So you know. I put you on FULL screen or down stairs on my TV.... You put Effort into the quality, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Waiting for my Airlocks in the mail..... Purchased 2 bottles of Concord Grape Juice this time. Apple juice was ok, but i think i like darker red wines. We'll see THANKS TO YOU.
Love your videos. One small tip on airlocks, particularly the s-type ones. Sometimes when they are made the two halves don't align properly and a ridge is formed on either side of the stem that gets inserted in the fermenter's cap (plug or grommet). These ridges, if large enough can cause a leak, and results in the fluid in the airlock showing pressure but never actively bubbling, or bubbling slower than expected. I once had a makegolli that looked like it had stalled, but this was the cause. Just take a razor and scrape down the ridges. My SOP now is to do that to all my airlocks just to be sure.
I have a two piece airlock that resembles your three piece type. I selected it for the ease of cleaning. For confined spaces I like to use small diameter stainless steel ball bearings. They can be poured in and remove residue with a little bit of shaking. I catch them with a sieve after the job is done.
A bought a fair few of the 3 piece ones recently because of the cleaning aspect and was much easier to clean when I had one batch blow out. Upon using them however, I realise I like the S type better for a visual check on how the brew is holding pressure.
Gotta be honest, yall are life savers. I got into home brewing avout 3 weeks ago, my first batch is almost done already and I started my second one the day before yesterday, its actually the mango mead recipe where I replace the water with mango nectar. Had to add a little bit of water bc it was too thick and exploded on me through the airlock. So far you guys have been teaching me everything I know about homebrewing. Thanks for your efforts in teaching us! Know your teachings are helping me, and Im sure many others, brewing succesfully❤
Thanks for the great explanation, I have a mead still in the first 24h, was worried I had too much residential no-rinse sanitizer left in the carboy. Glad its just an overactive ferment.
Started a strawberry wine, I used 71B (y)east, inverted sugar and a yeast nutrient, it's started foaming aggressively after no time at all :) Found this video and learned what to do, Thanks for the video guys
Somehow I knew I would find an explanation for my airlock mystery. I just finished the set-up for my Coffee Mead and went to town getting oxygen in it and all was right in the world. I installed my airlock and put it into my fermentation area and checked back a bit later and I had some negative pressure going on. What really amplified this was it is sitting right next to my Basic Mead I started on the 23rd which is bubbling positively like a champ. I am going to go with the temperature explanation because I did warm the honey and the cold brew was room temp when I put it all together. What I won't do is worry about it because who wants to drink a bunch of worry? Not this guy.
I know I’m late to the party here. You had me sold to your channel in the first 3 seconds! LOVE the friendly “brutalness” of your vid’s. Bought my wife everything in your top 10 vid and am on my own second 3 gallon batch of your Vicki’s Blood 2020!
I cut the threads off of a clear plastic bottle and hot glue or silicone it to the cap / bung, and drill a hole in the top of the bottle (which was originally the bottom) to fit an o ring with the airlock. Works awesome as a no losses burper of sorts for over filled containers and over active ferments. It's great insurance with no waste.
Hey guys on your blow off tube, use an old sealer from canning, drill a hole just big enough for the tube to fit but stay secure, and put the ring on the jar. Punching a hole with a nail might work too if one doesn’t have a drill. Keep up the videos!
Love your videos! I’m currently making my first brew off of your earl grey mead video, and I’m so glad I saw this video because I was worried about the sanitizing fluid being all on one side. So relieved to know that it means it is working! Love you guys and what you do
Thanks so much for this video! On my 4th batch and it became very active. Was scratching my head if I did the blow-off tube correctly. Thanks to you, it's all set and I'll check in a couple of day to see if I can go back to a normal airlock.
These kind of vids are great. When you are new and all of the sudden you need a blow off tube and don't know how... you search for it on youtube so it comes with instructions. LOL at least it keeps in with LOTS of content. :) Have a great day!
Good morning City Steaders. Yesterday I pitched the yeast into my first 5-gallon attempt. I'm using an "S" type air lock. The original specific gravity of my blueberry wine was 1.142. I'm hoping to make a sweet dessert wine. I used the last of my frozen blueberries from last year (17 pounds). Wish me luck.
@@saxonsoldier67 , I used 17 pounds frozen blueberries, 12 pounds sugar, 7.5 teaspoons acid blend, 4.5 teaspoons pectin enzyme, 5 campton tablets, enough water to make 5 gallons, and let set overnight. The next day I added 1 packet of Red Star Premier Classic wine yeast. Tonight it is almost a constant stream of bubbles in the airlock. Thank you for the well wishes.
Why all the chems? No need. Just use the fruit, sugar, water and yeast and you will make a better brew. Some will argue differently, but... I've done it this way for years and so have thousands of people in our group and here on the channel. No need for all that other stuff. The enzyme is the only one that will "help" and even then.... maybe. It helps clear a bit, but that's all. Not a big deal imho.
@@CitySteadingBrews, I was following a recipe (except the 2 extra pounds of berries) that I was given and wanted to see if it made a difference from Paw Paw's recipe (never had a failure with that). It is bubbling away nicely and I hope it turns out well. Thanks for the advice and I'll keep you updated.
Man, im so glad I found this video. I've heard tou guys talk about blow off tunes but I didn't know what they were. Also my cider I started yesterday had neutral pressure and I wasn't sure why. You pointed out the obvious lol. Not there's a hair tie holding it in place. (Learned that from you guys too 😉)
The Video I've been waiting for, because I never understood what the seemingly magical Blowoff Tube is, that everyone keeps preaching in the FB Group :D
Thanks again, you two are an inspiration ❤. Had my first blowout and your wisdom saved me from an anxious mess. I've started a simple cyser with EC11-18 and 8 hours in breached the airlock.
I am now tasting some Welches' grape wine I started June 30 and it has been done for the last couple of days, and it tastes fine, albeit dry, but that is on me as I used less sugar to make it, and I like it fine. It has a very nice deep purple color and is very clear. I have several others that I started at the same time, although I used more sugar in those and they are still chugging away. and I actually made more over the entire week following June 30. Some were doing exactly like you describe...foam coming up through the airlock. I believe it happened because the temperature got up to 85 in my room and they went nuts. I like both sweet and dry wines, and now I have a bunch of other combos brewing. I think my next project will be some white wine...need to make one sweet and one dry so I figure out which I like best!
