Totally solved my problem. I'm a noob and didn't know what was up with my airlock. I took a Hydro reading this morning, so I new fermentation was happening (initial hydro was a 38, this morning it was 23), but the air lock wasn't bubbling. I carefully shoved the air lock to seal with the lid, and then tested it as you did the first one you showed. Now I have a good lock, and it's bubbling away. What a great channel for first time brewers. CHEERS!
Really appreciate your generosity in producing these video tutorials, Craig. You don't rush through, you cover all points systematically and with your 'students' in mind, and you are very natural. I haven't found a better face-to-face teacher of the brewer's arts anywhere. Long life and long may your brews bubble!
Hello again, I never thought I would get a response, much less one so quickly. Thank you very much. Now I know, and won't waste my time and money on something that would have been doomed from the start. Thanks.
Hi Craig, I am a new brewer. I was making my first beer. It may have been a little more than I was prepared. I finished the wort and put it in the fermenter. It was a little warmer than the recipe called for. I pitched the yeast. I put the lid on and fixed the airlock on the lid. A couple of days later there were no buddies. Nothing the next day. Oh my god I killed the yeast. I was going the throw it out. That evening I came across your airlock video. What a relief the beer may still be ok. Over a few days I saw the ring forming. I then knew thanks to you the beer was ok. Thank you Craig for saving my first brew. It is now in bottles and tastes great. Thanks,Terry Ps love your videos please don”t stop.
Wow your videos on home brewing are my favorites. They are so incredibly informative especially about small details which matter so much. Thank you very much. Keep posting please because they are so helpful for beginners and we learn a lot. They are so simple too that even a person with absolutely no experience in brewing can understand and practice. Well done. Great job
Another great video on brewing again craig. Well done. There is another air lock technique some people use known as the cling wrap airlock. I kid you not! Basically you stretch cling wrap over the top of your fermenter and secure it with a rubber band or the 'o' ring seal of your fermenter if it has one. The just put a tiny pin prick in the middle. This works well, and allows you to see inside quite easily. Also when fermentation is happening, the plastic bulges up. When its down it finished! :)
Man I just started this up as a hobby and in none of the tutorials I've read have ever said "put water in the airlock. I got really scared my new (mead) brew of two days was going to get infected. You gave me a little peace of mind when you said that the CO2 in the first few days would likely keep anything out of my brew regardless. Just topped up the water now :) Thank you very much for your video.
Thanks a Lot. I brewed my first beer last this weekend and ended up with some problems with the airlock. This video was very helpfull. Not easy to find good info about airlocks.
Just bought my first kit today from Brewdemon. I've saw many of your videos, and all of them are really helpful. I will drink my first bottle of beer and make a distance cheers for you. Thank you Craig!
I have watched many of your videos and just want to say thank you. I was a novice beer maker until two days ago when I had my beer bubbling madly away. I did as you advised and did change the air lock to the tube and water method. It works great, and yes hearing the bubbles is of great satisfaction to me. Your videos are appreciated for new people like myself. P.S im trying the Coopers Stout.
Craig, great videos. In regards to the airlock on the Coopers fermenter. I have found that when the airlock slows down or quits early in the fermentation process, that re-tightening the lid will usually take care of the problem. It seems that the seal compresses with time and partially looses it's seal. I have re-tightened twice and the rate of bubbles has increased each time. This is my first batch as time goes by the seal may stabilize, otherwise I may consider a O-Ring of proper dimension.
thanks a lot your such a big help first time making a 6 gal batch of mead and now i found out that the air was leaking because of the airlock glad to have found your Chanel on RUclips thanks for all your help
Once again, another informative video! All of your videos give great instructions as well as little tips/reasons as to why something happens/needs to be done. Just made my first batch with the Northern Brewer Deluxe Kit and can't wait to TASTE how everything came out. Cheers!
on my 3rd batch of brew,woke up this morning lot's of activity in the air lock,blowing bubbles out the top..no brew just the sanitizer..thought,better check out see what to do,your vid was the first one that popped up on google search..great vid..i'll be setting up a blow-off tube into a jug just to play it safe..thank's..cheers
According to Home Depot personel the buckets you're talking about are food grade. I began using one for my primary a month ago. Just have to drill a hole in the lid. Since you have to fill it almost near the top to get a full 5 gallons in it, it wants to flood out the air lock a lot if you have a very aggressive fermentation so for the first few days of fermentation I use a blow-off tube set up, as Craig demonstrates toward the end of his video above.
