Home Brewing

Now that you know more about the basic Brew In A Bag beer brewing process, there are many ways you can enhance the process in an effort to increase efficiency. If you have tried the BIAB brewing process and managed to hit pretty good efficiency, then these suggestions may not be worth trying, which is the whole point of BIAB beer brewing: simplicity. However, it can be fun to experiment in beer brewing, so here are a couple ways that might just improve your beer.

 One of the first things you can try is to get a better crush on your grains. You can ask your home brew shop or online supplier to double crush the grains when you purchase them. You could also purchase or make your own grain mill and take care of this at home. Making a grain mill is yet another beer brewing do it yourself project, and you can find many detailed examples online at beer brewing forums.

A finer crush of the grains means you will get better efficiency. Plus, since you aren't sparging, you needn't worry about the finer grains clogging up your filter or manifold and causing a stuck sparge. The grain bag you use should be a fine mesh to ensure the grains don't slip through into your wort. If this happens, you can always use the bag as a filter by covering your drain tube with it and passing the wort through the bag.

You can also add the step of sparging back into the equation. You can do a full batch or fly sparge if you want to, but you can also do a simplified sparge known as dunk sparging that is common to BIAB brewing. Simply place the bag into a pot of sparge water (heated to no more than 170F) and let the grains soak for 10 minutes. Then, add the sparge water to the kettle.

You could also place the grain bag in your bottling bucket and pour the sparge water over the grains to rinse. This makes pouring the water back into the kettle a little easier via the pour spout. Some who BIAB decide to mash in a tun. They use a converted cooler that they already had, but you may decide to go ahead and convert a cooler for this purpose. If you decide to try traditional all grain home brewing at some point, you will need a tun anyway. This allows you to mash a larger grain bill, and can provide a better mash that results in higher efficeincy. This isn't too big of an additional step, plus it won't take up too much additonal space, so it just might be worth trying.

 Of course, if you add this step, you aren't too far off from traditional all grain home brewing, especially if you add in the sparge step. You are getting a little further away from true BIAB brewing, but that's what makes beer brewing so much fun. You can add many different variables to the equation in an attempt to make better beer.

One other thing some BIAB brewers do is build a pulley with a hook so that they can suspend their grain bag over the brew kettle after mashing to make sure they get every last drop of goodness from the grains. This makes draining a 10, 15, 20 pound or heavier grain bag much easier, especially considering that they will suspend it for 10 minutes or more. Of course, this is more so for larger grain bills that come with bigger beers and bigger batches, and is more likely to be needed by someone who has the capability of brewing outside.

In the beer brewing process , racking your beer to a keg is a much easier as opposed to bottling it, which is why so many home brewers decide to keg their beer as opposed to bottling. Some home brewers choose to purge their keg with CO2 before racking their beer into it in order to remove all oxygen to avoid oxidizing the beer. Others bypass this step and rack directly to the keg.

 It is important when racking to use a tube that will reach the bottom of the keg and to keep the tube submerged below the surface of the beer as it is draining to avoid splashing and aerating. Once you have completed the transfer, you will want to replace the sanitized keg lid onto the keg and seal it. Whether you purged the keg initially or not prior to racking, you will need to purge the headspace of any oxygen with CO2 before pressurizing.

Some kegs have pressure relief valves which makes this process easier. The process is simple. You simply allow the CO2 to flow into your keg for about 30 seconds, while leaving the pressure release valve open, then shut off the gas. If the keg you are using does not have this release valve, then you can leave the lid unsealed to allow the keg to vent. This process only takes a minute or so, and once completed, you are ready to carbonate your beer.

The method most brewers use is the forced carbonation method. This process is as simple as connecting your CO2 tank to your keg and blowing gas into it. One way to force carbonate is to lay your keg across your lap and roll and shake the keg in order to allow in as much CO2 as possible. If the keg is standing upright as you fill with gas, there won't be as much surface area of the beer to absorb the CO2. As a result, your beer will not be properly carbonated and will be flat.

As you continue to blow gas into the keg, you will hear the gas bubbling inside the keg. At some point, no matter how much you shake or roll the keg, you will no longer hear the bubbling and you will know that you are done. Your beer will have absorbed as much CO2 as possible. It is a good idea to let your keg rest a while and settle before you try to pour your first beer.