Amazing video as always, and gotta say, I've been homebrewing for the better part of ten years. You're videos are what got me into mead (that and the meadery that's 5 minutes down the road) and I guess I was surprised that some don't use airlocks. I remember watching your first Viking blood video and traditional mead and when you said get an airlock I really thought, "wait why wouldn't you use one?" I had to ask the owner of the supply store I go to if that happens and boy did he get a laugh, ended up telling me stories about balloons and cheesecloth disasters he's heard of for an hour, when he was done laughing he just said "always have more airlocks than fermentation vessels it's just a safe tip I tell everyone."
my adventure with the hot sauce was a success I definitely recommend fermenting it longer so that the vegetables break down more and make more of a sauce than a paste
I found your guy's youtube channel a few months ago on the cider making. Amazing stuff It was exactly what I needed to get the confidence in starting my own. I just finished up my first brew of Cider. It turned out pretty good, but I didn't carbonate this round. Next round carbonation is coming :)
Here is my airlock question. I noticed that the tubes have seams from the mold. And at the seam there is a bit of plastic protruding from the seam. This is typical of plastic injection molds. So, when my brews are fermenting I'll sometimes notice slight liquid/moisture where the tube is inserted into the rubber grommet. When I examined one of the airlocks it occurred to me that the plastic ridge all along the seam is probably causing a gap, albeit very tiny, allowing some pressure to escape. I lightly sanded an extra airlock, smoothing down this seam and cleaned it up. I added sanitizer and replaced it. Now this batch is in its 5th day of primary fermentation and i had been noticing slowing fermentation for the past day or two. But when I replaced the airlock with the smooth one, wow, a lot of activity. In my rookie brewing mind, I did the right thing by making sure there is a good seal. What say you?!! Have I done something good or ..... not?!! Thanks.
@@CitySteadingBrews Thanks. I'm guessing the next batch that I'm going to make tomorrow is going to exhibit some very busy airlock activity and in the 2 gallon bucket it will probably sound like an old coffee percolator !!
Great vid... I've been curious about blow off tubes.. I was literally thinking about that form before I found my local brew store, and got an actual air lock.
Yay new video! And lol i agree with the twin bubble style I used the 3 piece for lactofermented stuff and didn't know I'd like the twin better till I got one with my carboy and saw the magic and that it takes less liquid too
Not video related question - I added a juice mix during the back end of my primary and i'm not sure how to calculate abv now. My must started at 1.114 and got down to 1.030 before I added in my juice mix(1.040 I think). My new mix of 1qt juice to 3qt must now has a SG of 1.035. I'm not sure what math I need to do to get a ballpark ABV. Thank you guys for all the videos and information they have gotten me into a new hobby and i am really enjoying it.
Just take your OG-FG, then the "new" gravity after adding juice - your FG and add that to the oG-FG number to calculate it. Essentially just add up the gravity differences.
@@CitySteadingBrews Thank you for that I was worried i would need to buy a chalkboard and have Einstein-like formulas scribbled. Again, thank you for the videos.
If you have enough clearance in a bucket could you put your Brew in a bucket to prevent it from smelling up a Room in a really tiny apartment or would that cause pressure problems after a while I would think it should be fine
Nice of you to take the time to explain to the folks how airlocks work. However, I am wondering if you are up to a challenge so to speak. When brewing beer, cider and ginger beer in Australia I was enticed to use glad wrap ( plastic wrap) to cover the top of my brewing vessel, no lid ,no airlock just the plastic in place of the lid . Which was taped around the top of the container with electrical tape or duct tape if you have money to burn. A single pin-hole made by a needle in the top and sit back and let the magic happen. The gas expells through the hole and you can easily see what stage your brew is going through. The whole time I used this method I had zero issues with any bad seals also it allowed me with a glance to observe where the brewing process was. Give it a whirl sometime, I think you may be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for your candidness. Cheers.
Since you appreciate my candidness.... that works fine until a bug finds its way into your brew. It may not happen every time, but it will, and you'll wish you used an airlock. Seriously... it's such a safe, easy thing, why do people rebel so hard against it?
@@CitySteadingBrews I am not rebelling there are alternatives that work. Even your airlocks as you have admitted fail. So how about trying it .Pretty sure thats all I asked. I certainly did not say what you have said to people is misleading them or wrong in any shape or form. If you do not want to try it that is fine.
Not going to argue, but... when did I say an airlock failed? Honestly... a hole in plastic wrap can't really be considered safe. It's the same theory as a balloon. Sure, might work, but, as I said... something will get in at some point. Just not a risk worth taking if you ask me. Thanks for the discussion though, I appreciate it.
First off, great channel. I am just getting into home brew and got a couple of starter kits and was curious to get other users views on the newer version of fermenter from coopers which does not have an air lock, instead uses a three part system - bucket, top inner ring, and lid.
I like the S type , it is more pleasing to watch , but find them a bit noisey for any of my larger brews that wont fit in the cupboard. so i use the 3 piece type for anything that will be in earshot of my bedroom.
Regarding negative pressure on airlocks, how long does it normally take to start going positive, I made a must about 6 hours ago and still showing negative pressure. Does it need more oxygen?
It’s due to temperature dropping in your must. Remove the airlock and replace it, will be fine. It can take up to 3 days for yeast to start fermenting.
You didn't think you had to make this video...but I'm so glad you did! I have a very active coffeemel on the go...airlock filled up 3 times, so switched to an blowoff tune (1/2) tubing)...do these things clog? What happens if they do?
I made some, Pill bottle and 2 different size straws. Small one through Juice Cap and bottom of pill bottle more then half way up inside the CENTER. Then Hot glue to seal. Then Bigger straw from Pill bottle lid in CENTER , hot glued. Fill up with water half way or less and sllidd lid straw over top smaller middle straw. and twist closed. I put a knife tip pin hole in Pill ottle lid. Co2 comes up little straw into bigger and then pressure it's self down into the water an up into the pill bottle like the 3 pc one you showed. Seen it online, i didn't come up with it.