Excellent video with tons of useful info, thanks! When I brew my batches, I add a very small pinch of salt to the airlock (after it is installed and filled with water) in order to keep the water clear and bacteria-free for longer -- kind of like a salt system swimming pool. I find that salt can do no harm even if it is accidentally sucked into the fermenter and it won't evaporate like other sanitizing solutions might (alcohol, etc). That, plus it's cheap and always available/plentiful! ; )
Great video! I love your channel! I am beginner from Ireland, just brewing my first beer! Got very good knowledge from your videos. Keep going! Well done!
Thanks for the information Craig, very helpful. I was concerned that my airlock was not bubbling, so I watched this video and subsequently discovered I had used a fermenting bucket lid from another bucket that did not provide a tight seal. Nett result, it has begun bubbling.
I think Vodka in the air lock is genius and I always do that. Always means twice, but I'm going to brew again next week and that will make three times. It worked fantastic the first time. I think it will be good this time too. Hell, it doesn't matter, I'll drink it anyway because I trust myself and you, Craig.
Thanks for the great video - turns out a used fermenter I bought is exactly as you depicted: it has a slow leak; just enough so the airlock wasn't bubbling. Like you say, I'll bottle as soon as the SG is stable. Jim
12:47, I'm with you Craig on removing the lid. Just leave it alone and let it get on with it and then bottle it when it's ready. I'll very slightly remove the lid during the cooler months of the year to dry hop but during the summer I will make a hop tea and add the tea and the hop bag to the FV before pitching the yeast and then the lid stays on for the duration. The Germans didn't ban brewing during the summer months for nothing so why take the chance during the summer months when wild yeast spores are so much more prevalent? The lid comes off when I've finished bottling and when I've bottled a third of a bottle of trub to re-pitch on my next brew every second brew. Only at that point does the lid come off the FV.
You rock Craig, very informitive and pro been into it now a year and alot of the inspiration came from veiwing your vids, just started a channel hope one day it can somewhat resemble yours in class, keep up the gd work!
hey i cant thank you enough for the info i am new at this and starte my first brew two days ago and my air lock was not doing any thing and i happened to stumble on your vid tryed the pressing on lid to see if seal was good and it was leaking aroud the rim even with it down tight could not get it to seal right at all so check this i took suran rap and rolled it out and rolled it up then poked it down all aroud the lid to make a gasket type thing put the lid back on and presto it worked. thanks
Don't worry about the Beer snobs! What do they know? There are many good tips and tricks that the beer snobs don't approve of that work well and make brewing easier. Been thinking about doing a video myself of these tips and tricks, so others can try them. As far as I am concerned, there is no real right or wrong way to make a brew. What ever works is best. Craig did you get the email I sent you through RUclips a few weeks ago?
Hi Craig - I'm in Dorset in the UK, really enjoying your videos as I'm new to brewing. The first kit I did was a bitter and it fermented beautifully and came out perfectly. I now doing a cider kit and although I think it's working I'm not sure as it's not as active as the bitter. I have watched your tutorial on airlocks and have checked lid is properly shut. There is definately a ring/mark around the top which your video suggested was a good sign - could it be that this kit is just not as acti
hey craig.i have one of those drainpipe locks you have there.know it might be a stupid question but i'm just wandering if i need to put the red cap on it?Because the CO2 could surely escape with or without it on but is there any other reason for having it on??many thanks and keep up the great work
You bring up a lot of good points. My first and only batch so far, didn't buble at all. But I don't think it was the air lock, I think it was instantaneous firmentation due to adding the yeast while the wort was 97 degrees. Pretty stupid right?
Craig. Thanks. Just one question pertaining to my "drain" style airlock. After I install it into the lid I then add vodka and snap on the cap. Why isn't the vodka level in both sections of the airlock? It gets really full in the right side and just a little in the left (side that goes into the bucket). Shouldn't it be level at least until pressure builds from fermentation? Good news is there is vodka in the "trap" so that's positive. Also it bubbles like crazy. Just wondering why the imbalance.