 Search online and you can find a chart that will show you how much pressure (measured in psi) you will need for your beer. The amount varies depending on storage temperature and style of beer. The colder the beer, the less pressure you will need to force carbonate it. The amount needed varies, as there is no one perfect setting. However, just keep in mind that there are certain guidelines to help you ensure that you properly carbonate your beer.

An easier method is to refer to the carbonation chart and find the amount of pressure you need to achieve the proper amount of carbonation. Then you simply set your tank at the right psi and forget about it. Within a couple days your beer will be fully saturated with CO2. It helps to shake or roll the keg a few times to speed up the process. While this method is easier, it does take a little longer.

A good beer brewing tip is to have some soapy water on hand and spray it on the connections, lid and hoses. This will help you identify any leaks in your equipment. The last thing you want to do is to set your pressure and forget it for a couple days, only to return and find that you have a leak. All of your gas escaped and didn't make it into your beer. You now have flat beer and an empty CO2 tank.

As you research beer brewing and kegging your home brew, you will see a term used again and again: Cornelieus Keg, also referred to as "corny" kegs. Just what exactly are these?

Typically home brewers use smaller kegs than the ones you may be used to seeing. The typical kegs from commercial breweries for use in bars and restaurants are the 15.5 gallon sized kegs. While you can certainly choose to use these, most home brewers instead use the smaller 5 gallon size kegs known as Cornelius Kegs. These kegs offer the home brewer many advantages.

First, a typical home brew batch is 5 gallons, so the larger kegs are not necessary. Plus, moving and storing a 5 gallon keg is much more convenient than the larger kegs. If you have a converted chest freezer that you are using for your kegerator, it is nearly impossible to lift a full 15.5 gallon keg in order to drop it in from the top. The smaller kegs allow for you to store a variety of home beers to have on tap. Plus, you can fit more kegs into a smaller kegerator to save on space. You can store up to 3 or 4 corny kegs in a freezer as small as 5.5 to 7 cubic feet. Finally, the corny kegs are much cheaper than the larger ones.

Cornelius kegs get their name from the original manufacturer of them, the Cornelius Company originally out of Annoka, Minnesota. The canisters were originally designed for soda companies as a means to distribute their sodas in restaurants. However, in recent years the soda companies have switched to using soda mixes in plastic bags encased in cardboard boxes for restaurant distribution. This has resulted in many Cornelius kegs that are no longer in use. But their loss is the home brewers gain.

One advantage of the Cornelius keg is the fact that all the sizes and shapes of the fittings are standardized, so finding replacement parts is easy. Since there are many of them out there, they are perfect to recondition and use for beer brewing purposes. There are other companies that make corny kegs, so finding them isn't too difficult. You can purchase one new, or look around to find one that is used. Chances are that there is a soda distributor in your town, and you can talk with them to see if they have any old cornys available to sell.

 Corny kegs come with two types of valves, ball lock and pin lock. These locks indicate the type of method used to couple the hose fittings to the valves. It is an important tip to know that the fittings are not interchangeable, so it is best to make sure that when you purchase additional corny kegs that you buy the same type of valves in order to avoid confusion.

It isn't a bad idea to start with two kegs. That way, you can always have a back up batch of brew ready to go, and have a constant pipeline of home brew at all times. Of course, as you get sucked into beer brewing, you may find that you want to have several kegs available so you can have a variety of home brews on tap.

Many factors may influence you to try beer brewing. It is likely that at some point you realized that you too could make a good beer. Perhaps it was after tasting an import beer, or trying a micro brew beer and realizing how much it cost you to buy that beer. You figure the beer tasted good, but was pretty expensive. You may have thought there had to be a way to make that beer and not cost so much. If you have had that thought, then you are on your way yo getting started home beer brewing.

There is a vast community of beer lovers worldwide. And there is a growing number of people beer brewing at home. It is almost a shame that there is so much mass produced beer, but then there are many beer lovers that do not wish to try beer brewing. But that is also ok, because you are not one of them. You have decided to give it a try, and you will be rewarded.

 Beer brewing is not too difficult, and making good beer is relatively easy to do. As long as you want to learn how to make great beer, this is an easy hobby to get started in. There is a learning curve, as well as some basic fundamentals, but this can be one of the most enjoyable learning processes you ever experience.

