Does it hurt anything if you remove a airlock during any the process of the fermentations. Just for a few mins to clean out and change the water in the airlock or for any other little reason.
Not at all. Especially during active fermentation (when you are most likely to be cleaning). So much CO2 is being produced, the slight exposure to oxygen is no problem at all. Even after active fermentation, CO2 is heavier than air, do you’re not likely to disturb the “blanket.”
Cover the carboy mouth with sanitized aluminum foil when you remove the air lock and bung. Keep floaties and flying things in the air from dropping in. You may need to install a blow off tube if the air lock is filling with krausen.
Use a no rinse sanitizer like Star San, or vodka, in the air lock rather than water if it is a mold problem that requires cleaning.
[quote=“flars”]Cover the carboy mouth with sanitized aluminum foil when you remove the air lock and bung. Keep floaties and flying things in the air from dropping in. You may need to install a blow off tube if the air lock is filling with krausen.
Use a no rinse sanitizer like Star San, or vodka, in the air lock rather than water if it is a mold problem that requires cleaning.[/quote]
Yes, exactly. But you should know that aluminum foil straight off the roll is already sanitary. Vodka is the best thing to put in the airlock, because it kills any microbes that get in, but won’t impact the beer at all if it somehow gets sucked in.
