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#1 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 10:43 AM

How do you guys avoid pulling in liquid from the airlock when you cold crash your fermenters?  In the past I just lived with a little bit of starsan and O2 getting in there.  I was thinking of maybe trying to put some plastic wrap under the lid of my 3 piece airlock to see if this would help.  Any thoughts?  Ideas?



#2 HVB

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 10:51 AM

I can not wait to see how everyone is doing this.  I have the same issue and I thought about using these but think that could cause more issues.  I have thought about taking and making a like this too:

burton_figure10.jpg



#3 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 10:57 AM

what is going on in that image?  is there liquid in that small container with the airlock?

 

also - what would happen if I put a solid stopper in the hole?  I don't have one currently but I could get one for the future.


Edited by Evil_Morty, 19 October 2015 - 10:59 AM.


#4 JMcG

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 11:03 AM

Since I usually use a blow-off tube and just pour off the star-san, but that is inside the old fridge.

You could just cover with some foil sprayed with starsan.



#5 HVB

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 11:03 AM

what is going on in that image?  is there liquid in that small container with the airlock?

 

also - what would happen if I put a solid stopper in the hole?  I don't have one currently but I could get one for the future.

The image is from a BYO article for a burton union.  My thought was to use have it so the blowoff tube went into another container that had and airlock.  if while cold crashing something was sucked back it would not be any liquid seeing the blow off tube does not come in contact with liquid.

 

With the stopper I linked or a solid one you would have a rush of ambient air when you take out the stopper because of the vacuum caused by crashing.  If you use a BB it would cave in the sides, been there!!



#6 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 11:12 AM

The image is from a BYO article for a burton union.  My thought was to use have it so the blowoff tube went into another container that had and airlock.  if while cold crashing something was sucked back it would not be any liquid seeing the blow off tube does not come in contact with liquid.

 

With the stopper I linked or a solid one you would have a rush of ambient air when you take out the stopper because of the vacuum caused by crashing.  If you use a BB it would cave in the sides, been there!!

 

if I had a vessel that sealed really well I could fill a balloon with CO2 and stick it over the airlock.  boom, built in headroom for things getting smaller!



#7 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 11:17 AM

if I had a vessel that sealed really well I could fill a balloon with CO2 and stick it over the airlock.  boom, built in headroom for things getting smaller!

 

but observation that drez will enjoy about my fermentor.  the seal on the lid might not be quite right.  while observing the airlock bubbling slowly I could hear a high pitched whistle just before a bubble would come out.  I believe it was from a small amount of gas squeezing out around the lid o-ring.



#8 neddles

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 11:44 AM

I simply put the glass carboy in the fridge with the 3-piece airlock attached. Cheap vodka in the airlock. I know you can suck air through a 3-piece airlock, suck on one filled with water. There is some resistance but it can get through. I then take out the beer and let it warm back up before racking to the keg. (I have learned my lesson on dry hopping cold beer) I have always been concerned with the cold crashing part of my process but the fixes aren't simple. And since the fixes aren't simple and I don't detect any oxidation in my beers (even the ones that have sat a long time) I have not been very motivated to fix it.


Edited by neddles, 19 October 2015 - 11:44 AM.


#9 denny

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 11:46 AM

How do you guys avoid pulling in liquid from the airlock when you cold crash your fermenters?  In the past I just lived with a little bit of starsan and O2 getting in there.  I was thinking of maybe trying to put some plastic wrap under the lid of my 3 piece airlock to see if this would help.  Any thoughts?  Ideas?

 

Why even use an airlock at that point?  The fermentation is done.  I replace the airlock with a solid stopper before crashing.



#10 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 11:47 AM

Why even use an airlock at that point?  The fermentation is done.  I replace the airlock with a solid stopper before crashing.

 

do I need to worry about crushing the fermentor or sucking the stopper through the hole or anything?  I don't have a solid one right now but obviously I could get one for future use.



#11 neddles

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 12:02 PM

Why even use an airlock at that point?  The fermentation is done.  I replace the airlock with a solid stopper before crashing.

In a bucket? Does the bucket collapse? Certainly need a reliable gasket for that process.



#12 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 12:07 PM

Put vodka in the air lock. So what if it gets in the beer.

 

You can use a larger diameter blow off tube. That means you need more pressure differential to pull the liquid up since you have a higher weight in liquid. If you could use a 1" diameter blow off tube you would need 1/3# of pressure drop per foot of height. You lose about 1.2 psi going from 70 to 28 degrees. If you burp your blow off every 5-10 degrees you won't get anything in the fermenter.

 

You could slow leak some CO2 into the fermenter at 1-2 psi for a couple hours while the temp drops.

 

You could take out your blow off tube and rubber band/tape a paper towel over the end of it to act as an air filter while the temp drops. You get in air, but not dust/mold/bacteria.

 

I made a manifold to attach to my fermenters that pushed the pressure to 1.5 - 2 psi. 



#13 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 01:48 PM

I usually like to let things hang out cold for a couple of days before racking so I was hoping to avoid O2 over that period.  might be not be easily attainable though.



#14 denny

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 02:24 PM

In a bucket? Does the bucket collapse? Certainly need a reliable gasket for that process.

 

Yep, in a bucket.  That's all I use.  No collapse, minimal gasket.  Just a thin strip of rubber in the groove of the lid.



#15 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2015 - 02:28 PM

well a solid gasket would be the easiest solution.  maybe I'll take a field trip tomorrow.



#16 Brauer

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Posted 20 October 2015 - 02:54 AM

How about an s-airlock? it will let air in, like a solid stopper when you remove it, but keep out the Starsan. The best option is probably a keg, under a little pressure.



#17 positiveContact

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Posted 20 October 2015 - 03:27 AM

How about an s-airlock? it will let air in, like a solid stopper when you remove it, but keep out the Starsan. The best option is probably a keg, under a little pressure.

 

s-airlock might work.  still sucks in O2 though.  I'm probably worrying too much.



#18 3rd party JKor

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Posted 20 October 2015 - 08:27 AM

Yeah.



#19 positiveContact

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Posted 20 October 2015 - 09:09 AM

Yeah.

 

 

:cussing:



#20 denny

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Posted 20 October 2015 - 01:05 PM

Yeah.

 

 

Yeah yeah.  Worrying about something that hasn't happened is like paying interest on a debt you don't owe.




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