Airlock

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

rosa6329

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Messages
159
Reaction score
0
So I have a double bubble airlock. Now it was a pain in the as to get the correct amount of water on both sides because it would fill up one side higher than the other. Now that I got it to match, I noticed over a course of a few hours the right side water line has increased a lot. I am assuming its cause the gasses being released?? And then when the water line doesn't move that means fermentation is done?
 
Sorry, Rosa, that will not tell you when it is done. As long as it is fermenting, it should release co2 thru the air lock. When it is done, it will still release co2 while it is degassing. And then there are pressure changes, when the barometer changes, the liquid may change in the airlock. Sometimes to the outside and sometimes suck back in. The way you tell if your ferment is done is to use the dreaded hydrometer. A few days of the same reading below 1.000 and the ferment should be done. Good luck with it, Arne.
 
When you r filling the s lock tilt it on its side and the water will level out on both sides. Yes the gasses are pushing the water and do not totally depend on the water being level as a sign that fermentation is completed. Use your hydrometer.
 
Rosa, I think you are talking about the "max fill" line on the airlock. Pressure on one side or the other will cause the water to move away from the pressure. When installed on a carboy with frementing wine in it, the water will move away from the wine side to the atmosphere side. You don't have to fill to that line, just don't fill above that line. Over filling could cause a problem if atmospheric pressure were greater than the pressure from inside the carboy and could more the water into the carboy.
 
Last edited:
Rosa, I think you are talking about the "max fill" line on the airlock. Pressure on one side or the other will cause the water to move away from the pressure. When installed on a carboy with frementing wine in it, the water will move away from the wine side to the atmosphere side. You don't have to fill to that line, just don't fill above that line. Over filling could cause a problem if atmospheric pressure were greater than the pressure from inside the carboy and could more the water into the carboy.

Is it okay when it pushes most of the water to one side and none on the other is that okay? Does it matter if it isn't equal?
 
Yes it is okay. You will probably find that the levels are rarely equal. That would indicate equal pressure on both the wine and atmosphere side. For example, when you remover the stopper, both sides are to atmosphere and the levels are equal.
 
Back
Top