Airlocks

[Padraic]

So I've lasted a whole year without using an airlock. My own view is if you pitch enough yeast the krausen should be up quick enough and you get no nasties.

I seal the lids but leave a hole in the lids so the CO2 can escape.

Am I being naive or is the logic in my madness?

Who else doesn't bother with airlocks?

[Jacob]

Well, many commercial breweries are using open fermentation but wouldn't do it at home.

[fingalbrewer]

I haven't used an airlock in years, a piece of tinfoil does the trick for me.

[Padraic]

I'm glad to not be on my own with this practice!

I'm of the one less thing to sanitise view.

[Partridge9]

ermm

I'm one of the 'one less thing to infect the beer'

Once the yeast cake is formed your grand alright - but before that you are vulnerable to infection.

People spend a fortune on all sorts of equipment - surely a 2euro airlock isn't a big ask.

I have thrown away 20 litres of a pale ale down the sink due to infection - once you do something like that I think you adopt a different attitude toward cleaning and sanitisation.

Just my opinion.

[Padraic]

As you said only €2, but I just didn't see the point. One less thing to sanitise! If all of you guru's use airlocks there must be something to it!

I'll add them to my next homebrew shop order!

Is it worthwhile having one or two spares? Do they break, get lost, etc?

[Eoin]

I used to use them, but gave up when I went to the large 60l fermenters, I just don't see the point. The lids have a seal that snaps down all around, I just snap that down almost completely but leave a crack, nothing is getting in there.

Check out Pasteurs experiment with the swan neck flask, that explains why nothing can get in once the lid is cracked down.

[MAF]

I use a 'handy airlock' in my fermentation chamber, but only so I can feed in the temp probe for the ATC.
If I ferment in the house, I do as Eoin said, just leave the lid open a crack - but no hole in this lid.

[Spud395]

Depending on which fermenter I'm using.
With my 33l bucket I use one with my 50l keg fv I dont

[Padraic]

I'm confused again now! I think I'll stick as I am with a if it aint broken don't fix it! (I'll regret it when I get one of those infections)

[Spud395]

I'm confused again now!

Isn't that the purpose of forums  .

I'll agree with the big T, open holes are not hte best plan, but I've seen 1300L of beer sitting in an open fermenter with a whole herd of fruit flys around it and all was good

[Padraic]

You can't leave an open hole in the lid. You need to cover that, as anything can get in.

Also, you can get an infection any time. My most recent one was after 5 days in primary. It seemed to start fermenting again, and one taste confirmed acetobacter, which turns alcohol into acetic acid. So even when it's finished fermenting it's still not safe!

You make a good point, you should let that "ferment" out and put it on your chips!

When I say hole, the biggest holes I have are the ones that were already in the lids for airlock (I think there is a hint from the maker there!) but most are just one small ~1mm hole punched in with a small screwdriver. I don't see this being a huge issue but might get some airlocks in my next order anyway!

I guess it'll be fun watching it bubble away!

[johnrm]

My son (12) does Minecraft too.
I just don't get it TBH.