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First Home Brew: Airlock


union_magpie

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Hi Everyone,

 

 

 

My partner and I started on our first home brew last night and everything seems to be going pretty well, except that the airlock after the first 24 hours doesn't have an even level of water in both compartments.

 

 

 

One compartment is empty of water (the water level is half-way between both bulbs) but CO2 bubbles seem to be constantly escaping.

 

 

 

Will this make a difference? Does this mean air is getting in?

 

 

 

Ben & Emma

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This is exactly what the airlock is supposed to do.

 

 

 

The water level is supposed to be even in both compartments only when you first put the water in.

 

 

 

Then when the yeast starts turning the sugar into alcohol.. and creating carbon dioxide as a bi-product... the CO2 pressure builds up within the fermenter, and escapes through the airlock.

 

 

 

Because the pressure within the fermenter is positive, that means that the CO2 is constantly pushing outwards... thus not allowing any naughty oxygen from sneaking its way in.

 

 

 

I hope your first brew turns out good :)

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Dear Wal,

 

 

 

Thanks belly much for your reply. It's a great weight of our mind to know our little baby is alright.

 

 

 

I guess we're just freaking out because we want our first brew to be a triumph.

 

 

 

I used to live in Canberra. I wish I was into homebrew when I was down there. Probably would have helped waste some time in that city seeing there wasn't much else to do.

 

 

 

Anyhoo, thanks Wal.

 

 

 

Emma & Ben :lol:

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  • 3 weeks later...
given that you were due to bottle a while ago - how did it turn out?

 

 

 

Hi Scott,

 

 

 

We bottled the brew 12 days ago. So there is still a few more days of secondary fermenting to go before we test the brew.

 

 

 

I will let you know how it goes.

 

 

 

We will probably invite some friends around soon to have the first test. We will probably keep a few bottles to be opened up at different time intervels (e.g. 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, etc). Se what works.

 

 

 

Ben & Emma

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Don't be too dissapointed if the beer still doesn't taste good after 2 weeks in the bottle. The flavour improves so much with a good few months.

 

 

 

I also find that I am very critical of the beer I make, everyone else says it's better than what I think it is.

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G'day all,

 

 

 

c40264 wrote:

 

I also find that I am very critical of the beer I make, everyone else says it's better than what I think it is.

 

 

 

Yeah, I get that, too. Makes you feel good, doesn't it? But then I get a sneaking suspicion that my Fan Club may think that if they praise my efforts, I will continue to supply the free beer! They're right, of course.

 

 

 

Regards, John

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