@CraigTube I stumbled across your video when I was searching for the answer to the same question/reason my fermentor sprung a leak this weekend. I had the one-piece air lock and did NOT take off the red cap and when I woke up the morning after brewing and "capping" the fermentor, the lid of the fermentor had cracked and beer had leaked out. My question is, if you do not remove the red cap, where will the air (that's ring through the air lock) go? Think this is the reason my fermentor cracked?
Craigster! I've had very successful brews of Coopers Lager and Real Ale. This week I tried Coopers Stout. After 5 days of fermeting still no airlock bloop-di-bloops! Air-lock is good. My house is 20c. The beer is next to a window where the temp is 19C. I put a thermal jacket on the barrel. There is plently of scum on top of the barrel so I guess it's ok. I'm out of homebrew and had to buy beeer from the store today! Darn it!
Hi Craig I really like your video. Just one question, if I had a 300 L fermentor I should use 1 airlock (the same you show) too ? or should I use another system when I ´m preparing more liters ? Regards from Argentina
Hey Craig love your show and I am a first time brewer. I am making a red irish ale and I initially used my glass carboy with an airlock as my primary fermenter. After 20 hours the foam is going through my airlock. What should I do???
Hey Craig,I have made eight batches using Muntons brand and two using Coopers brand. All the beers tasted great so just out of cureosity why would Coopers foam up throw the air lock and Muntons doesn't and which would you rather have happen and why? David Good info videos. Brew on.
Craig, I have a question for you. I'm working on the Coopers micro brew kit. This is my first time brewing beer. After 7 days of fermenting at 26 degrees I took a hydrometer reading and it was 1014. I waited 2 more days and it was 1012. I opened the lid and couldn't see any bubbling but I know it's still fermenting as the lid has a lot of condensation on it. Is this normal for it to be fermenting this long ? You state it will take about 7 days in your videos. Mine will be closer to 12-14.
Hi Craig great video. But i have one question. If taking a gravity reading from the spigot to take a gravity reading due to a inactive airlock to test. which is the best way to clean the spigot. again great video as always.
baker's yeast will survive up to aprox. 14% ABV, some turbo yeasts can do up to 20% ABV, make sure you do the calculations for the amount of sugar you need for the % you want because any sugar for potential alcohol over these amounts will not ferment
Hey Craig, love your vids man, wicked stuff. I just started off with a Coopers Home Brew Kit. My wort has been fermenting at 22-24 deg c for the last 5 days and unfortunately I have not seen too much of the white foam you refer to or one single bubble in the airlock. That said there is sediment and the foam has disapated and there is a small scum ring about an inch above the liquid. Do you think something has gone wrong? I sanitized everything really well, any ideas?
Craig , I have a issue with this Airlock the cup one how deep should I put in the rubber ,I'm making wine in a glass bottle . The issue is the rubber doen't stay in the demijohn. The vedeo was great by the way.
Hi Craig, I'm wondering about Fermenting Buckets. I can go to Home Depot and buy 3 - 5 gal. all - purpose buckets for $7.02. Leaktite 5 gal. Leakproof Lids are $1.28 each. Prepers are putting food into these things, and burying them in their back yards. They are probably air and water tight. So, are these ok? Do I need to spend the extra money for Food Grade Buckets?
craig, my bucket doesnt use a bung to seal it but instead has a little hole with a small black o-ring which i push my airlock into. Well, when i pushed the airlock in i pushed too hard and the o-ring fell through. I did my best to seal the small space between the airlock and opening by using a small amount of plastic/tape. The airlock was bubbling the next day then soon stopped and i can see condensation underneath the tape indicating a small leak. Should i move to secondary ferm asap?
Hey, Craid, my fermentation vessel's are 4.6L green glass carboys(wine ones), because I can find them easily and for free. You know any way to test if there are no leaks on them? I use some auto-fusion tapes(in Brazil they are called this way) to seal it, and for airlocks I use the old water bottle plus cork and tube. Thanks in advance! Nice channel you've got in here!