Some times, I find a crack on the threading of the spigot when I seal the plastic fermenting bucket and it leaks during primary so I started to just keep the lid on and also airlock to prevent bugs or dust to come in and once it's done by taking reading and rack it, I seal it. Do you think I'm putting too much pressure to break the spigot? P.S: It's 6 gallon bucket and I don't keep really that much of space. Is it because of that?
There's a gizmo...or perhaps it's a thingamabob... that caps up a carboy. This thing has several short tubes formed and they stick up from the main part of the cap . What's it called and how and why (oh why) does one use it?!
I have a 3 bowl airlock(the one with like 3 bowls on each side...almost all positive pressure..this ok? also i might have added too much honey..that ok as well? Love your videos!!!
Not so much on the kind of device needed for blow-off, but if someone is making large batches, or multiple large batches in a home, is there any way to control the build up of CO2 that comes off of these devices, and the barrels?
My airlock hasn't started to foam but it looks to be a lot of pressure. So much so that some of the sanitizer liquid came out the top. Should I just leave it or just quickly remove the airlock and refill to the proper level and then replace it?
Make sure it's always filled to the proper level. An active fermentation is pumping out CO2 so there's very very very little worry of anything untoward occurring.
Thanks for the information, just formulated my decision re airlock/blowoff/none. I have a height restriction with my fermenting fridge so I'm going to have to use a blow off tube I think.
I have jars I would like to use for wine / mead making but have no hole and grommet for the airlock. Have you drilled the lid and put own grommet. I tried but then it leaked as difficult to get the grommet in what do you recommend to prevent the leak between the grommet and the lid. Grommet to airlock is fine.
Hi! My question has to do with holes in the lid of the airlock. I bought one off of Amazon and it does not have any holes in it. Do I need to poke holes into it to help release the CO2?
Is it important to have exactly the water solution level? When pushing may lid on,... some water solution came out !! Can I refill during fermentation of red wine I am using S type
There should be a mark on your airlock roughly halfway. That is the ideal level to fill to. If it is a little less or a little more you should still be fine. You can always clean out and refill your airlock when needed. If you don't have any sanitization liquid available then use an inexpensive neutral spirit such as vodka.
Awesome videos, Thanks for sharing your expertise. I'm currently making my first blueberry wine. Started w/a 1.100. After a few hours, liquid is coming out of the top of the three piece airlock. It's not just bubbles, it's red liquid. I'm using a regular one gallon bottle. Should I worry about star san-water in the airlock possibly going back into the bottle? Can I take out some of the liquid? I filled the bottle up to the "one gallon" mark. thanks for your help.
Hi, I live in Indonesia, so I'm not sure what is sanitized water? I want to make a mead following your other videos. Have bought the airlock but not surr how to use it. Thx!
So does any type of fermentation need to breathe oxygen in? or is it always just breathing out. Is the only time you get negative pressure when you bottle it warm/hot? So bacteria and yeast will never create a vacuum? I'm just wondering if I should switch from a rag and rubber band to an airlock on my Kombucha brew.
Apologies if I missed it, but where did the tubing for the blowoff tube come from? It looks like it was repurposed from something. I don't know if the extra tubbing from megamaid would be a large enough diameter as it looked bigger, but wasn't sure
Hey second time brewer, first time commenter. Ive got 3 seperate batches of mead right now i started on the same day. Two one gallon and one 1/2 gallon. Very active and happy but ive got all 3 of them connected to blowoff tubes into a sanitizer bucket. How long can i keep them in there? Until fermenting is done? Please let me know and keep up the great work. Thank you!
@@CitySteadingBrews cool beans!!! i was worried thank you. I absolutely love your show you guys make home brewing fun and learning easy thank yoooouuuu!!!!
I heard that you can use rubbing alcohol and salt as a way to clean inside the s-lock. Because the salt doesn't dissolve in rubbing alcohol, it can more ruffly rub against the mess you are trying to clean like rocks it water. Though I still have yet to try this myself.
As an alternative if we have a brew that is fixin' to spew, can't we just overnight the brew to you so that Derica can place it in Brian's closet ? I heard it from the grapevine that his closet is a great place to be for overactive brews.
I suspect they made a lot of vinegar. Larger batches were often open fermented regardless of how long it was going to be stored. Defence against wild yeast was boiling the mash if water was used and having a nice strong yeast culture to work with. Folks took more risk than we do, but they didn't have the choice or really even the scientific understanding of what was really happening so that they could avoid all the problems.
Hi love the channel, I have a question I had 25l cider with no fermentation after 48 hours went out today and came back to a explosion and half a bucket but no foam can I top it up with more apple juice and do I need more yeast. I used a airlock but it's not showing activity and checked for leaks the fermentation vessel has a tap could this be the problem. James. Worcester UK
Hi! This is the first time I'm fermenting something and I'm going to use a two-piece airlock, but I'm not sure if I should leave the top lid on or take it off.
Thanks for this! Is there a video you have done that talks about overactive fermentation? I've been having that a lot (and I didn't used to) and never sure if it is a "bad" thing. (I love watching the dynamic between you both! It is great as well as informative.)
I've got a bunch of three piece airlocks and I (don't know why I think this) am worried if I keep the top cap on that it'll blow. I keep taking the top semi-off so that its loosened / letting air out but I'm finding the solution inside the airlock is thinning / loosing volumne. Do I just keep the top on 100%? My eyes are pretty bad so if there is something I'm missing here please let me know.
