# Waterless air locks



## Kev (Feb 14, 2012)

Has anybody tried these?

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Silicone-Waterless-Airlock.html

I like to see the bubbles in the fermentation stages, but am a bit nervous about bulk aging. I travel a lot and worrying about them drying out, or the water getting sucked in.

I was looking for an arrangement to pull a vacuum, and lock it in there with a little plastic valve, but you have no way of knowing if it leaks.

Kev


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## robie (Feb 14, 2012)

I use these when I ferment in oak barrels. They work well. Before they release pressure, they create a tiny pressure inside the container, but nothing to worry over. If you are gone for extended times, they will be perfect for you.

Just make sure you keep them clean and debrie free under the silicone flaps.


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## joea132 (Feb 14, 2012)

I've seen these in use by a local successful wine maker. He swears by them. They are a different variety though, I believe they had a orange or red silicone flap instead. He also said they were on the expensive side. I wouldn't cheap out on something so important personally...


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## jswordy (Feb 15, 2012)

Neat! 

But you must be gone for a really extended time or have a very dry environment and/or be using the J-trap style lock to be worried about it drying out. 

I use 3-piece locks (some places refer to the size I use as the "hobby" size) on everything and have never had one dry out yet. They hold quite a bit more fluid than the J-style. I started using them because they are super easy to clean, but the added fluid capacity is nice, too. Cost the same as the J-trap style, and you still get to see bubbles.  

One other bennie I like about the 3-piece is that it does not draw fluid back toward the must when there are atmospheric changes like a J-trap can.


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## robie (Feb 15, 2012)

jswordy said:


> Cost the same as the J-trap style, and you still get to see bubbles.
> 
> One other bennie I like about the 3-piece is that it does not draw fluid back toward the must when there are atmospheric changes like a J-trap can.



With the no-liquid air locks, you get to listen to them make their characteristic spewing sound, instead. During active fermentation, they spew constantly.

Actually, the 3-piece air locks are bad about sucking the air lock solution into the wine. Over the last few weeks, there have been several threads about this very thing happening. Outside the floating piece, the liquid level will be almost gone, while on the inside of the floating piece, the level will be all the way up to the top of the center post, indicating liquid has been sucked into the wine.


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## jswordy (Feb 15, 2012)

robie said:


> With the no-liquid air locks, you get to listen to them make their characteristic spewing sound, instead. During active fermentation, they spew constantly.
> 
> Actually, the 3-piece air locks are bad about sucking the air lock solution into the wine. Over the last few weeks, there have been several threads about this very thing happening. Outside the floating piece, the liquid level will be almost gone, while on the inside of the floating piece, the level will be all the way up to the top of the center post, indicating liquid has been sucked into the wine.



Wow, I wonder if that's a high-altitude problem, cuz at 615 feet above sea level my J-traps suck it back up there when a storm comes along but I have never had a 3-piece do it. That's a big reason the J-traps have been unused for so long that they are so far back in my equipment storage cabinets I'd have to really look to find them now.



robie said:


> With the no-liquid air locks, you get to listen to them make their characteristic spewing sound, instead. During active fermentation, they spew constantly.



Yes, I do the same thing!


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## robie (Feb 15, 2012)

jswordy said:


> Wow, I wonder if that's a high-altitude problem, cuz at 615 feet above sea level my J-traps suck it back up there when a storm comes along but I have never had a 3-piece do it. That's a big reason the J-traps have been unused for so long that they are so far back in my equipment storage cabinets I'd have to really look to find them now.



My guess is if the J traps do it where you live, the 3-piece do also, you just haven't caught them doing it. When the pressure goes up, something has to give.

When the pressure goes up, the waterless air locks will just allow a small, negative air pressure in the carboy, until the pressure goes back down.

In all these cases, the bung is not as air tight as you might think. Tim Vanderbilt (check my spelling!!) of Wine Maker Magazine discussed this a few issues back. According to him, there is more air exchange going on under that bung than you might suppose.


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## jswordy (Feb 15, 2012)

robie said:


> In all these cases, the bung is not as air tight as you might think. Tim Vanderbilt (check my spelling!!) of Wine Maker Magazine discussed this a few issues back. According to him, there is more air exchange going on under that bung than you might suppose.



Agreed. My friend covers his carboys with a piece of tinfoil, pokes a hole in it with a pin, and ferments happily away. He can't understand why I would "waste" my money on airlocks. He's only been doing it this way for 15 years, mind you, but he may be onto something....


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