Hi Craig, thanks for your info! I have a quick question about contaminating a brew I made, when I put the airlock in I didnt think it had a good seal so I used some paw paw ointment as I didnt have any thing else, anyway put this around the grommet for the airlock and a small amount possibly could have dropped into brew when twisting airlock in, do you think this could infect the brew or could it change the flavour? hoping I havnt buggered it. Its been in for 24hrs and is bubbling away well
what are the chances that ive watched your videos for calibrating my needle on my record player about 2 years ago and now im watching your video on airlocks.
Amazon wanted 20 dollars for a glass jug, but I saw some hawaiian punch at the store in gallon jugs for $2.19 so I got a couple of those and drank the punch. Then drilled 1 1/8 inch hole in the cap for the air lock. So far working good. I'm making muscadine wine for the first time.
Hi Craig, I'm using an S shaped airlock on a 33 litre beer fermenter. Thing is, I have vodka in it, put it bubbles out and eventually there's none left. It's a bit annoying because I have to refill it every now and then. Am I doing something wrong? How should I correctly fill the airlock? Thanks, Graig!
@CraigTube Hello Craig, Firstly thanks a lot for the videos, they have been a "Godsend", I maybe wrong but i think cadmio meant 30 litres, lol, i wouldn't fancy trying to bottle 300 litres, i'd be here a month of sundays doing that amount !
Hey Craig, I had a blow out on my irish stout and i changed the airlock but now my stout has stopped fermenting, there's mucus on my fermentor lid, should i sanitize a spoon and scoop it off and mix it into the brew?
Great video man! Just one question- I started my first batch of homebrew yesterday where, initially, the water levels in the airlock were even, but I checked them this morning and now one side (I have the second lock you discussed) is practically full of all the water. Does this matter? Will the air escape regardless?
How versitile are airlocks? I have an old wine jug I plan on using for cider, and I'm sure the airlock I bought on amazon is good, b ut I also want to try making it in a 5 gallon poland spring bottle with a bigger mouth, any way to make it work with that?
I was taught to treat it like a baby gentley, after all it is alive. and since you made it, it's your responsibility to nurture it to adult hood. and learn as you go and enjoy
hey craig, i just brewed my first batch of beer yesterday, its a california pale ale, the lid of the fermenter was not fitting too good so this morning when i woke up i put a couple weights on it and the airlock starting bubbling like crazy for an hour or so, it has since slowed down to one bubble every 30 seconds or so. It has not even been fermenting 24 hours yet. Will the weights on the lid be a problem? Why would the airlock slow down all of a sudden? Thank you
Totally solved my problem. I'm a noob and didn't know what was up with my airlock. I took a Hydro reading this morning, so I new fermentation was happening (initial hydro was a 38, this morning it was 23), but the air lock wasn't bubbling. I carefully shoved the air lock to seal with the lid, and then tested it as you did the first one you showed. Now I have a good lock, and it's bubbling away. What a great channel for first time brewers. CHEERS!
Really appreciate your generosity in producing these video tutorials, Craig. You don't rush through, you cover all points systematically and with your 'students' in mind, and you are very natural. I haven't found a better face-to-face teacher of the brewer's arts anywhere. Long life and long may your brews bubble!
Hello again, I never thought I would get a response, much less one so quickly. Thank you very much. Now I know, and won't waste my time and money on something that would have been doomed from the start. Thanks.
Hi Craig, I am a new brewer. I was making my first beer. It may have been a little more than I was prepared. I finished the wort and put it in the fermenter. It was a little warmer than the recipe called for. I pitched the yeast. I put the lid on and fixed the airlock on the lid. A couple of days later there were no buddies. Nothing the next day. Oh my god I killed the yeast. I was going the throw it out. That evening I came across your airlock video. What a relief the beer may still be ok. Over a few days I saw the ring forming. I then knew thanks to you the beer was ok. Thank you Craig for saving my first brew. It is now in bottles and tastes great.
Thanks,Terry
Ps love your videos please don”t stop.
Thanks for all the great, no-nonsense brewing videos, Craig!