2 things. Airlocks at LHBS, $1.29 and $1.39. 3 piece is more expensive. Quite a few years ago, I was working at another HBS, (owner has since lost the business, and he deserved that) We had a 5 gallon batch of traditional hefeweisen fermenting in the back room. His day off, second day of fermenting. the carboy was sitting in a kiddie pool, full of sanitizer mix, and had a chiller hooked up to it. (San water from the pool, went into this cooler, which worked like an air conditioner, to keep the ferment below 60 degrees.) I was in the front of the store, heard a pop. Airlock was in the pool. Put it back. A few minutes later, I heard a POP, and thump. Airlock hit the 16 foot ceiling! Got a 1.25 inch blow off tube, and it fit inside the mouth of the carboy. No more issues. steve
Hey I hope you get to see this but I’ve started a cherry mead inspired by you guys but I have the must going up into the airlock I’m currently on my second day, is it good to leave it cuz it’s still actively fermenting or do I switch the airlock, also if I do switch the airlock will it affect the mead in anyway?
Just take the airlock off carefully and clean it up and replace the sanitizer liquid or use any spirit if you want. Then put the airlock back on. It’s fine, no harm.
I was sitting here waiting for UPS and was binge watching unwatched CS videos. As I watched this one, I had an idea that combines both a blow off tube and an airlock. Using a container of appropriate size with a lid, drill two 7/16” holes and line with a grommet with a ⅜” inside diameter. Take your airlock and place it in the blow off container and run the tube from it to the fermentation vessel. Boom. Instant chamber for expansion. What are your thoughts?
I like the 3 piece airlock best. But there is a drawback to them that you did not mention: you have to keep more of them around the house than you do S-types. Why? No matter how careful you are, sooner or later you are going to drop the cap and it will roll across the kitchen and lodge under the stove or refrigerator. This always happens when you need an airlock right now. So you have to have extras, because this WILL happen.
Ok, i'm late to the party, but started my first brew a week ago. definitely going to use an airlock next time! got a funky layer on top of what's left of the krausen. going to extract a sample for the hydrometer here soon. anyway, on to my real point here, love the hidden trinkets hiding in the background! 4th edition MTG starter? 2nd Edition Encyclopedia Magica? You guys are awesome!
Had an overactive fermentation on a blackberry melomel that I made with blackberry puree. Only a little came out the top and I just switched to a different airlock. I'm just wondering what I should do about the dried blackberry on the neck of my carboy I don't want it to mold but it is actively fermenting. So idk if it will based on it being covered in CO2 vs Air. Any suggestions? When should I rack it into a secondary?
Very useful information 👌🏼. I've got a question tho: why am I seeing condensation on my glass fermenter? Is that a bad thing? I have red wine in it and it's been on secon stage fermenter for about one month. Any clue why this is happening? Tnx!
See, you didn't think it need splanin...... it needed splanin (never underestimate how basic some of us need it hehe)! Great video tho guys, seriously. Hand a man a beer and he drinks for 30 seconds, teach a man how to brew and you drink free at his house for a lifetime!
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
So you know. I put you on FULL screen or down stairs on my TV.... You put Effort into the quality, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Waiting for my Airlocks in the mail..... Purchased 2 bottles of Concord Grape Juice this time. Apple juice was ok, but i think i like darker red wines. We'll see THANKS TO YOU.
Love your videos. One small tip on airlocks, particularly the s-type ones. Sometimes when they are made the two halves don't align properly and a ridge is formed on either side of the stem that gets inserted in the fermenter's cap (plug or grommet). These ridges, if large enough can cause a leak, and results in the fluid in the airlock showing pressure but never actively bubbling, or bubbling slower than expected. I once had a makegolli that looked like it had stalled, but this was the cause. Just take a razor and scrape down the ridges. My SOP now is to do that to all my airlocks just to be sure.
Or use a box cutter? Thanks explaining that makes sense. Brilliant comment.
I have a two piece airlock that resembles your three piece type. I selected it for the ease of cleaning. For confined spaces I like to use small diameter stainless steel ball bearings. They can be poured in and remove residue with a little bit of shaking. I catch them with a sieve after the job is done.
A bought a fair few of the 3 piece ones recently because of the cleaning aspect and was much easier to clean when I had one batch blow out. Upon using them however, I realise I like the S type better for a visual check on how the brew is holding pressure.
It’s been a long time since I used one. Nice refresher. Good information for when I try fermenting veggies also. Thanks!
Gotta be honest, yall are life savers. I got into home brewing avout 3 weeks ago, my first batch is almost done already and I started my second one the day before yesterday, its actually the mango mead recipe where I replace the water with mango nectar. Had to add a little bit of water bc it was too thick and exploded on me through the airlock. So far you guys have been teaching me everything I know about homebrewing. Thanks for your efforts in teaching us! Know your teachings are helping me, and Im sure many others, brewing succesfully❤
Happy to help! Welcome to your new obsession!
That stopper was unstoppable.
Great video, but made even better with Derrica's look when Brian mentions rayguns 08:14... classic!!
Thanks for the great explanation, I have a mead still in the first 24h, was worried I had too much residential no-rinse sanitizer left in the carboy. Glad its just an overactive ferment.
Started a strawberry wine, I used 71B (y)east, inverted sugar and a yeast nutrient, it's started foaming aggressively after no time at all :)
Found this video and learned what to do, Thanks for the video guys
Discovered this channel today. It's just so fun to watch and listen. So informative and funny too 😃 love from North East India
Somehow I knew I would find an explanation for my airlock mystery. I just finished the set-up for my Coffee Mead and went to town getting oxygen in it and all was right in the world. I installed my airlock and put it into my fermentation area and checked back a bit later and I had some negative pressure going on. What really amplified this was it is sitting right next to my Basic Mead I started on the 23rd which is bubbling positively like a champ. I am going to go with the temperature explanation because I did warm the honey and the cold brew was room temp when I put it all together. What I won't do is worry about it because who wants to drink a bunch of worry? Not this guy.
I made my blowoff tube from a garden hose! Perfect solution! It worked swimmingly!! :D
I know I’m late to the party here. You had me sold to your channel in the first 3 seconds! LOVE the friendly “brutalness” of your vid’s. Bought my wife everything in your top 10 vid and am on my own second 3 gallon batch of your Vicki’s Blood 2020!
*Vikings Blood. “Vicki” had NOTHING to do with this and NO I’m not aware of her awareabouts!
Lol and welcome!
I cut the threads off of a clear plastic bottle and hot glue or silicone it to the cap / bung, and drill a hole in the top of the bottle (which was originally the bottom) to fit an o ring with the airlock. Works awesome as a no losses burper of sorts for over filled containers and over active ferments. It's great insurance with no waste.
