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Airlock Vacuum...

bobo1898

Grandmaster Brewer
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I recently brewed a belgian quad and decided that I would cold condition it for two months after a month of primary. I have it sitting around 45-50 degrees. Obviously with the drop in temperature, a vacuum has formed and the solution in my airlock (Star San) has been sucked down into the beer. Not concerned about that since my batch is 5.5 gallons. I have a little solution left inside but the airlock cap that floats is all the way down. My concern is that air is getting in.

I thought that perhaps the pressure had stabilized, so I topped the solution off with water and sure enough it got sucked back in to the same low level. I assume that I shouldn't add more water to the lock since it seems like the pressure isn't stabilized.

Should I be concerned with air getting in? If it is, can I do something about it? For future batches that I cold condition, is there something that I can do before hand to not run into this problem?
 
I use the S-shaped airlocks for prolonged storage while trying to minimize head space.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/317DNT%2B1wfL._SY355_.jpg

 
Maine Homebrewer said:
I use the S-shaped airlocks for prolonged storage while trying to minimize head space.

I've read that these get sucked back in too. Have you not had a problem with this?

jtoots said:
I just spray in more StarSan as the temp stabilizes.

Continuously add water/StarSan until it stops getting sucked in? Not concerned with adding a lot of that over time?
 
Cold condition in a corny keg with  CO2 pressure, you are 100 percent sure never to have that happen. Your quad should be fine, I would say enough alcohol present  to prevent spoilage and not enough fermentables left in there. A light lager may have off flavour issues with that tho'
 
bobo1898 said:
Continuously add water/StarSan until it stops getting sucked in? Not concerned with adding a lot of that over time?

I cold crash over a period of a couple days, usually something like this:
drop to 10 degrees C.  Once it hits this temp, top off airlock.
drop to 3 degrees C.  Once it hits temp, top off airlock.
drop to -1 degree C.  Top off one more time.
Nope, I don't worry about a couple shots worth of StarSan in over 5 gallons of beer.  I don't think it would have any effect before, during or certainly after fermentation is complete.
 
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