'S' SHAPED AIR LOCKS

[NorthernWinos]

I had never used the 'S' shaped airlocks and hear you all saying they "glug", "gurgle", "blurp", etc....well...I got to experience the sounds and liked watching the bubbles, much more entertaining than the 3 piece air locks...

Now for my question...

Will the liquid in the airlock equalize on each side when the fermentation is totally done???

It seems one side is still pushing the other side up, but I haven't seen any bubbles for a few weeks....The S.G. has stayed the same....994 Is there still some pressure going on in there???

Just curious???

 

[Wade E]

Yes, thats the main reason I like them. You know exactly when its going good, slowing down, and done.

 

[grapeman]

The bubbles stop moving through it when ferm completeand generally you have a slight positive push from the C02 in the carboy, but with big pressure changes in the atmosphere they sometimes have more on the other side. If SG doesn't change and you have patience, you can watch it for 48 hours or so and if no bubbles, it's probably done.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I moved one of the 'S' locks to a finished wine for awhile...it just sat level on both sides....then I moved it back to the other carboy and it had a bit of a push there.
Our weather is going to change over the next few days, so will watch it to see if the liquid changes.
I might get more of those air locks so I can watch them more closely.....I just worry about cleaning them...guess pipe cleaners would work.

 

[Wade E]

When I'm done with one I wash it with hot water and drop it in a small container with k-meta in it where I keep all my spares.

 

[sangwitch]

it's like a symphony when you have several bubbling away at once!


Even when fermentation is complete I believe they will continue to let out a bubble now and then due to escaping C02