Hey guys on your blow off tube, use an old sealer from canning, drill a hole just big enough for the tube to fit but stay secure, and put the ring on the jar. Punching a hole with a nail might work too if one doesn’t have a drill. Keep up the videos!
Love the blooper at 1:05 of Brian launching the stopper
You can fill up the windy ones and blow hard through them to get rid of debris. Works really well.
Love your videos! I’m currently making my first brew off of your earl grey mead video, and I’m so glad I saw this video because I was worried about the sanitizing fluid being all on one side. So relieved to know that it means it is working! Love you guys and what you do
Thanks so much for this video! On my 4th batch and it became very active. Was scratching my head if I did the blow-off tube correctly. Thanks to you, it's all set and I'll check in a couple of day to see if I can go back to a normal airlock.
These kind of vids are great. When you are new and all of the sudden you need a blow off tube and don't know how... you search for it on youtube so it comes with instructions. LOL at least it keeps in with LOTS of content. :) Have a great day!
Camelbak made a brush for cleaning out the drink tubes of their water bladders. That might work for scrubbing out your twisty airlocks. 🙂
Good idea!
Thank you so much for this video. It explained everything I needed to know about using an airlock. This is my first time making wine. Thank you.
Tou are very welcome!
Just started brewing my first two gallons of mead because of you guys!!! Thanks for all the awesome videos
When I was in the war I made my airlocks out of out of date IV tubing any port in a storm captain!
Good morning City Steaders. Yesterday I pitched the yeast into my first 5-gallon attempt. I'm using an "S" type air lock. The original specific gravity of my blueberry wine was 1.142. I'm hoping to make a sweet dessert wine. I used the last of my frozen blueberries from last year (17 pounds). Wish me luck.
What yeast did you use ? Good luck !
@@saxonsoldier67 , I used 17 pounds frozen blueberries, 12 pounds sugar, 7.5 teaspoons acid blend, 4.5 teaspoons pectin enzyme, 5 campton tablets, enough water to make 5 gallons, and let set overnight. The next day I added 1 packet of Red Star Premier Classic wine yeast. Tonight it is almost a constant stream of bubbles in the airlock.
Thank you for the well wishes.
@@nathanielsizemore8594 When you start getting those bubbles from fermentation, it's like watching your child take his first step. Congrats !
Why all the chems? No need. Just use the fruit, sugar, water and yeast and you will make a better brew. Some will argue differently, but... I've done it this way for years and so have thousands of people in our group and here on the channel. No need for all that other stuff. The enzyme is the only one that will "help" and even then.... maybe. It helps clear a bit, but that's all. Not a big deal imho.
@@CitySteadingBrews, I was following a recipe (except the 2 extra pounds of berries) that I was given and wanted to see if it made a difference from Paw Paw's recipe (never had a failure with that).
It is bubbling away nicely and I hope it turns out well.
Thanks for the advice and I'll keep you updated.
Terrific job, Folks and great spirts in your presentation....!!! (Pun intended!!!) Really helpful and well done......
1 minute in and you guys have made me laugh. Thanks guys. :)
It took us that long? We have to work on that!
Love your mug . Describes my attitude most days .
Man, im so glad I found this video. I've heard tou guys talk about blow off tunes but I didn't know what they were.
Also my cider I started yesterday had neutral pressure and I wasn't sure why. You pointed out the obvious lol. Not there's a hair tie holding it in place. (Learned that from you guys too 😉)
The Video I've been waiting for, because I never understood what the seemingly magical Blowoff Tube is, that everyone keeps preaching in the FB Group :D
Bearded Berzerker I was wondering what he was talking about too
Thanks again, you two are an inspiration ❤. Had my first blowout and your wisdom saved me from an anxious mess. I've started a simple cyser with EC11-18 and 8 hours in breached the airlock.
You guys are awesome thank you so much for all the informational videos easily my favorite RUclipsrs
Thanks Tyler!
I am now tasting some Welches' grape wine I started June 30 and it has been done for the last couple of days, and it tastes fine, albeit dry, but that is on me as I used less sugar to make it, and I like it fine. It has a very nice deep purple color and is very clear. I have several others that I started at the same time, although I used more sugar in those and they are still chugging away. and I actually made more over the entire week following June 30. Some were doing exactly like you describe...foam coming up through the airlock. I believe it happened because the temperature got up to 85 in my room and they went nuts. I like both sweet and dry wines, and now I have a bunch of other combos brewing. I think my next project will be some white wine...need to make one sweet and one dry so I figure out which I like best!
I had a geyser after adding nutrients that went into my airlock but I took the airlock off and resanitized it, hoping it's okay!
Lol, Derica's face when Brian talks about ray-guns... my wife feels your pain... 🤣
Amazing video as always, and gotta say, I've been homebrewing for the better part of ten years. You're videos are what got me into mead (that and the meadery that's 5 minutes down the road) and I guess I was surprised that some don't use airlocks. I remember watching your first Viking blood video and traditional mead and when you said get an airlock I really thought, "wait why wouldn't you use one?" I had to ask the owner of the supply store I go to if that happens and boy did he get a laugh, ended up telling me stories about balloons and cheesecloth disasters he's heard of for an hour, when he was done laughing he just said "always have more airlocks than fermentation vessels it's just a safe tip I tell everyone."
my adventure with the hot sauce was a success I definitely recommend fermenting it longer so that the vegetables break down more and make more of a sauce than a paste
One key difference though I also made a habanero one
The habanero one comes highly recommended
I found your guy's youtube channel a few months ago on the cider making. Amazing stuff It was exactly what I needed to get the confidence in starting my own. I just finished up my first brew of Cider. It turned out pretty good, but I didn't carbonate this round. Next round carbonation is coming :)
The Grumpy mug is adorable.
I would like to see what fermentation looks like in its most active state with both styles of airlocks!