The best part is the fact that there is no one way to make beer. So many different variables exist--different beer brewing methods, and a variety of ingredients to use as well as ways to combine them, that you will constantly learn new facets of this hobby. This keeps things interesting and allows you find what ways best fit you so that your beer brewing experience will be the most enjoyable to you. The basic ingredients for beer brewing are yeast, water, hops, and grains. How you combine them has almost endless possibilities, resulting in a wide range of possible finished beers. No matter how you mix the ingredients, you can use the same equipment and process to achieve the desired end result. With all the possibilities, it is just a matter of getting started.

Research online to learn about all of the possibilities. Through it all, you will start to see which ways appeal the most to you, and that will help you determine what you need to get started. More experienced "beer purists" may advocate that you start off a certain way, and that you will need expensive equipment or ingredients in order to make great beer. 

However, this isn't true. There are many ways to make good beer, and you can start simple and cheap and still make great beer. Take advantage of more experienced home brewers, both online and locally, and seek out differing opinions. You will see there is no "right" way to do it--just find what works for you. Plus, the various opinions will only teach you more and make you a better brewer. But the key thing to remember is at first, you are simply trying to master the basics of beer brewing.

 Keep it simple to start, once you have the fundamentals down, then you can look to expand and experiment. There is no need to break the bank getting started. A simple, inexpensive starter equipment kit is more than sufficient, and will get you through many batches over time. You will quickly learn that making small, simple adjustments can have dramatic impacts on your beers flavor, so spending a bunch of money is not a prerequisite for making great beer.

Once you have some batches under your belt, then you can look to spend some money to try different things. You will also have more knowledge and be better able to determine where that money is best spent to improve the quality of your beer and your beer brewing experience.

The purpose of your first few batches is to learn the process. You are not trying to make the best beer you ever had. Rather, you simply want to make something that is drinkable. You have plenty of time to hone your skills and eventually become a "beer purist".

Then you can worry about being particular over your beer. In the meantime, enjoy the learning curve, and getting your feet wet. There is no shame in starting with a basic starter kit. Remember, all home brewers have to start somewhere, including the "purists"!

The best thing about the kits is that they come with everything you need to produce a batch of beer. You don't have to worry about anything, other than learning the process of beer brewing. Once you have that solid foundation, then you can really have fun experimenting with new ingredients and different processes. Remember, you have to walk before you can run. But once you learn to walk in beer brewing, you may never stop running.

Chances are good that you've seen some beer commercials on tv. Many times these ads advertise beer that is "full bodied". Beer lovers everywhere enjoy full bodied beers, and commercial breweries make sure the beer drinking public knows that full bodied beers are what they make. So, what exactly is a full bodied beer?

In the beer brewing world, a full bodied beer has complex character, better head retention and better taste. This can be accomplished by raising the gravity of the beer without sacrificing the fermentation process. The beer can be enhanced with the addition of more sugar or protein.

If you are getting started beer brewing, then you should aim to produce full bodied beer. Here are some tips to help you produce a better home brew when beer brewing.

Use caramalized and roasted malts. These will aid in enhancing the mouthfeel of your beer. The key lies in the dextrins, which are present in the caramalized and roasted malts.

You can also add more unmalted grains to the mix. These unmalted grains will not add any fermentable sugars, so they won't influence the flavor. However, they will add more proteins, which affect the mouthfeel of the beer. But you need to know a little about what you are doing when adding these additional grains. Too much and you can adversely affect the clarity of your beer. These protein grains are better off being used with darker beers, so that your brew doesn't wind up cloudy.

Another way to improve the body of your beer is temperature. Specifically, a higher mashing temperature. When you mash at a higher temperature, there will be a larger amount of sugar in your beer. Finally, to achieve a more full bodied beer, it is best to use a yeast strain with low attenuation. These strains only consume a small amount of complex sugar. This results in a beer with a high final gravity, which means a fuller bodied beer in the end. The recommended attenuation should not exceed 70 percent, as anything higher can lead to problems for your beer.

Keep these tips in mind when you start getting into partial mash and all grain brewing, as these will help improve the quality of beers you make. These are just a few simple tweaks you can make in home brewing that will make noticeable improvements to your beer.

In beer brewing, mashing is a process of soaking grains in order to draw out flavor, color, and fermentable sugars. Mashing is not to be confused with steeping. Both processes are the same, but there is one key difference: mashing adds fermentable sugars to the wort, while steeping does not. There are some other differences between the two, but this is a simplistic way to explain the differences.

Steeping uses specialty grains that have already been mashed. Mashing uses base malts that need to be mashed. You do not want to steep base malts because this will add starches to the wort that have not been converted to sugar. As a result, your final beer will end up with the starches in it, which will affect the clarity and mouthfeel of your beer.

