Looking for special air lock?

[AUwiner]

I want to cold stabilize a five gallon carboy of muscadine wine. I plan to use an old dorm room refrigerator. The 5-gal. carboy fits but it likes about an inch of clearance with a standard air lock attached. Are there any lower profile designs out there? I've looked at a couple of the supply stores but haven't seen anything I thought might work. If anyone has an alternate solution I'd like to hear that too.

 

[ibglowin]

Why do you even need an airlock if your cold stabilizing? Just put a solid stopper in it and put it in the fridge. Done!

 

[LanMan]

You could use a blow off tube. Just a sanitized piece of transfer tubing stuck into the stopper and the other end in some sanitizer in a jug,wine bottle ect. Just watch out for suckback as the temps drop

 

[Runningwolf]

I have the same issue. I use a solid bung. Just remember to switch it back within about 15 minutes of removing carboy from refridgerator or you'll blow it off.

 

[ibglowin]

Voice of experience?

 

[LanMan]

No but I use a s shaped airlock if I cold stabilize/crash anything and I have seen it bubble in reverse

 

[winemaker_3352]

Yup - as i CS - I top off as the level drops - just have to watch it when i remove it from CS - have to draw a little off as it warms up.

 

[buddy]

You can make a low profile fermentation lock with just a piece of plastic tubing.
It is similar to a blow off tube except instead of running the end into a separate container, put a loop in the tubing and secure the loop with a twist tie, that way the loop will not unravel. Now all you have to do is put a small amount of liquid inside the tube. The liquid will settle to the bottom of the loop making the unit airtight but it will still allow excess air escape. Don't use too much liquid otherwise if you experience "suck back" from the falling temperature some liquid might end up going into your wine.