Here is my airlock question. I noticed that the tubes have seams from the mold. And at the seam there is a bit of plastic protruding from the seam. This is typical of plastic injection molds. So, when my brews are fermenting I'll sometimes notice slight liquid/moisture where the tube is inserted into the rubber grommet. When I examined one of the airlocks it occurred to me that the plastic ridge all along the seam is probably causing a gap, albeit very tiny, allowing some pressure to escape. I lightly sanded an extra airlock, smoothing down this seam and cleaned it up. I added sanitizer and replaced it. Now this batch is in its 5th day of primary fermentation and i had been noticing slowing fermentation for the past day or two. But when I replaced the airlock with the smooth one, wow, a lot of activity. In my rookie brewing mind, I did the right thing by making sure there is a good seal. What say you?!! Have I done something good or ..... not?!! Thanks.
Yup, you did right :)
@@CitySteadingBrews Thanks. I'm guessing the next batch that I'm going to make tomorrow is going to exhibit some very busy airlock activity and in the 2 gallon bucket it will probably sound like an old coffee percolator !!
Great video & I also express my annoyance of the dislikes. Imparting knowledge is always a good thing
There’s always a few. But comments like this make up for them!
Great vid... I've been curious about blow off tubes.. I was literally thinking about that form before I found my local brew store, and got an actual air lock.
Yay new video! And lol i agree with the twin bubble style I used the 3 piece for lactofermented stuff and didn't know I'd like the twin better till I got one with my carboy and saw the magic and that it takes less liquid too
Btw what about using demerara sugar or mountain salt that dissolves slowly to clean a stubborn twin bubble?
Sure? Not sure I'd use sugar to clean it, but salt maybe.
Not video related question - I added a juice mix during the back end of my primary and i'm not sure how to calculate abv now. My must started at 1.114 and got down to 1.030 before I added in my juice mix(1.040 I think). My new mix of 1qt juice to 3qt must now has a SG of 1.035. I'm not sure what math I need to do to get a ballpark ABV. Thank you guys for all the videos and information they have gotten me into a new hobby and i am really enjoying it.
Just take your OG-FG, then the "new" gravity after adding juice - your FG and add that to the oG-FG number to calculate it. Essentially just add up the gravity differences.
@@CitySteadingBrews Thank you for that I was worried i would need to buy a chalkboard and have Einstein-like formulas scribbled. Again, thank you for the videos.
@@andrewtoney675 nothing stopping you from doing that. Might impress someone by your random formulas, lol
If you have enough clearance in a bucket could you put your Brew in a bucket to prevent it from smelling up a Room in a really tiny apartment or would that cause pressure problems after a while I would think it should be fine
Don't seal it up... you need to let the gasses escape.
Can you tell me what size stopper I would need for a 5 gallon water jug talking about the blue ones
Nice of you to take the time to explain to the folks how airlocks work. However, I am wondering if you are up to a challenge so to speak. When brewing beer, cider and ginger beer in Australia I was enticed to use glad wrap ( plastic wrap) to cover the top of my brewing vessel, no lid ,no airlock just the plastic in place of the lid . Which was taped around the top of the container with electrical tape or duct tape if you have money to burn. A single pin-hole made by a needle in the top and sit back and let the magic happen. The gas expells through the hole and you can easily see what stage your brew is going through. The whole time I used this method I had zero issues with any bad seals also it allowed me with a glance to observe where the brewing process was. Give it a whirl sometime, I think you may be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for your candidness. Cheers.
Obviously for the large brewing recepticle.
Since you appreciate my candidness.... that works fine until a bug finds its way into your brew. It may not happen every time, but it will, and you'll wish you used an airlock. Seriously... it's such a safe, easy thing, why do people rebel so hard against it?
@@CitySteadingBrews I am not rebelling there are alternatives that work. Even your airlocks as you have admitted fail. So how about trying it .Pretty sure thats all I asked. I certainly did not say what you have said to people is misleading them or wrong in any shape or form. If you do not want to try it that is fine.
Not going to argue, but... when did I say an airlock failed? Honestly... a hole in plastic wrap can't really be considered safe. It's the same theory as a balloon. Sure, might work, but, as I said... something will get in at some point. Just not a risk worth taking if you ask me. Thanks for the discussion though, I appreciate it.
First off, great channel. I am just getting into home brew and got a couple of starter kits and was curious to get other users views on the newer version of fermenter from coopers which does not have an air lock, instead uses a three part system - bucket, top inner ring, and lid.
I like the S type , it is more pleasing to watch , but find them a bit noisey for any of my larger brews that wont fit in the cupboard. so i use the 3 piece type for anything that will be in earshot of my bedroom.
Regarding negative pressure on airlocks, how long does it normally take to start going positive, I made a must about 6 hours ago and still showing negative pressure. Does it need more oxygen?
It’s due to temperature dropping in your must. Remove the airlock and replace it, will be fine. It can take up to 3 days for yeast to start fermenting.
Ok, thank you :)
I have trouble fill In sanitizer just to the level correctly, any good trick in simple filling it up ?
I just shake out the extra :)
You didn't think you had to make this video...but I'm so glad you did! I have a very active coffeemel on the go...airlock filled up 3 times, so switched to an blowoff tune (1/2) tubing)...do these things clog? What happens if they do?
Worst case is your bung flies out and makes a mess. A blowoff is harder to clog though.
Thanks for your advice as always! Slainte!@@CitySteadingBrews
Thanks, but how you manage the cold crash step (négative pression) ?
We really don’t cold crash very often.
I made some, Pill bottle and 2 different size straws. Small one through Juice Cap and bottom of pill bottle more then half way up inside the CENTER. Then Hot glue to seal. Then Bigger straw from Pill bottle lid in CENTER , hot glued. Fill up with water half way or less and sllidd lid straw over top smaller middle straw. and twist closed. I put a knife tip pin hole in Pill ottle lid. Co2 comes up little straw into bigger and then pressure it's self down into the water an up into the pill bottle like the 3 pc one you showed. Seen it online, i didn't come up with it.
Some times, I find a crack on the threading of the spigot when I seal the plastic fermenting bucket and it leaks during primary so I started to just keep the lid on and also airlock to prevent bugs or dust to come in and once it's done by taking reading and rack it, I seal it. Do you think I'm putting too much pressure to break the spigot?