You can combine base malts and specialty malts together, and by doing so you are now mashing. When combining the two, you must make adjustments to ensure that you mash the base malts in order to convert the starches into sugars you can use. When combining specialty malts and base malts, you can do a partial mash or go all out and do a full mash, which is all grain brewing. Partial mashing is right in the middle between extract brewing and all grain brewing.

The difference between partial mashing and all grain brewing is the use if malt extract. Partial mashing involves using the malt extract, either as your only base malt or with additional base malt(s). In all grain, you are mashing all your base malt(s) from grains and not using any extract.

 Mashing requires specific times and temperatures. You must mash the grains long enough and at the right temperature in order for the conversion of starches into sugars to take place. Therefore, mashing times are longer than steeping. Constant temperature is the other important factor.

When mashing for beer brewing, many brewers use a mash tun. This is yet another DIY project in beer brewing, so it does not require the purchase of any specialized beer brewing equipment. You can make a mash tun from a cooler. It is necessary to make a few adjustments to the cooler, so that it also doubles as a lauter tun which filters out the mash before racking to fermentation. This requires just a few steps and a few inexpensive pieces of equipment that you can get at any local hardware or home supply store.

There are different types of mashes that can be done, but the one that is most common is the single infusion method. Likely this will be the first one you attempt when you start mashing. Single infusion involves bringing a specific amount of water up to a certain temperature for mashing. The resting temperatures are usually between 149 F and 165 F.

Many brewers use 154 F as the preferred temperature for mashing because this gives a nice balance of body and fermentability that works really well with British and American style ales. To do a single infusion mash, the strike water (the water that is used for the mash) is heated to a temperature higher than the desired mashing temperature so that once the grains are added, the water temperature is where the brewer desires for mashing. In other words, the strike temperature is actually slightly higher than the mashing temperature to account for the drop in temperature that results after adding the grains.

John Palmer, author of the beer brewing bible "How To Brew", uses the following formula to calculate the strike water temperature: Strike Water Temperature = (.2/R)(T2-T1) + T2.  R represents the ratio of water to grain in quarts per pound, T1 is the temperature of the grains in Fahrenheit, and T2 is the target temperature of the mash in Fahrenheit.

Many brewers struggle hitting the proper mash temperature using the single infusion method. This can be frustrating. One note about the formula--it doesn't account for heat loss to the mash tun. It assumes that the mash tun has a thermal capacity of 0. To get around this issue, you can preheat the mash tun with some boiling water or adjust the strike water temperature based on previous experience.

If you choose to adjust the strike water temperature, you need to make sure to keep the mash tun and grain temperature consistent between the different mashes.  Another way to account for the unknown thermal capacity of the mash tun is to adjust the strike water's temperature after it has been added to the mash tun and before adding the grains. This can be done by adding hot or cold water.

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An important lesson to learn in beer brewing is that there is more than one way to produce beer. Sometimes, it just takes a little creativity to overcome any limitations your particular situation may pose. There are always alternatives, and many different ways to produce beer. This is part of the fun of beer brewing--you can try new, different ways to make your beer. You will learn new methods and tricks in the effort to make better beer.

Due to limitation in space and budget, many brewers may not be able to brew using full boils. Your only option may be to brew using partial boils. While some may initially be discouraged by this, there is no need to get frustrated or give up. True, full boils do produce more flavorful and better beers, but  partial boils still produce quality beers. Plus, there is a way around this limitation so you can improve your beer brewing experience.

Here is where you can discover that there are many opportunities in the beer brewing process to find a solution to any supposed barriers keeping you from making better beer. For many home brewers, they too have been in your situation and found a way to get around to supposedly not being able to produce full boils.

 Even if you are brewing on a stove top and do not have the power to make a full 5 gallon of liquid come to a boil (at least in any reasonable amount of time), and even if you do not have a brew pot large enough to do a full boil, you can still make a full 5 gallon batch of wort without having to top off with water. Just like so many other things about the beer brewing process, it simply requires a little bit of creativity on the part of the home brewer.

For instance, just split the full boil into two partial boil batches. Brew two 2.5 batches of wort, then combine them both in the fermenter to make up the full 5 gallon volume as opposed to topping off. Essentially, you are topping off with more wort as opposed to water.

