Help needed to make an airlock

The forum for discussing all kinds of brewing paraphernalia.
Post Reply
solorize

Help needed to make an airlock

Post by solorize » Sun Oct 18, 2009 3:53 pm

Hi,

I have just transfered my cucumber wine from the 1st fermenting bucket into
my demijohn with airlock. But I still had quite a bit left over so decided to put
the rest into a 2litre ex pop bottle.

My problem is now that I dont have an airlock that will fit the top of the bottle.

I tried to bodge something together (see image below)
As you will see I have put put clingfilm over the top of the bottle held in place with
elastic bands, and then put a bendy straw under the cling flim, which then
goes down into a seperate bottle of water.

Image

I am not sure if it is working as I have not seen any bubbles come out,
but if i gently squeeze the (fermenting)bottle, air bubbles do come out from
the straw in the water bottle.

Can anyone confirm it this setup would/may work?

fyi. the main demijon to the right is bubble away quite happily, so I am guessing
something is not quite right with my homemade airlock effort.

If anyone knows of another way that I can knock up a quick airlock I would be
very greatfull for any info =)

Mark

User avatar
trucker5774
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3180
Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 12:20 pm
Location: North Devon

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by trucker5774 » Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:04 pm

A party balloon with a few pin holes will do the trick if you get stuck :wink:
John

Drinking/Already drunk........ Trucker's Anti-Freeze (Turbo Cider), Truckers Delight, Night Trucker, Rose wine, Truckers Hitch, Truckers Revenge, Trucker's Lay-by, Trucker's Trailer, Flower Truck, Trucker's Gearshift, Trucker's Horn, Truck Crash, Fixby Gold!

Conditioning... Doing what? Get it down your neck! ........

FV 1............
FV 2............
FV 3............
Next Brews..... Trucker's Jack Knife

solorize

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by solorize » Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:39 pm

I have had a look around for a balloon, but no cant find one anywhere.

Any other ideas ;-)

I take it just a bit of cling film wont really work, as I guess I need
the hole to close up when CO2 is not pushing though.

User avatar
6470zzy
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4356
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 7:07 pm
Location: Cape Cod

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by 6470zzy » Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:45 pm

I say pretend what you have is an open Yorkshire Square and just let it rip :lol: I would just put the cap on it loosely and not worry.

Cheers
"Work is the curse of the drinking class"
Oscar Wilde

Dr. Dextrin

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by Dr. Dextrin » Sun Oct 18, 2009 6:40 pm

A bit of clingfilm on its own is OK for a job like that - forget the straw. The air won't get in while it's fermenting actively. You'll need to protect it a bit better once fermentation slows, though.

BTW is cucumber wine any good? Never heard of it before.

mshergold

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by mshergold » Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:29 pm

Any chance of the recipe for cucumber wine?

solorize

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by solorize » Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:01 am

Thanks for all your replies.

I think I will have a go at squashing all the air out and then repeating
as Chris-x1 suggested. Just hope it does not exploded.


Dr. Dextrin:
This is the 1st time I have tried to make cucumber wine so I dont know what
this recipie tastes like.

My Brother in Law made some with a different recipe which was
like rocket fuel. I visited him and was driving, I had a small glass and had to
leave over half of it as it was very stong, and didnt want to chance driving over the limit.


Below is the link to the recipe I did for the cucumber wine.

Cucumber Wine recipe
http://scorpius.spaceports.com/~goodwin ... erwine.htm

The main site has a whole list of recipies for all type of wine.. i.e garlic, onion etc..

Mark

vanish

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by vanish » Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:32 pm

I recently used a large mineral water container to fernent some TC in. A ruberised cork from a wine bottl fitted perfectly, into which I drilled a 8 mm hole and inserted my air lock into that. Worked like a dream.

User avatar
TC2642
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2161
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:11 pm
Location: Somewhere between cabbaged and heavily cabbaged

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by TC2642 » Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:31 pm

I saw some dude on youtube using a condom with a pinprick in it (no pun intended)!
Fermenting -!
Maturing - Lenin's Revenge RIS
Drinking - !
Next brew - PA
Brew after next brew - IPA

flything

Re: Help needed to make an airlock

Post by flything » Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:21 pm

Just put the cap on losely.

Post Reply