Airlock contents

[japaisley1]

Tell me what you use for your airlock solution. Is just water ok?

 

[Bent-Brewer]

I like to use StarSan solution (distilled water helps keep it clear longer... when I use well water it gets cloudy really quickly). Some people use cheap vodka or another liquor of choice. Both of these work to kill anything that could get into the airlock so if you do happen to get suckback, you don't accidentally contaminate your batch. It's a good idea to routinely check the airlock- StarSan loses its edge over time (pH raises above 3.0 over time), and alcohol will evaporate a little quicker.

 

[jgmann67]

Just water is fine. But, like all things in wine making, keep things clean and do everything you can to avoid spoiling your wine (including what you can to avoid the growth of bacteria around your wine that's aging in a carboy).

Some use a mixture of kmeta. Personally, I bought a bottle of vodka for mine. No complaints.

 

[salcoco]

i use sufite solution. 3 grams K-Meta, 11 grams tartaric acid, one gallon of water. put in airlock and also spray any items that contact wine.

 

[Floandgary]

Water is just fine (I prefer distilled) ,,,,, as well as sanitizers, alcohols, and any of a number of concoctions!! Whatever is used can/will become stale and even funky looking over time. Key would be to clean the airlock and refresh the contents on occasion

 

[japaisley1]

thanks guys!!

 

[NorCal]

Do yourself a favor, buy a $4-$5 silicone bung with an airlock built in.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Do yourself a favor, buy a $4-$5 silicone bung with an airlock built in.

I have 3, use them for bulk aging. Tried one during secondary fermentation and got some mold on the wine. Not a lot, I caught it and kmeta'd the crap out of it. Replaced with an airlock and finished it out.

The flap seems to stick open...

 

[Dhaynes]

I've heard of people using glycerin but I haven't tried it yet. It's denser that water or vodka so it takes longer for it to evaporate in case you are not as conscientious as you should be about monitoring the liquid level in the airlock. Also if a little bit gets sucked back into the carboy it doesn't hurt anything. Many people add a little glycerin to their wine to help smooth out the taste.

 

[olusteebus]

I use glycerine and prefer it.

 

[JohnT]

K-meta solution here..

I keep super strong solution in wash bottles like these...

1 tsp k-meta, fill with warm water, give a shake, and we are good to go! The wash bottles are nice because I can just insert the tube into a fermentation lock, give a squeeze, and fill up the lock with NO spills!

 

[Boatboy24]

KMeta solution (and the occasional fruit fly).

 

[NorCal]

I have 3, use them for bulk aging. Tried one during secondary fermentation and got some mold on the wine. Not a lot, I caught it and kmeta'd the crap out of it. Replaced with an airlock and finished it out.

The flap seems to stick open...

The only downside I can see to the silicon bungs (every winery I have seen uses them) is that you can not visually see the CO2 activity. I miss that part of it, but I don't miss having to keep the fluid at the right level in the airlock.