I have never used an airlock before so don't know exactly what to expect.

The one I have has 3 plastic bubbles side by side

oo
oo
oo

The rest is in a kind of sideways 'S' connecting everything together (I
assume you all know EXACTLY what I mean...)

Anyway, how much water am I supposed to fill this with? Also, how violently
are the bubbles supposed to escape? There are a few tiny bubbles in the
water which weren't there previously!

The yeast is active and bubbles have appeared on the surface so I know that
everything is working (at least I assume it is!) Having released any build
up of C02, I know I will probably have to wait longer before it tries to
escape again, just would like to know at what rate!!

Thanks,
Simon

"PieOPah" <simon.argent@gmail.com> wrote in
news:d4frmb$obs$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com:
[color=blue]
> I have never used an airlock before so don't know exactly what to
> expect.
>
> The one I have has 3 plastic bubbles side by side
>
> oo
> oo
> oo
>
> The rest is in a kind of sideways 'S' connecting everything
> together (I assume you all know EXACTLY what I mean...)
>
> Anyway, how much water am I supposed to fill this with? Also, how
> violently are the bubbles supposed to escape? There are a few tiny
> bubbles in the water which weren't there previously!
>
> The yeast is active and bubbles have appeared on the surface so I
> know that everything is working (at least I assume it is!) Having
> released any build up of C02, I know I will probably have to wait
> longer before it tries to escape again, just would like to know at
> what rate!!
>
> Thanks,
> Simon
>[/color]
I know what you mean, it seems to work to fill mine to about 1/3 of the
height of the S part, but don't worry about it too much, just put
enough in there that it won't evaporate away (they don't seem to
evaporate very fast). A bubble through the airlock every couple of
seconds can be expected at the fastest point of fermentation.

peter

> A bubble through the airlock every couple of[color=blue]
> seconds can be expected at the fastest point of fermentation.
>
> peter[/color]

Thanks. I currently have 2 of the 'bubbles' filled with water. Any more than
this and it seems to spit every where (tested by applying slight pressure on
the lid to force air out). I guess it will take a day or so before I get any
regularity on the bubbles.

"PieOPah" <simon.argent@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d4g7cp$ops$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...[color=blue][color=green]
>> A bubble through the airlock every couple of
>> seconds can be expected at the fastest point of fermentation.
>>
>> peter[/color]
>
> Thanks. I currently have 2 of the 'bubbles' filled with water. Any more
> than this and it seems to spit every where (tested by applying slight
> pressure on the lid to force air out). I guess it will take a day or so
> before I get any regularity on the bubbles.
>[/color]

This will only occur for the first 5-10 batches you make. Then the seal on
your fermenter won't be completely airtight and you won't wee any action in
the airlock.

At least, that was my experience.
--
Josh Button
To see how the Penrith Gaels Cricket Club is going...
[url]http://penrithgaelscc.4t.com[/url]

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 09:06:31 +1000, "Josh Button"
<melandjosh_nospam_@optusnet.com.au> said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
[color=blue]
>This will only occur for the first 5-10 batches you make. Then the seal on
>your fermenter won't be completely airtight and you won't wee any action in
>the airlock.[/color]
[color=blue]
>At least, that was my experience.[/color]

That probably depends on the fermenter. I've been using the same one
for a few years and I still see plenty of action in the airlock.

My airlock is now happily bubbling away. During the night it seems some of
the 'beer' has managed to get in. Guess the foam inside is getting too much!

"Al Klein" <rukbat@Webdingers.com> wrote in message
news:a7co615egqhgugbr9bno6e0i30q2pprbk8@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 09:06:31 +1000, "Josh Button"
> <melandjosh_nospam_@optusnet.com.au> said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
>[color=green]
>>This will only occur for the first 5-10 batches you make. Then the seal on
>>your fermenter won't be completely airtight and you won't wee any action
>>in
>>the airlock.[/color]
>[color=green]
>>At least, that was my experience.[/color]
>
> That probably depends on the fermenter. I've been using the same one
> for a few years and I still see plenty of action in the airlock.[/color]

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 05:03:35 +0000 (UTC), "PieOPah"
<simon.argent@gmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>My airlock is now happily bubbling away. During the night it seems some of
>the 'beer' has managed to get in. Guess the foam inside is getting too much![/color]

Time for a blow off tube? It is easy enough to rinse the airlock and
start over. I use carboys and if I didn't put in a blow off tube
they would spout foam all over. Less of a concern with a bucket.

Mine is a 1/2 gallon jug sitting in a bowl (in case the first line of
defense is broached) with a tube going from the stopper to the jug and
a little liquid sanitizer in the bottom. Serves as an airlock - the
sanitizer tends to kill the foam.

The tubes get gunky after a few uses. Fill them with liquid sanitizer
between uses and just rinse them before use. When I shut down
operations for the season, I run a brush on a wire pull through them,
or just throw them out and get new ones. Keeping them wetted makes
them much easier to clean.

If you have some cheap whiskey, filling the airlock with it will
prevent the fermenter from ingesting a bacteria when a temperature
change causes it to reverse pressure. (in a long conditioning
secondary stage)


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
[url]http://www.newsfeeds.com[/url] The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 05:03:35 +0000 (UTC), "PieOPah"
<simon.argent@gmail.com> said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
[color=blue]
>My airlock is now happily bubbling away. During the night it seems some of
>the 'beer' has managed to get in. Guess the foam inside is getting too much![/color]

As long as it doesn't ferment so violently that the fermenter cover
blows off and you get beer all over the ceiling. :)

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:55:11 -0400, Al Klein <rukbat@Webdingers.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 05:03:35 +0000 (UTC), "PieOPah"
><simon.argent@gmail.com> said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
>[color=green]
>>My airlock is now happily bubbling away. During the night it seems some of
>>the 'beer' has managed to get in. Guess the foam inside is getting too much![/color]
>
>As long as it doesn't ferment so violently that the fermenter cover
>blows off and you get beer all over the ceiling. :)[/color]

Does that happen? I did have one vent . . . one side broke the seal
and foam poured out of it. The entire top never came off in one go.

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
[url]http://www.newsfeeds.com[/url] The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 16:28:01 -0400, default <default@defaulter.net>
said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
[color=blue]
>On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:55:11 -0400, Al Klein <rukbat@Webdingers.com>
>wrote:[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>>As long as it doesn't ferment so violently that the fermenter cover
>>blows off and you get beer all over the ceiling. :)[/color][/color]
[color=blue]
>Does that happen? I did have one vent . . . one side broke the seal
>and foam poured out of it. The entire top never came off in one go.[/color]

I've cleaned beer off the ceiling more than once. :)