You can also brew a larger partial boil. Instead of boiling a 2.5 gallon batch of wort, increase the size of your boil to 3 or 4 gallons. You are still doing a partial batch, but you are decreasing the amount of top off water and replacing it with wort. You are substituting with something that has more flavor--and this will produce a better beer.

These are just two simple adjustments that by making, you improve the quality and flavor of your beer. You also increase the quality of your beer brewing experience. This is also another example of how you can make some simple changes to the beer brewing process, and make a noticeable improvement to your finished beer.

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In the world of beer brewing, you have seen the terms partial boil and full boil. You may be wondering just what do they mean? The boil is what starts the beer making process. You are making the wort, which will eventually become your beer. All ingredients for beer brewing are combined in the boil.

Partial and full boil refers to the amount of wort you are boiling. Therefore, a partial boil is only boiling a portion of the wort, while a full boil is just that--a full amount of wort. Most beer brewing recipes call for brewing 5 gallons of wort. However, there are a couple different ways to produce a full 5 gallons of wort.

If you are doing a full boil, then you are boiling a full 5 gallons of liquid at the same time in your brew pot. This requires you to have a large enough pot to boil 5 gallons of liquid in, which means your pot must be at least 6.5 gallons in size. You must also have a heat source that is capable of bringing 5 gallons of liquid to a boil.

                                                                                                                          

An important thing to keep in mind is that if you are boiling 5 gallons of wort, a full boil, you want to end up with 5 gallons of wort, which means you will need to start with over 5 gallons of liquid. This requires a large enough pot. The additional water added in the beginning is to allow for the inevitable evaporation created by the boiling. You may need to start with up to an additional gallon to compensate for this.

For most new to beer brewing, you will likely start with a partial boil. It is common in extract brewing to do partial boils. You boil 2..5 to 3 gallons of wort in the brewpot, then you add the wort to the fermenter. You then add enough water to the wort to make a full 5 gallons. This is known as topping off.

To make it simple, a full boil means that all 5 gallons of the wort are boiled in the brew pot together. In a partial boil you boil a portion of the wort in the brew pot, and then additional water is added after the boil (in the fermenter) to complete the 5 gallon volume.

 Partial boils are necessary for those that live in apartments and do not have access to larger pots and propane burners. Even if you have access to these, you may still choose to boil using only partial boils. It keeps the beer brewing process simpler, and allows you to do it inside. You will see partial boils used as a part of extract and partial mash brewing. All grain brewing uses full boils.

 If you are just getting started beer brewing, you will likely begin with extract brewing, which means you will probably doing partial boils at first, and topping off your wort. Full boils are preferred by many home brewers because they produce more flavorful beer. However, you can still make quality, delicious home brew by using a partial boil.

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When beer brewing, sanitation is of the upmost importance. You have several options of what to use to sanitize, but the important thing is that you use something and take sanitation seriously.

The two cheapest and most accessible options are not the best options, but they do work. You can use bleach or vinegar. Within the beer brewing community, there are better, more popular choices: Star San, One Step and Iodorphor. Here is a look at the pros and cons of these sanitizing agents.

 Most beer brewing kits will provide you with some sort of sanitizer to get you started, bit after that you will need to figure out which way you want to go for future beer brewing. Bleach is the most readily available product, and cheap, but it has its drawbacks. There are many no rinse sanitizers available, but bleach is certainly not one of them.

 If you use bleach to sanitize, you must be sure that you thoroughly rinse bleach from your beer brewing equipment. This may require multiple rinses. In order to rinse, you will likely use tap water, which poses dangers as well. There is no telling what types of bacteria and other microorganisms are in the tap water that can be left behind on your beer making equipment after multiple rinses.

Bleach also is not fun to smell, while using it, and when left behind on your equipment after rinsing. You absolutely do not want to leave behind any traces of bleach, as this could get into your beer and ruin it. And there is always the concern of getting bleach on your clothes, your skin, or the floor and counter tops.

Mixing bleach and vinegar makes an effective sanitizer, and it can actually be a no rinse sanitizer. However, using this method requires extreme caution. Never, never, never, never mix bleach and vinegar directly together. This creates a toxic gas that can be fatal! You should research this very carefully and before attempting to very thoroughly to ensure that you do this properly. You want to avoid mixing the two directly, and you also want to be sure to use it properly as a no rinse sanitizer.

Needless to say, this option isn't recommended for beginners. It really shouldn't be an option for anyone beer brewing, since better alternatives exist, and aren't that much more expensive. Bleach is cheaper, however, you will likely need to use more of it as opposed to commercially available sanitizers designed specifically for beer brewing. Bleach really only offers one advantage--it is readily available.

