substitute for airlock

Aluminum foil works well also.

Wild

If you can't get your hands on a proper airlock (and they are cheap and readily available online), you can "build your own"...

Drill a small hole in the top of your fermenter container. Plug it with a cork. Drill out the center of the cork large enough for a piece of flexible tubing of some sort. Stick one end of the flexible tubing in the "cork hole". Put the other end of the tubing (immerse it) in a cup of sanitized water (a little bleach added to water will do the trick). Airlock! The idea is to give your fermenting brew an outlet for the CO2 that it will be generating during the fermentation process, while still preventing exposure to outside air.

I use clear plastic kitchen wrap for every brew. Have done for years. My airlock and the screw on lid for the fermenter are in the bottom of the cupboard. The rubber ring from the lid is ideal to secure the wrap in place. Never had a problem. And you can see what's going on inside. Got some pictures if you're interested?

You say your fermenter is a jar? How big is the opening?

Phil

-- To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. Homer J. Simpson

not sure how big the jar will be! still planning on what all I would need!

pics would be nice

thanks!

Phil Miller wrote:

cool! nice idea!

i was thinking along the same lines but could not figure why the airlocks (plastic/glass) had these weird shapes etc! when all that was needed was a way for CO2 to get out without air getting in!

thanks a t> > >

As Phil Miller already said, clear kitchen plastic wrap works very well. You just need to make a small hole into it with a pin so that the CO2 has a way to get out. All you need in addition to the plastic wrap is a long rubber band to keep it in place.

I once made a stout using this method, but didn't have a suitable rubber band available so I tried using regular string. This didn't work out very well, since the stout fermented very agressively. Here you can find a couple pictures:

Have a look at;

Phil

-- A. Top Posters Q. What's the most annoying thing on the usenet? annieb

You're welcome.

Jeez. I'm glad I went to the trouble to do that.

Phil

--

If you have a fermenter with a small opening and large volume, you can put a rubber stopper in the neck with a hole for a small funnel, then drop a small SOFT rubber ball in the funnel. You will get a good-enough seal to incoming air, but as CO2 pressure builds the ball will lift slightly and let the pressure out.

There are many things which will work, the idea is to have a one way value to vent pressure and not let bacteria back in. The standard bubbler is the most convenient way to do that but not the only one.

Be aware that temperature control is improtant, too cool means long ferment and good beer, too hot means odd fruit flavors or even dead yeast. Plan ahead and good luck.