Wow your videos on home brewing are my favorites. They are so incredibly informative especially about small details which matter so much. Thank you very much. Keep posting please because they are so helpful for beginners and we learn a lot. They are so simple too that even a person with absolutely no experience in brewing can understand and practice. Well done. Great job
Another great video on brewing again craig. Well done. There is another air lock technique some people use known as the cling wrap airlock. I kid you not! Basically you stretch cling wrap over the top of your fermenter and secure it with a rubber band or the 'o' ring seal of your fermenter if it has one. The just put a tiny pin prick in the middle. This works well, and allows you to see inside quite easily. Also when fermentation is happening, the plastic bulges up. When its down it finished! :)
Man I just started this up as a hobby and in none of the tutorials I've read have ever said "put water in the airlock. I got really scared my new (mead) brew of two days was going to get infected. You gave me a little peace of mind when you said that the CO2 in the first few days would likely keep anything out of my brew regardless. Just topped up the water now :) Thank you very much for your video.
Thanks a Lot. I brewed my first beer last this weekend and ended up with some problems with the airlock. This video was very helpfull. Not easy to find good info about airlocks.
Thanks for all your good information about airlocks. I am starting to learn wine making. Thanks again. Lazaro, this was a good tutorial
Thank you my friend. Your passion for beer shines through, and your no-nonsense advice is priceless.
Dear Brewing Wizard,
Your videos provide no end of help.
Thank you muchly.
Just bought my first kit today from Brewdemon. I've saw many of your videos, and all of them are really helpful. I will drink my first bottle of beer and make a distance cheers for you. Thank you Craig!
I have watched many of your videos and just want to say thank you. I was a novice beer maker until two days ago when I had my beer bubbling madly away. I did as you advised and did change the air lock to the tube and water method. It works great, and yes hearing the bubbles is of great satisfaction to me. Your videos are appreciated for new people like myself. P.S im trying the Coopers Stout.
This is a great video, I’m new to wine making and this is the most informative video on airlocks. Thank you
You do a great job with your videos. Very clear and thorough explanations. So useful.
Craig, great videos. In regards to the airlock on the Coopers fermenter. I have found that when the airlock slows down or quits early in the fermentation process, that re-tightening the lid will usually take care of the problem. It seems that the seal compresses with time and partially looses it's seal. I have re-tightened twice and the rate of bubbles has increased each time. This is my first batch as time goes by the seal may stabilize, otherwise I may consider a O-Ring of proper dimension.
thanks a lot your such a big help first time making a 6 gal batch of mead and now i found out that the air was leaking because of the airlock glad to have found your Chanel on RUclips thanks for all your help
Craig,
Your vids are really great! I'm a total newb and you explain things in simple terms that even I can understand...thanks!
Once again, another informative video! All of your videos give great instructions as well as little tips/reasons as to why something happens/needs to be done. Just made my first batch with the Northern Brewer Deluxe Kit and can't wait to TASTE how everything came out. Cheers!
on my 3rd batch of brew,woke up this morning lot's of activity in the air lock,blowing bubbles out the top..no brew just the sanitizer..thought,better check out see what to do,your vid was the first one that popped up on google search..great vid..i'll be setting up a blow-off tube into a jug just to play it safe..thank's..cheers
According to Home Depot personel the buckets you're talking about are food grade. I began using one for my primary a month ago. Just have to drill a hole in the lid. Since you have to fill it almost near the top to get a full 5 gallons in it, it wants to flood out the air lock a lot if you have a very aggressive fermentation so for the first few days of fermentation I use a blow-off tube set up, as Craig demonstrates toward the end of his video above.
You videos are very, very, very, very helpful . . . for the Newbiebrewer....
Thanks for sharing you experience.
Great video. My airlock doesnt seem to be bubbling. You've put my mind at ease.
Excellent video with tons of useful info, thanks!
When I brew my batches, I add a very small pinch of salt to the airlock (after it is installed and filled with water) in order to keep the water clear and bacteria-free for longer -- kind of like a salt system swimming pool. I find that salt can do no harm even if it is accidentally sucked into the fermenter and it won't evaporate like other sanitizing solutions might (alcohol, etc). That, plus it's cheap and always available/plentiful! ; )
Thanks man, your home brewing series is great, it has helped me out to start brewing by my own...
4th view, 1st comment.
Thanks for all the videos Craig. I've started my first brew today. Your videos have been a lot of help.
Thanks again.
Great video! I love your channel! I am beginner from Ireland, just brewing my first beer! Got very good knowledge from your videos. Keep going! Well done!
Thanks for the information Craig, very helpful. I was concerned that my airlock was not bubbling, so I watched this video and subsequently discovered I had used a fermenting bucket lid from another bucket that did not provide a tight seal. Nett result, it has begun bubbling.
