air lock / breather

[beermonkey007]

This may sound odd but here goes. Total newbie question!

I have been given a new unused beer kit by a mate. He couldn't be bothered with it Its a 40 pint lager kit, and the lid to the fermenter has no hole in it or any kind of breather devise with it. Do lager kits not need this or something? I am going to use it to make Ale if I can. Do I just make a good size hole in it and obtain a breather?

Thanks in advance :

 

[sam.k]

don't worry about it, just put the lid on loosly (don't click it down or it will blow off)
the brew will release co2 that will blanket the top, as long as you don't peer in to often or blow the top of the brew you will be fine.

 

[beermonkey007]

Thanks I will give it a try and hope for the best! First attempt coming up.....

 

[sam.k]

remember to brew lager a bit colder then the instructions, subbing the sugar out for light dried malt extract is a good idea for a better brew aswell.

 

[Maxxyjazz]

Does the kit come with plastic sleeve that fits into the top of the fermenter, which you then put the lid on?

 

[beermonkey007]

nope only a bucket with lid, hydro, steriliser and syphon. Plus an out of date lager kit that went in the bin :lol:

 

[WelshPaul]

If you do want to fit an airlock, you just need to drill a 13mm hole and fit a rubber grommet into it. If you have any friends who brew, I would imagine that most of them would have a spare to save you a trip to your local shop.

 

[beermonkey007]

Maybe worth getting one and drilling a hole then. Just trying to gear up for this, now cant decide what type of bottle to use. Or barrel. Don't want to spend a lot until I see a reasonable result....

 

[Maxxyjazz]

Coopers do 24 500ml PET bottles for around a tenner. You can get them from loads of places. Even Tesco. Easy to clean and store. They do say they come sterile, but I sterilize them before I use them.

M

 

[WelshPaul]

Maybe worth getting one and drilling a hole then. Just trying to gear up for this, now cant decide what type of bottle to use. Or barrel. Don't want to spend a lot until I see a reasonable result....

Beg, borrow and steal whichever bottles you can get: buying glass bottles is a last resort as most places will charge around 75p per bottle plus postage and you can go to Tesco now and buy a bottle of Banks's ale for £1 and get the pretty good beer with it!

 

[LeithR]

Go to your local pub and speak nicely to the bar man/woman and ask them to keep bottles for you preferably brown ones. Do this in as many pubs you feel are necessary to get about a dozen bottles from each in a day.

If you know of one where they specialize in swing top bottles even better. they are the gold standard IMO.

I've just finished bottling 20L of Parched Polecat (Fursty Ferret clone) 1/2 in swing tops and 1/2 in normal crown toppers.

 

[rpt]

There's no need to use an airlock - I don't bother any more. Even when lagering for a couple of weeks I just snapped the lid down. The CO2 will find it's way out as most FVs aren't very well sealed.

 

[rpt]

Coopers do 24 500ml PET bottles for around a tenner. You can get them from loads of places. Even Tesco. Easy to clean and store. They do say they come sterile, but I sterilize them before I use them.

M

I've never seen it say they are sterile. Anyway, I don't believe it since the bottles are open within the cardboard box and so there's no way they're sterile.

 

[WelshPaul]

Go to your local pub and speak nicely to the bar man/woman and ask them to keep bottles for you preferably brown ones. Do this in as many pubs you feel are necessary to get about a dozen bottles from each in a day.

Another handy option that I have used several times is a good old-fashioned house party: invite a load of friends around for food, football, barbecue, etc, and simply collect any empties at the end. :)

 

[calumscott]

Maybe worth getting one and drilling a hole then.

Depends on the type of fermenter frankly.

If it's a youngs cheapo bucket type one then there isn't a lot of point, the lids don't seal thereby negating the purpose of an airlock.

However if it's one like Rob (The Malt Miller) sells or one of those screw top wine-style fermenters then fit one. They do seal completely so you can create a true "locked" environment.

 

[rpt]

Another handy option that I have used several times is a good old-fashioned house party: invite a load of friends around for food, football, barbecue, etc, and simply collect any empties at the end. :)

Do you put on the invite "Please come to my bring a 500ml brown beer bottle party"?

 

[WelshPaul]

No, I also use 330ml bottles for stronger beers or smaller batches. Luckily, most of my friends are beer drinkers who eschew cans.

 

[beermonkey007]

What is the view on using wine bottles and corking? Or screw top wine bottles.....

 

[captain wassname]

Bottles need to be ones that have contained carbonated drinks otherwise you may end up with exploding bottles.

Jim

 

[dennisking]

I never use an air lock on the FV and never had a problem.