fermenting vessel

[cask is best]

Hi all. forgive what may seem ignorance but a friend of mine is just starting his very first kit and rang me up to ask what the tube on his fermenting vessel is for he described it as a u shape tube with the word max on and asked what he should do with it. IE put anything in it.

Now I've only had several brews on the go myself and my fermenting vessel is just the plastic bucket with a lid which i put the brew in leave it in a warmish place around 21c and take a gravity reading after around 7 days. Can anyone advise me so i can give him a call back and tell him what this tube is.

Thanks. :

 

[will_raymo2000]

Hi all. forgive what may seem ignorance but a friend of mine is just starting his very first kit and rang me up to ask what the tube on his fermenting vessel is for he described it as a u shape tube with the word max on and asked what he should do with it. IE put anything in it.

Now I've only had several brews on the go myself and my fermenting vessel is just the plastic bucket with a lid which i put the brew in leave it in a warmish place around 21c and take a gravity reading after around 7 days. Can anyone advise me so i can give him a call back and tell him what this tube is.

Thanks. :

My guess would be that it is an airlock/bubbler. This should be filled with water or sanitiser to allow the CO2 to escape but not allowing nasties to get in.

EDIT: like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7CLUzGeCo4

 

[cask is best]

Ah thanks for that mate. I'll let him know :thumb:

 

[cask is best]

Hi will_raymo2000. Just watched a couple of clips from that link you sent me. This air lock looks a pretty important piece of kit. I'm getting worried now that i have not got one. However i have not a had bad batch to date to although i have only made several kits up after a 20 year lay off,when i use to make some terrible home brew. I suppose now I'm just more patient and sanitize equipment better.

Thanks again.

ps I let my mate know and now he is on his way :thumb:

 

[will_raymo2000]

It's not vital to have an airlock but its a convenient way to let the CO2 out while its fermenting. It's useful to see when the fermentation is slowing down by watching the bubbles.

I assume you just leave the lid slightly unclipped on your fermenting bin? I'm sure you'll be fine the way you're going if you haven't had a bad batch yet.

 

[cask is best]

If the lid is slightly unclipped it's not on purpose as i try to clip it right up. However thinking on i do maybe open it and have a look after a day or two to check on the bubbles. Then after about day 5 or 6