You're a great teacher.
Hope you have more videos like this on how to make a step by step NEIPA.
I think Vodka in the air lock is genius and I always do that. Always means twice, but I'm going to brew again next week and that will make three times. It worked fantastic the first time. I think it will be good this time too. Hell, it doesn't matter, I'll drink it anyway because I trust myself and you, Craig.
Thanks so much for posting...You saved me from throwing out a good batch of vino...that didn't appear to be bubbling at the airlock.
Dude your videos are so informative and mellow. Thank you for this great learning resource!
Thank you! Brewing my first beer and knew that an airlock was required but the books and recipe I had said nothing about what to actually do with it!
Thanks for the great video - turns out a used fermenter I bought is exactly as you depicted: it has a slow leak; just enough so the airlock wasn't bubbling. Like you say, I'll bottle as soon as the SG is stable.
Jim
i'm so sorry about your home decor in 2009 but the videos are informative and interesting, thanks for the how-to's
Great video! I was very curious about my first brew. This helped me be at ease. And the blow off tube demonstration was helpful as well.
THANK YOU GRAIG!!!! Im about to begin brewing your vids are so helpful
I like this guy and his attitude...he does really enjoy brewery and beer drinking :)
Mr Craig I think I've watch nearly all your videos, you have been so helpful. Many many thnaks, have a beer on me.
Thank you Craig for that very valuable information. You answered all my questions on this topic,cheers!
Glad I came across this video, this was very informative and helpful 🎉🍻 Cheers
12:47, I'm with you Craig on removing the lid. Just leave it alone and let it get on with it and then bottle it when it's ready. I'll very slightly remove the lid during the cooler months of the year to dry hop but during the summer I will make a hop tea and add the tea and the hop bag to the FV before pitching the yeast and then the lid stays on for the duration. The Germans didn't ban brewing during the summer months for nothing so why take the chance during the summer months when wild yeast spores are so much more prevalent? The lid comes off when I've finished bottling and when I've bottled a third of a bottle of trub to re-pitch on my next brew every second brew. Only at that point does the lid come off the FV.
that was a really good tip it just save my brew i was tired of being cleaning my bucket thanks a lot
You rock Craig, very informitive and pro been into it now a year and alot of the inspiration came from veiwing your vids, just started a channel hope one day it can somewhat resemble yours in class, keep up the gd work!
Did i hear the airlock open up at 1:26 and Methane gas pass through ?
you are doing a service to mankind sir. thank you for your help. excellent job, and keep up the good work! :)
good vid. good info. thank you. just started my first brew tonight(inmate wine) looking forward to hear the bubbles!
hey i cant thank you enough for the info i am new at this and starte my first brew two days ago and my air lock was not doing any thing and i happened to stumble on your vid tryed the pressing on lid to see if seal was good and it was leaking aroud the rim even with it down tight could not get it to seal right at all so check this i took suran rap and rolled it out and rolled it up then poked it down all aroud the lid to make a gasket type thing put the lid back on and presto it worked. thanks
Nice. All the info on airlocks. Thanks Craig.
Your videos are great. Very informative. Thanks
Don't worry about the Beer snobs! What do they know? There are many good tips and tricks that the beer snobs don't approve of that work well and make brewing easier. Been thinking about doing a video myself of these tips and tricks, so others can try them.
As far as I am concerned, there is no real right or wrong way to make a brew. What ever works is best. Craig did you get the email I sent you through RUclips a few weeks ago?
Hi Craig - I'm in Dorset in the UK, really enjoying your videos as I'm new to brewing. The first kit I did was a bitter and it fermented beautifully and came out perfectly. I now doing a cider kit and although I think it's working I'm not sure as it's not as active as the bitter. I have watched your tutorial on airlocks and have checked lid is properly shut. There is definately a ring/mark around the top which your video suggested was a good sign - could it be that this kit is just not as acti
Thank you for such a great video, perfectly explained all the questions I had about airlocks
Hey thanks for posting these videos on brewing
im running 7 fermenters distilling about 8litres 40% a day without these videos id be stuck lol
Great videos thanks. Just starting out and your info is really helpful.
hey craig.i have one of those drainpipe locks you have there.know it might be a stupid question but i'm just wandering if i need to put the red cap on it?Because the CO2 could surely escape with or without it on but is there any other reason for having it on??many thanks and keep up the great work
You bring up a lot of good points. My first and only batch so far, didn't buble at all. But I don't think it was the air lock, I think it was instantaneous firmentation due to adding the yeast while the wort was 97 degrees. Pretty stupid right?
