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Airlock the Secondary?
Syphoned from primary to secondary today for first time ever and I am wondering if I airlock the secondary? I actually just saran wrapped the airlock whole for a few hours and then decided to put the airlock back on after reading that more fermentation actually happens. Think I may be contaminated by not having the airlock on, if I'm even supposed to have it?
Definitely use an airlock and make sure your drilled rubber stopper is sanitized. There is little fermenting done in the secondary; most of it should take place in your primary. Without having an airlock on for a couple hours there probably isn't any damage to your beer. I've heard a lot more unsanitary things done while brewing without any contamination.
ive had one blow off without my knowledge for hours, and no problems
Remember, just becasue your carboy contains an alcoholic liquid doesn't mean the alcohol level is high enough to kill bacteria. Secondaries can, and have, spoiled.
The last thing you want to see is a peculum on a batch of beer that you are ready to bottle that tasted fantastic when you racked to 2nd.
It is extemely important that once your wort is chilled, anything that comes in contact with your beer be sanatized. It is also important that one fermentation is started, oxygen introduction should be limited as much as possible. Thus, an airlock should allways be in place prior to kegging or bottling. this keeps the O2 level low, and the CO2 in place as a protective layer over your beer.
I use the bubbler airlock for the primary, and the S lock for the secondary. No particular reason why, I think I was reading a brewing book, and that's what they said to do, I can't really remember. I sanitize the airlock, and just put it right in the hole in the lid. I seal the lid with an instant gasket maker. This way the airlock does't pop off the way it sometimes can with a drilled stopper. You have to watch it though, one time my primary airlock got clogged when I was making a high gravity beer, and the bucket was swollen when I got down there the next day. I had to let the pressure off easy, and still got yeast stuff all over me.
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