Airlock vigorously bubbling and blowing water out

[Razberry]

Hi its my 1st home brew and need some advice mh air lock is bubbling vigorously and keeps blowing majority of the water out is that normal???

 

[chicken]

That can happen with a vigorous fermentation. You can use a blow off hose for awhile until it calms down (fit a siphon hose into the bung instead of an airlock, and put the other end of the hose into a container of kmeta or star san).

 

[Razberry]

Will it not blow sterilising fluid everywhere

 

[chicken]

Will it not blow sterilising fluid everywhere

I've never had that problem.

 

[Razberry]

I've never had that problem.

My syphon pipe doesn't fit in the rubber bung should I remove it but then it allows air in

 

[sour_grapes]

My syphon pipe doesn't fit in the rubber bung should I remove it but then it allows air in

During the active part of a fermentation, there is no need to ferment under an airlock. Most of us ferment in an open bucket, and just put a lid or cloth loosely across the top to keep bugs out.

 

[Razberry]

During the active part of a fermentation, there is no need to ferment under an airlock. Most of us ferment in an open bucket, and just put a lid or cloth loosely across the top to keep bugs out.

Really so when do you need to use a airlock then sorry for daft questions 1st time

 

[Old Corker]

I use a towel or the loose lid method until the SG gets down to 1.020 or less. Fermentation has slowed then so I seal the lid and add the airlock. From there I monitor by timing the bubbles from the air lock.

 

[Scooter68]

I don't airlock a ferment until I rack to a carboy. I rack to a carboy when the SG is at or below 1.010 BUT not if there is still a layer of foam on the surface. That layer will regenerate in a carboy and give you a foam fountain.
As far as oxidation in an open bucket. If you have a towel on the bucket or a lid fit down (not neccessarily snapped down then the CO2 coming off the ferment will keep Oxygen out for at least a couple of days after the fermentation ends. Most times my ferments end in the bucket (rarely have any take over a week especially when room temps are at or above 70 f.

An airlock with an active ferment is a fun thing to watch but does no other real purpose than to entertain you and the pets. As long and the bucket is covered and fruit flies can't get in you should be good.

 

[Marcducharme]

But isn't there more risk of the wine spoiling or being exposed to bacteria? I just started fermentation this morning on my pinot noir, and that is by biggest concern. Currently 30ppm potassium metabisulphite in the reisling.

 

[Scooter68]

If that were the case then there would be LOT of unhappy home wine makers out there. Fermentation bucket with a cloth over the top is fine. I've made 40+ batches that way in the past 5 years - no problems. The acidity, rising alcohol level and the CO2 all work to protect the wine. The only issue you have is a fruit fly or a family pet getting into the bucket.

The MAJORITY of folks on this board use either a bucket with cloth covering, a bucket with a lid on the top (not even snapped down just placed down, OR both lid with cloth over it. Those that aren't doing that are using barrels, stainless steel containers, even large trash cans the sanitized and put either a cloth over the top or a the plastic lid. Fermenting in a carboy makes a mess inside the carboy and if you have too much foam, that's going to be on your floor.

 

[Marcducharme]

Thanks for the help! Also, I left mine open but covered with a cloth and when I returned home 8 hours after pitching the yeast and there was foam slightly touching the cloth. I plan to replace it with a new cloth tonight. Unfortunately I made the poor mistake of doing this all in a carboy. Is it bad if the cloth gets covered in yeasty foam?

 

[sour_grapes]

But isn't there more risk of the wine spoiling or being exposed to bacteria? I just started fermentation this morning on my pinot noir, and that is by biggest concern. Currently 30ppm potassium metabisulphite in the reisling.

 

[Scooter68]

Oh the people at the FDA would just have a stroke watching this. LOVE IT !

 

[Marcducharme]

lol that’s what my wine making feels like right now

 

[Scooter68]

Nah the good thing about a cloth over a bucket is that IF the foam rises to the cloth you'll see the tattle tale stain and the cloth might just supress the foam enough to prevent an overflow. I tie a piece of string around to keep the cloth as tight across as possible and keep pesky fruit flies totally away.

 

[John Arild Olsen]

I use a blow off hose the first week or so fermenting in a plastic bucket. Normally fit an airlock when racking to a glass carboy after a week or so.

 

[Rice_Guy]

The key to remember when watching this is that this was an improvement over what the older technology was. This was probably built 1910 to 1930, it has electricity.
Wine is a preservative system with several factors as pH that prevent spoilage.

The video reminds me of a mushroom canning plant which is still in operation, the FDA rules are that they allowed product to fall into plastic tubs. ,,,,, after all the mushrooms were growing in horse poop but that was a different building ,,,
, ,,,, We do have specifications for how many insect fragments are allowed in salable food

 

[DizzyIzzy]

Great video. If it takes a village to raise a child, it looks like it also takes a village to make wine! Noticed the detail they paid to sanitation practices! LOL Dizzy

 

[Old Corker]

Love the video too. It may need it's own thread. I don't know which I'm struggling with more. The barefoot guy or the one in the muck boots. He probably just came over from the barn.