Hey Craig, Thank You very much. Very informative.
Craig. Thanks. Just one question pertaining to my "drain" style airlock. After I install it into the lid I then add vodka and snap on the cap. Why isn't the vodka level in both sections of the airlock? It gets really full in the right side and just a little in the left (side that goes into the bucket). Shouldn't it be level at least until pressure builds from fermentation? Good news is there is vodka in the "trap" so that's positive. Also it bubbles like crazy. Just wondering why the imbalance.
Thank you Craig for the information. I am looking forward to brewing my first batch.
@CraigTube I stumbled across your video when I was searching for the answer to the same question/reason my fermentor sprung a leak this weekend. I had the one-piece air lock and did NOT take off the red cap and when I woke up the morning after brewing and "capping" the fermentor, the lid of the fermentor had cracked and beer had leaked out. My question is, if you do not remove the red cap, where will the air (that's ring through the air lock) go? Think this is the reason my fermentor cracked?
What a great video! Thank you for such a wonderful explanation.
Craigster!
I've had very successful brews of Coopers Lager and Real Ale. This week I tried Coopers Stout. After 5 days of fermeting still no airlock bloop-di-bloops!
Air-lock is good. My house is 20c. The beer is next to a window where the temp is 19C. I put a thermal jacket on the barrel. There is plently of scum on top of the barrel so I guess it's ok. I'm out of homebrew and had to buy beeer from the store today! Darn it!
hey craig verry helpful vids i have a question. With your air lock did u just put it in a oak cork and then cut a hole in the lid?
Hi Craig I really like your video. Just one question, if I had a 300 L fermentor I should use 1 airlock (the same you show) too ? or should I use another system when I ´m preparing more liters ?
Regards from Argentina
good practical advice here and there, as always. useful vid.
Very nice channel! Just getting started on brewing...
Hey Craig love your show and I am a first time brewer. I am making a red irish ale and I initially used my glass carboy with an airlock as my primary fermenter. After 20 hours the foam is going through my airlock. What should I do???
This video is so helpful! Thanks so much!! I'm just starting off homebrewing and need some help with the basics :)
Thank you so much man, I took care of it first thing this morning.
Thank you for posting this! Super helpful
Hey Craig,I have made eight batches using Muntons brand and two using Coopers brand.
All the beers tasted great so just out of cureosity why would Coopers foam up throw the air lock and Muntons doesn't and which would you rather have happen and why?
David Good info videos. Brew on.
Craig, I have a question for you. I'm working on the Coopers micro brew kit. This is my first time brewing beer. After 7 days of fermenting at 26 degrees I took a hydrometer reading and it was 1014. I waited 2 more days and it was 1012. I opened the lid and couldn't see any bubbling but I know it's still fermenting as the lid has a lot of condensation on it. Is this normal for it to be fermenting this long ? You state it will take about 7 days in your videos. Mine will be closer to 12-14.
Hi Craig great video. But i have one question. If taking a gravity reading from the spigot to take a gravity reading due to a inactive airlock to test. which is the best way to clean the spigot. again great video as always.
baker's yeast will survive up to aprox. 14% ABV, some turbo yeasts can do up to 20% ABV, make sure you do the calculations for the amount of sugar you need for the % you want because any sugar for potential alcohol over these amounts will not ferment
Hey Craig, love your vids man, wicked stuff. I just started off with a Coopers Home Brew Kit. My wort has been fermenting at 22-24 deg c for the last 5 days and unfortunately I have not seen too much of the white foam you refer to or one single bubble in the airlock. That said there is sediment and the foam has disapated and there is a small scum ring about an inch above the liquid. Do you think something has gone wrong? I sanitized everything really well, any ideas?
Craig , I have a issue with this Airlock the cup one how deep should I put in the rubber ,I'm making wine in a glass bottle .
The issue is the rubber doen't stay in the demijohn. The vedeo was great by the way.