P.S: It's 6 gallon bucket and I don't keep really that much of space. Is it because of that?
There's a gizmo...or perhaps it's a thingamabob... that caps up a carboy. This thing has several short tubes formed and they stick up from the main part of the cap .
What's it called and how and why (oh why) does one use it?!
I am afraid I don’t really know what you’re talking about.
@@CitySteadingBrews I'll try to email a photo of it to you. Thanks!
I have a 3 bowl airlock(the one with like 3 bowls on each side...almost all positive pressure..this ok? also i might have added too much honey..that ok as well? Love your videos!!!
First should be okay. Second maybe not. How much honey and do you have a gravity reading?
Not so much on the kind of device needed for blow-off, but if someone is making large batches, or multiple large batches in a home, is there any way to control the build up of CO2 that comes off of these devices, and the barrels?
Blowoff tubes or airlocks are the best way. You want it to get out of the brew.
What liquid do we put in our air locks during fermentation for making wine?
I use Star San solution or cheap distilled spirits.
Another great video guys!
My airlock hasn't started to foam but it looks to be a lot of pressure. So much so that some of the sanitizer liquid came out the top. Should I just leave it or just quickly remove the airlock and refill to the proper level and then replace it?
Make sure it's always filled to the proper level. An active fermentation is pumping out CO2 so there's very very very little worry of anything untoward occurring.
@@CitySteadingBrews great thank you. This is my first mead so I'm a little nervous haha. I'll remove it quickly, refill and replace. Thanks again!
@@jonfranks957 no worries, we're here to help.
Thanks for the information, just formulated my decision re airlock/blowoff/none. I have a height restriction with my fermenting fridge so I'm going to have to use a blow off tube I think.
I have jars I would like to use for wine / mead making but have no hole and grommet for the airlock. Have you drilled the lid and put own grommet. I tried but then it leaked as difficult to get the grommet in what do you recommend to prevent the leak between the grommet and the lid. Grommet to airlock is fine.
Normally the hole is much smaller than the grommet. I did drill some of our lids.
Hi! My question has to do with holes in the lid of the airlock. I bought one off of Amazon and it does not have any holes in it. Do I need to poke holes into it to help release the CO2?
I would. No idea why some come without holes, as that defeats the purpose!
Is it important to have exactly the water solution level? When pushing may lid on,... some water solution came out !! Can I refill during fermentation of red wine I am using S type
There should be a mark on your airlock roughly halfway. That is the ideal level to fill to. If it is a little less or a little more you should still be fine. You can always clean out and refill your airlock when needed. If you don't have any sanitization liquid available then use an inexpensive neutral spirit such as vodka.
@@CitySteadingBrews Thanks alot great help.
I like the 3 pc air locks because you can attach a blow off tube right to the inside piece.
Awesome videos, Thanks for sharing your expertise. I'm currently making my first blueberry wine. Started w/a 1.100. After a few hours, liquid is coming out of the top of the three piece airlock. It's not just bubbles, it's red liquid. I'm using a regular one gallon bottle. Should I worry about star san-water in the airlock possibly going back into the bottle? Can I take out some of the liquid? I filled the bottle up to the "one gallon" mark. thanks for your help.
It's just active. It may do this for a few days. Maybe try a blowoff like we show in the video.
Hi, I live in Indonesia, so I'm not sure what is sanitized water? I want to make a mead following your other videos. Have bought the airlock but not surr how to use it. Thx!
Sanitizer fluid is the liquor made by mixing sanitizer with water. Star San is our recommended product.
@@CitySteadingBrews what the ratio of water : star san I should mix before putting to the s tube?
So does any type of fermentation need to breathe oxygen in? or is it always just breathing out. Is the only time you get negative pressure when you bottle it warm/hot? So bacteria and yeast will never create a vacuum? I'm just wondering if I should switch from a rag and rubber band to an airlock on my Kombucha brew.
Great and informative as always two thumbs up
Apologies if I missed it, but where did the tubing for the blowoff tube come from? It looks like it was repurposed from something. I don't know if the extra tubbing from megamaid would be a large enough diameter as it looked bigger, but wasn't sure
Either we had it or it came with an autosiphon maybe?
The one from Megamaid is too small.
@@CitySteadingBrews thank you
Can you just remove the cap on the S shape airlock if you need a blow off?
You can I suppose? It's messy though and better to just use tubing.
@@CitySteadingBrews thanks.
Hey second time brewer, first time commenter. Ive got 3 seperate batches of mead right now i started on the same day. Two one gallon and one 1/2 gallon. Very active and happy but ive got all 3 of them connected to blowoff tubes into a sanitizer bucket. How long can i keep them in there? Until fermenting is done? Please let me know and keep up the great work. Thank you!
You're supposed to keep them in until fermenting is done.
ruclips.net/video/-HFqEL5rCK0/видео.htmlsi=WFxpKds3cgLCYoPT
I can smell my brew (I think) coming out around the airlock. Is that normal?? Does it mean I don't have a tight seal?
Smellibg your airlock is almost as good as watching bubbles.
if i had over active pressure and it pushed my airlock out exposing my must for a couple hours. should i be worried about a ruined brew?
fermentation seems normal though after i put new airlock on it.
Nah, should be fine.
@@CitySteadingBrews cool beans!!! i was worried thank you. I absolutely love your show you guys make home brewing fun and learning easy thank yoooouuuu!!!!
I have a question about bungs. How often should you replace them, or do you even need to?
Years in and I have yet to see a need.
@@CitySteadingBrews Awesome! Thanks for getting back so fast.
mine keeps emptying alot idk why if you could tell me it would help immensely
Your airlock is emptying? Are you using plain water? I find sanitizer doesn’t evaporate quickly.
@@CitySteadingBrews no I'm not using water but i have now switched to using alcohol so I'm gonna see how that works
I heard that you can use rubbing alcohol and salt as a way to clean inside the s-lock. Because the salt doesn't dissolve in rubbing alcohol, it can more ruffly rub against the mess you are trying to clean like rocks it water. Though I still have yet to try this myself.