Some commercial beer brewing sanitizers include Star San, One Step and Iodorphor. These are all equally effective and do not require rinsing, so your choice will probably come down to a simple matter of personal preference. One Step recently lost its Sanitizer classification by the FDA, although there remain some faithful users. Nevertheless, it is still great for cleaning, but probably not the best choice for sanitizing. It is often included in beer brewing kits, it doesn't have an odor, and is a no rinse product.

Iodorphor is a sanitizer made with iodone, something that has long been used for sanitization--common table salt has iodine in it. You can purchase Iodorphpr online, at your LHBS, or even at livestock related stores.

There are a few drawbacks to Iodorphor. It can stain your beer making equipment if not diluted properly, and over time it will stain your equipment, especially plastic items and vinyl tubing. It can also stain your skin.

Star San is probably just about the most popular sanitizer, and for good reason. It is a no rinse sanitizer as well. (No rinse simply means that you do not rinse away the sanitizer--you leave it on the equipment and it will not harm your beer) Star San is concentrated, so a little goes a long way. One tip to stretch it out is to mix Star San with distilled water in a spray bottle.

It is safe to use, and comes in a convenient, easy measure bottle. It creates a nice foam that penetrates all the hidden spots and tight spots on and in your beer brewing equipment. The foam breaks up in the wort and, and also provides some additional nutrient for your yeast.

Star San also continues to sanitize in the presence of sugar, which makes it invaluable in sanitizing plate chillers and other beer making equipment that you cannot see inside of.

It sticks to whatever you use it on, and continues to sanitize. Star San ia also great at removing painted on beer labels, like those on Corona bottles. There are a few drawbacks, however. In its concentrated form, it can etch glass. You want to be extra cautious using this on glass equipment such as carboys.

Star San might be a little more difficult to find, but you should be able to get it at your LHBS or online. But you won't find it at the grocery store or Wal Mart. Star San can also dry out your skin. One issue with Star San, especially with those new to the beer brewing world, is the foam that it creates.

Apparently, some think this foam is harmful, so they wind up rinsing their equipment and remove the foam, thus removing the sanitizer. The manufacturer's instructions clearly state that it is a NO RINSE sanitizer and to not rinse it. If you go with Star San for your beer making equipment sanitization, just remember, the foam is your friend!

Airlocks perform a vital role in the beer brewing process. They usually come with your beer brewing starter kit. All fermenters have places on top of them to fit an airlock, and there are a couple different styles of fermenters. But they all serve the same function: keep air out of your beer, while allowing built up CO2 out.

Conversely, you can use a blow off tube, which is nothing more than rubber or vinyl tubing that fits in place of the airlock and serves the same function as an airlock. The other end of the blow off tube is placed into a bucket of sanitized water. Airlocks allow CO2 to escape, as well as any excess krausen, without spewing out onto your walls, ceiling, floor and anywhere else.

Airlocks come in different shapes and sizes, but have the same basic design: one or more chambers that holds liquid and forms a barrier between your beer and the surrounding air that contains microorganisms you do not want in your beer. Airlocks can have one liquid chamber, or multiple liquid chambers.

When CO2 needs to be released, it travels through the liquid as gas bubbles and is released into the air. The liquid also acts as a barrier to the surrounding air, keeping germs and bacteria (as well as other nasties) out of your beer. A lot of home brewers use water in the airlock, which works perfectly fine for beer brewing. Some use sanitizer in the liquid chamber, but this doesn't really add any additional protection.

In fact, it can actually work against you. It is possible that the liquid in the airlock can get sucked back into the fermenter, and you do not want to get sanitizer in your beer. As a compromise, some brewers fill the airlock with vodka. Vodka is sanitary, and if by chance, it gets sucked back into the fermenter, it has a neutral flavor that will not affect the final flavor of your beer, nor cause any negative ill effects otherwise. You would simply just get a little extra alcohol added to your brew.

Liquid getting sucked back into the fermenter is primarily caused by the moving or lifting of flexible plastic such as the plastic used to make fermenting buckets or better bottles. If you are using either one for beer brewing, then you might be better served going with a blow off tube, which can prevent this from happening. Blowoff tubes are also better options if you have a vigorous fermentation--sometimes pressure can be built up so much that it can blow off an airlock!


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