# Air lock run dry



## domw001 (May 20, 2011)

I need to call on all your experiences for my problem - the air lock on my carboy has run dry.

Not really a problem usually but it has probably been that way for about 6 months. 

What should I do now?


----------



## ibglowin (May 20, 2011)

Give the wine a taste and add more sulfite to the airlock. You will know pretty fast if its still good! If it is good you will want to add some Sulfite for sure to the wine.


----------



## jet (May 20, 2011)

If you use meta in your airlocks, I would recommend in the future to change the solution monthly, since even before it evaporates away, it will lose its potency and could allow nasties to grow.


----------



## djrockinsteve (May 20, 2011)

I use water and sulfite in my airlocks and most will last a year without evaporation.

Please make a note to check more often.

Yes taste it and check your sulfite levels...fingers crossed.


----------



## JohnT (May 20, 2011)

not to be a wiseguy (but hey, i'm from Jersey) ... 

simply fill it back up. If you had you carboy filled to the brim, it might not be as bad as you think. 

also, why did you let 6 months pass without checking it? 

johnT.


----------



## SBWs (May 20, 2011)

Like said above, add sulfite and rack then taste, if it taste okay fill the airlock and continue aging. If the taste is off read up on polyclar 10. It worked for me on a white grape peach I had the same thing happen to. Here is a little info on polyclar 10, you can read the article on fining @ http://www.brsquared.org/wine/Articles/fining.htm it has a lot of good info. 

PVPP (polyclar 10) is a gentle fining agent that strips aroma much less than other fining agents. It is used for removing colour (brown and pinking in whites), bitterness (reds and whites), and certain off-flavours (e.g. *oxidised flavours*). Good Luck!


----------



## Runningwolf (May 20, 2011)

Scott, thanks for sharing that link. Lots of information there on fining agents.


----------



## jet (May 20, 2011)

djrockinsteve said:


> I use water and sulfite in my airlocks and most will last a year without evaporation.
> ...


The liquid may not have all evaporated but after a year, how much SO2 is actually left?


----------



## ibglowin (May 21, 2011)

Its an Airlock to keep air out more than anything. We use sulfite solution because its on hand and available. The level of SO2 in the airlock is irrelevant. As long as the wine itself has the proper amount of SO2 it doesn't matter whats in the airlock. You could put tap water in and your wine would not magically turn bad and start growing mold.


----------



## jet (May 21, 2011)

ibglowin said:


> Its an Airlock to keep air out more than anything. We use sulfite solution because its on hand and available. The level of SO2 in the airlock is irrelevant. As long as the wine itself has the proper amount of SO2 it doesn't matter whats in the airlock. You could put tap water in and your wine would not magically turn bad and start growing mold.



We use meta solution or vodka in airlocks to keep stuff from growing in them. Once all the SO2 dissipates, you leave yourself open to have nasties growing in your airlocks. Call me paranoid, but I consider changing the solution to be cheap insurance.


----------

