Good brew day yesterday. We worked out most of the kinks in the new system. Pumped 11 gallons of O’fest into the Freezementer. That’s right, NO MORE CARBOY LIFTING! I put on freezer on wheels…best brew gadget to date. Anyway, I noticed last night that both airlocks got some water sucked back into the fermenters. Not sure why? Too cold? This never happened in my old fridge. Should I just leave the airlocks (3 piece) dry until fermentation starts or until it’s almost complete for that matter?
-J.K.L.
What was the temp when you put it in the freezer? I’m assuming as it cooled it shrunk in volume and sucked the water into the beer. I use cheap vodka for that reason, at least it’s clean. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to add more water now that the temperatures have stabilized.
I don’t see a need to have liquid in them, really. It’s not like anything can get in.
Well, I’m certainly not gonna argue with Denny.
Oh, c’mon…it’s fun and easy! ;D
No it’s not!
now that i am fermenting in 1 gallon plastic bottles, i have just started putting the cap on tight after the first few days of fermentation. then i just loosen it when the bottle feels hard and let it vent. i usually have put vodka in the airlocks in the past but when i pick up a plastic bucket or the bottle it tends to suck the liquid in. it is fun to hear the liquid bubble though :
THAT’S the response I was hoping for…cue Monty Python!
That’s what I was thinking, I just wanted an expert opinion. It looks like I got it 
-J.K.L.
Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana (and fermenting wort).
They carry lots of microbes with them that will get in your beer. I don’t have any fruit flies at my house, they’re not common in our climate this time of year. But they can easily contaminate a batch. Fill your airlock if your concerned about them or other bugs.
+1 Why leave the door open? Plus, they make bubbles.
Yes it shrank when it cooled and sucked the water in. Now refill with new water. Bubbles… ;D
Put a loose piece of saran wrap or aluminum foil over the top until the temperature of the beer and the surrounding environment equalize. Then put the airlock on it.
Or use an s-type airlock and just fill it enough to form a seal. It can’t get sucked back in, it will bubble in either direction.
The beer was 73F when it went into the carboys. It took about 8 hrs to get to pitching temp. For ales it should be half that I’m guessing? The freezer itself is probably less than 20F. I don’t think any bugs can live in that kind of environment? I think next time I’ll go dry for the initial cooling stage then put the water when everything equalizes. Thanks for the suggestions and the reasoning, guys!
-J.K.L.
+1, that’s how I do it
It would seem like if the airlock is sealed there isn’t any more chance of fruit flies getting in than if it isn’t.
What do you mean by “sealed”. The liquid in the airlock is what seals it, right? Without the liquid, the little fruit fly can just crawl through from the open air into the fermenter.
Denny must be one of those rare brewers who does not immediately lose the lids to his airlocks.
I was just gonna say “what about the lid to the airlock?”! Guess I must be too organized since I have all the lids!