Pro tip: Check your airlock water level before you leave for the weekend

I set up a batch of hot sauce ferment with a proper airlock last Friday, but when I got back Sunday night the water had all evaporated and mold was growing on top. Took me 45 minutes to scrape off the bad bits and save about half the peppers. Anyone else forget to top off their airlock on longer ferments?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_wood7226d ago

Wiped out half a batch of hot sauce last summer because I thought fancy airlocks were foolproof and didn't need babysitting... learned the hard way that even the good ones can dry out if the room gets warm and dry. Now I check the level every couple days and top it off with some extra vodka instead of water since it evaporates slower and keeps things sterile. Actually changed my whole approach after that loss, I keep a little spray bottle of starsan nearby too for quick top ups.

foster.oscar26d ago

Yeah the vodka trick is smart. I started doing that myself after reading about it on a fermentation forum. Water based airlocks are junk in dry climates. I live in Colorado and my place gets super dry in winter so I was losing liquid way faster than I expected. Just a pain to have to babysit something you thought was set and forget.