops. You might try the same to greater or lesser degrees of success.


Vinhos Marson
http://www.vinhosmarson.com.br/

Casa Valduga
http://www.casavalduga.com.br/

Vinicola Amadeu
http://www.amadeu.com.br/

Vinicola Aurora
http://www.vinicolaaurora.com.br/

Don Laurindo
http://www.donlaurindo.com.br/

Dom Cândido
http://www.domcandido.com.br/

Vinicola Lovara
http://www.lovara.com.br/

Vinicola Marco Luigi
http://www.marcoluigi.com.br/

Miolo
http://www.miolo.com.br/

Hope that helps,

Oskaar

Unfortunately, all of those are in southern Brazil, so I'd still have to buy it over the internet...

[Oskaar]

Dude, I don't know what to tell you. I don't know Brazil that well, I've only been there once. Are there no wineries near where you live?

Oskaar

[Teufelhund]

Tell you what: if after you've exhausted Petes list and you can't get what you need, let me know. I'll buy the stuff and mail it to you! Can't let a little thing like location keep a Brother from brewing mead!
Also, look at our site links. Most will mail out-of-country with minimal costs for S & H.

Cheers!

DD

[Cachalote]

Dude, I don't know what to tell you. I don't know Brazil that well, I've only been there once. Are there no wineries near where you live?

Oskaar

Unfortunately no, I live in Rio and it is too hot here to grow grapes. They are grown in southern Brazil, where it is colder and thus better to grow grapes. And the wine is also made there.

Tell you what: if after you've exhausted Petes list and you can't get what you need, let me know. I'll buy the stuff and mail it to you! Can't let a little thing like location keep a Brother from brewing mead!
Also, look at our site links. Most will mail out-of-country with minimal costs for S & H.

Cheers!

DD

lol, thanks for the offer but I don't think it will be necessary, if I REALLY need some item and I can't improvise it with what I have at hand, I can buy it over the internet, even though it will be like two times more expensive. Importing it will end up about the same price and will take more time to arrive (could possibly damage the yeast as well). But, really, thank you very much for your concern, it's always good to know there are people willing to help us even in other countries!
There MAY be beer yeast available, because there are some micro-breweries in cities not too far from here. When I go to those cities I will see if I can find somewhere that sells these things (like special yeast, airlocks, etc.)

[Oskaar]

OK, so in general terms where in Brazil are you? I've been mostly up and down the coast on the trip I took (Sao Palo, etc.) and to Iguacu Falls, yadda yadda and the obligatory drunken attempt at Samba/Samba Rock down the Sambodromo for Carnival (yes, my head did feel the size of those big-headed costumes you see the next day)

Anyhow, you can use sterilized cotton during the first half of fermentation to cover the mouth of the vessel you use to allow oxygen to pass freely back and forth. After that you can use a bung with a hold drilled through the middle and a stainless steel bolt dropped into the hole. As the pressure builds it will force the bolt up, and release the CO2, when the bolt falls the weight will seal it off pretty well. Not perfect, but it works.

Cheers,

Oskaar

[Cachalote]

OK, so in general terms where in Brazil are you? I've been mostly up and down the coast on the trip I took (Sao Palo, etc.) and to Iguacu Falls, yadda yadda and the obligatory drunken attempt at Samba/Samba Rock down the Sambodromo for Carnival (yes, my head did feel the size of those big-headed costumes you see the next day)

Anyhow, you can use sterilized cotton during the first half of fermentation to cover the mouth of the vessel you use to allow oxygen to pass freely back and forth. After that you can use a bung with a hold drilled through the middle and a stainless steel bolt dropped into the hole. As the pressure builds it will force the bolt up, and release the CO2, when the bolt falls the weight will seal it off pretty well. Not perfect, but it works.

Cheers,

Oskaar

I live in Rio (actually, in Niteroi, which is just next to Rio, you just have to cross a bridge to get from one place to the other). lol I spent last carnival in Lapa, you went there? Great place.

Good tip on the airlock! Next one I make I might try this setup. I modified my first airlock (the one on the pics) to a rolled up tube (like a pig's tail) and filled half the tube with water and put a cotton piece on the free extremity of the tube. It seemed to work preety well, has been bubbling quite often until now. By the way, the fermentation seems to have ended and most yeast is dead by now, almost no bubbles anymore and a lot of sediment. I will now proceed to the second part, siphon and filter it to the oak barrel and leave it there for at least 2 months. I have a doubt about the barrel which I have posted in the oak barrel thread.

[Medsen Fey]

Cachalote, perhaps you should post your location on the GotMead Member Map. The South American contingent is a bit thin.

[Dan McFeeley]

Just to add a bit -- Oskaar's suggestion of using a bit of sterilized cotton in the mouth of the carboy is an old technique from the 1800's and earlier. They would use a bit of cloth in the bung hole of the barrel, change it every so often if it became soiled from foaming, then once the fermentation was finished, seal the barrel up.

[Cachalote]

Cachalote, perhaps you should post your location on the GotMead Member Map. The South American contingent is a bit thin.

Done!