water in my homemade airlock

[Nubz]

as some of you might have read my fermenter is a 5 gallon bucket with a hose coming out the top and the other end stuck in a mason jar full of water

today i got thinking of mildew and mold and wondered how often i should change the water out

knowing that water can get old and mildew could happen in the jar i have concerns about this happening and getting into my wine

 

[St Allie]

Put some metabisulphate in the water in the masons jar. A teaspoon of bleach will work just as well

Allie

 

[Nubz]

ty for the reply Allie

even if i add something like you say should i change the water every so often?

 

[St Allie]

I just use leftover metabisulphate water in my normal airlock.. (the plastic curly type one that goes into the bung on my carboys), it works on exactly the same principle as yours does. If I have a few fruit flies kamikaze in the airlock water .. I just remove the airlock, clean and refill, you're good to go again. Gas comes out of the wine during fermentation, it doesn't go the other way, so in theory, even if the water went green, it can't affect the wine while fermentation is in progress.

Allie.

 

[Nubz]

ok i see now
ty again for your help
im sure you can see why i was concerned not knowing for sure

 

[wilkey43]

You know there was a time that what you describe as an airlock is all we had and remember CO2 is heavier then air and as it is expailed from your primary threw the hose to the jar as the gas excapes the hose the CO2 will sit on top of the water and keep it from spoiling and remember what you have set up is only a visual aide of fermantation and you are not going to have to worry about the water going bad

 

[Madriver Wines]

True and still some people use vodka in their airlock.

 

[TopsyKrett]

nubz,

i am paranoid of bacteria getting into my wine that i use vodka,Gin, or any kind of alcohol that i have on hand to put in my airlock and so far my wine has not got infected, i know that a lot of people would us k-meta but i just prefer to use alcohol. and i generally ALWAYS have alcohol on hand. LOL.