Never heard this. I'd be cautious with rubbing alcohol and anything near a brew though.
@@CitySteadingBrews True. I still might try this for a mess I can't get to (when cleaning only), then rinse a bunch until I feel safe using it again.
Thanks, guys! The neural spirits think literally had me go "Oh..duh!" out loud
I used purified water in my airlock I had a backfire of the water in my wine I assume the brew is ruined or can I pasteurize after fermentation?
Not sure why you think it's ruined.... was just water getting in. It's only ruined if it grows mold or something like that.
As an alternative if we have a brew that is fixin' to spew, can't we just overnight the brew to you so that Derica can place it in Brian's closet ? I heard it from the grapevine that his closet is a great place to be for overactive brews.
Like the grumpy mug! What did they do before plastic airlocks ie hundreds of years ago? Just open wild yeast affected brews all the time?
Cloth most likely.
I suspect they made a lot of vinegar.
Larger batches were often open fermented regardless of how long it was going to be stored. Defence against wild yeast was boiling the mash if water was used and having a nice strong yeast culture to work with. Folks took more risk than we do, but they didn't have the choice or really even the scientific understanding of what was really happening so that they could avoid all the problems.
Hi love the channel, I have a question I had 25l cider with no fermentation after 48 hours went out today and came back to a explosion and half a bucket but no foam can I top it up with more apple juice and do I need more yeast. I used a airlock but it's not showing activity and checked for leaks the fermentation vessel has a tap could this be the problem. James. Worcester UK
Hi! This is the first time I'm fermenting something and I'm going to use a two-piece airlock, but I'm not sure if I should leave the top lid on or take it off.
With the two piece airlock you leave the lid on as long as it has small holes in it or there is gaps allowing gas to escape under the lid.
Thanks for this! Is there a video you have done that talks about overactive fermentation? I've been having that a lot (and I didn't used to) and never sure if it is a "bad" thing. (I love watching the dynamic between you both! It is great as well as informative.)
It’s not a bad thing :)
I've got a bunch of three piece airlocks and I (don't know why I think this) am worried if I keep the top cap on that it'll blow. I keep taking the top semi-off so that its loosened / letting air out but I'm finding the solution inside the airlock is thinning / loosing volumne. Do I just keep the top on 100%? My eyes are pretty bad so if there is something I'm missing here please let me know.
There should be small holes in the cap to allow gas to escape. If not, you can poke some in by hand with a pin.
What do You think of Silicon bungs instead ? Do they work ?
I hear they work, but, I like airlocks.
2 things.
Airlocks at LHBS, $1.29 and $1.39. 3 piece is more expensive.
Quite a few years ago, I was working at another HBS, (owner
has since lost the business, and he deserved that) We had a
5 gallon batch of traditional hefeweisen fermenting in the back
room. His day off, second day of fermenting. the carboy was
sitting in a kiddie pool, full of sanitizer mix, and had a chiller
hooked up to it. (San water from the pool, went into this cooler,
which worked like an air conditioner, to keep the ferment below
60 degrees.) I was in the front of the store, heard a pop. Airlock
was in the pool. Put it back. A few minutes later, I heard a POP,
and thump. Airlock hit the 16 foot ceiling! Got a 1.25 inch blow
off tube, and it fit inside the mouth of the carboy. No more issues.
steve
I tried using ever clear in my air lock the next day it was gone or mostly gone I now use sanitizer water
Hey I hope you get to see this but I’ve started a cherry mead inspired by you guys but I have the must going up into the airlock I’m currently on my second day, is it good to leave it cuz it’s still actively fermenting or do I switch the airlock, also if I do switch the airlock will it affect the mead in anyway?
Just take the airlock off carefully and clean it up and replace the sanitizer liquid or use any spirit if you want. Then put the airlock back on. It’s fine, no harm.
what qualifies as sanitized water? or solution.
Star San mixed with water is sanitizer solution :)
I was sitting here waiting for UPS and was binge watching unwatched CS videos. As I watched this one, I had an idea that combines both a blow off tube and an airlock. Using a container of appropriate size with a lid, drill two 7/16” holes and line with a grommet with a ⅜” inside diameter. Take your airlock and place it in the blow off container and run the tube from it to the fermentation vessel. Boom. Instant chamber for expansion. What are your thoughts?
That's pretty much a blowoff tube.
CS Brews It looked like your blow off tube was open ended though, so there’s no protection from incoming icky things.
I like the 3 piece airlock best. But there is a drawback to them that you did not mention: you have to keep more of them around the house than you do S-types. Why? No matter how careful you are, sooner or later you are going to drop the cap and it will roll across the kitchen and lodge under the stove or refrigerator. This always happens when you need an airlock right now. So you have to have extras, because this WILL happen.
Ok, i'm late to the party, but started my first brew a week ago. definitely going to use an airlock next time! got a funky layer on top of what's left of the krausen. going to extract a sample for the hydrometer here soon.
anyway, on to my real point here, love the hidden trinkets hiding in the background! 4th edition MTG starter? 2nd Edition Encyclopedia Magica? You guys are awesome!
Had an overactive fermentation on a blackberry melomel that I made with blackberry puree. Only a little came out the top and I just switched to a different airlock. I'm just wondering what I should do about the dried blackberry on the neck of my carboy I don't want it to mold but it is actively fermenting. So idk if it will based on it being covered in CO2 vs Air. Any suggestions? When should I rack it into a secondary?
Very useful information 👌🏼. I've got a question tho: why am I seeing condensation on my glass fermenter? Is that a bad thing? I have red wine in it and it's been on secon stage fermenter for about one month. Any clue why this is happening? Tnx!
Water evaporates and it condenses back in the glass. Totally normal.
@@CitySteadingBrews Awesome! Thanks a lot!
See, you didn't think it need splanin...... it needed splanin (never underestimate how basic some of us need it hehe)! Great video tho guys, seriously. Hand a man a beer and he drinks for 30 seconds, teach a man how to brew and you drink free at his house for a lifetime!
Have you used any of the short 2 piece airlocks? Do they work ok?
I had to look them up as I have never seen one. I would imagine they work, but I have no experience with them.