Great video Craig!
Hi Craig, I'm wondering about Fermenting Buckets. I can go to Home Depot and buy 3 - 5 gal. all - purpose buckets for $7.02. Leaktite 5 gal. Leakproof Lids are $1.28 each. Prepers are putting food into these things, and burying them in their back yards. They are probably air and water tight. So, are these ok? Do I need to spend the extra money for Food Grade Buckets?
craig, my bucket doesnt use a bung to seal it but instead has a little hole with a small black o-ring which i push my airlock into. Well, when i pushed the airlock in i pushed too hard and the o-ring fell through. I did my best to seal the small space between the airlock and opening by using a small amount of plastic/tape. The airlock was bubbling the next day then soon stopped and i can see condensation underneath the tape indicating a small leak. Should i move to secondary ferm asap?
Hey, Craid, my fermentation vessel's are 4.6L green glass carboys(wine ones), because I can find them easily and for free. You know any way to test if there are no leaks on them? I use some auto-fusion tapes(in Brazil they are called this way) to seal it, and for airlocks I use the old water bottle plus cork and tube. Thanks in advance! Nice channel you've got in here!
Hi Craig, thanks for your info! I have a quick question about contaminating a brew I made, when I put the airlock in I didnt think it had a good seal so I used some paw paw ointment as I didnt have any thing else, anyway put this around the grommet for the airlock and a small amount possibly could have dropped into brew when twisting airlock in, do you think this could infect the brew or could it change the flavour? hoping I havnt buggered it. Its been in for 24hrs and is bubbling away well
Craig, what kind of Airlock do i need for like the 2 Quart Jugs of Juice???? I seen some on Amazon?????
what are the chances that ive watched your videos for calibrating my needle on my record player about 2 years ago and now im watching your video on airlocks.
Amazon wanted 20 dollars for a glass jug, but I saw some hawaiian punch at the store in gallon jugs for $2.19 so I got a couple of those and drank the punch. Then drilled 1 1/8 inch hole in the cap for the air lock. So far working good. I'm making muscadine wine for the first time.
Hi Craig, I'm using an S shaped airlock on a 33 litre beer fermenter. Thing is, I have vodka in it, put it bubbles out and eventually there's none left. It's a bit annoying because I have to refill it every now and then. Am I doing something wrong? How should I correctly fill the airlock? Thanks, Graig!
@CraigTube
Hello Craig,
Firstly thanks a lot for the videos, they have been a "Godsend",
I maybe wrong but i think cadmio meant 30 litres, lol,
i wouldn't fancy trying to bottle 300 litres, i'd be here a month of sundays doing that amount !
hey what was your first homebrew and how did it turn out? did you crack em a lil early outta anticipation?
Hey Craig, I had a blow out on my irish stout and i changed the airlock but now my stout has stopped fermenting, there's mucus on my fermentor lid, should i sanitize a spoon and scoop it off and mix it into the brew?
Thank you so much! Great n informative video
Great video man! Just one question- I started my first batch of homebrew yesterday where, initially, the water levels in the airlock were even, but I checked them this morning and now one side (I have the second lock you discussed) is practically full of all the water. Does this matter? Will the air escape regardless?
2:20 🤣🤣🤣 You're the man... Also thank you for the amazing info....
hahaha I didn't even notice
How versitile are airlocks? I have an old wine jug I plan on using for cider, and I'm sure the airlock I bought on amazon is good, b ut I also want to try making it in a 5 gallon poland spring bottle with a bigger mouth, any way to make it work with that?
I was taught to treat it like a baby gentley, after all it is alive. and since you made it, it's your responsibility to nurture it to adult hood. and learn as you go and enjoy
This is great information thank you!!
Thanks, just what I needed with the tube and jar :)
Great video, thumbs up!
All your videos have been great. Real help!! Thanks a lot : )
hey craig, i just brewed my first batch of beer yesterday, its a california pale ale, the lid of the fermenter was not fitting too good so this morning when i woke up i put a couple weights on it and the airlock starting bubbling like crazy for an hour or so, it has since slowed down to one bubble every 30 seconds or so. It has not even been fermenting 24 hours yet. Will the weights on the lid be a problem? Why would the airlock slow down all of a sudden? Thank you