Three - Piece Airlock

[blindguardian]

I know this is a noob question and I kind of feel silly even asking it .

My questions are this...
1.) How do you know how much to fill the airlock?
2.) Is filling it with vodka okay or recommended?

thanks for your help in this matter.

[blipiddybrew]

FIll it so that the liquid doesnt flow into the beer, but still leaves no room for air to come into the beer. vodka is fine to use...personally i use tapwater without ever having a sanitation issue in 6 years of homebrewing.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

Mine is always soaking in properly diluted Iodafor... I just keep enough in there when I pull it out/assemble it. That's been sanitary enough for me, and if a touch does get pulled in, im not terribly horrified that its going to be contaminated. There's a chance... albeit a small one.

sani solution/vodka/tap water... whatever floats your airlock. you'll be good.

[Mylo]

The only reason that liquid would get pulled back into the carboy would be if there was no active fermentation happening and the beer was cooling. You have to remember to switch to sanized foil for that.


Mylo

[Brew Engineer]

There is usually a line on the airlock that indicates where to fill it. I usually fill a little under the line, becasue I've had some get sucked back inside while moving buckets, carboys, etc before fermentation started.

As long as you have enough to form a barrier, you're ok.

[Neuron_Theory]

The only reason that liquid would get pulled back into the carboy would be if there was no active fermentation happening and the beer was cooling. You have to remember to switch to sanized foil for that.


Mylo

Learned that the hard way. Damn you science!

For the record, I use vodka.

[Mylo]

Also, I heard the bottom on those "Better Bottles" flexes when you life them - also creating a vacuum. I don't know personally - because I use glass.


Mylo

[Brandt]

Vodka. It's the best use for Vodka. Sometimes nothing if forgot to fill it. I don't think anything can get in even when it's dry.