Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....  (Read 12066 times)

Offline mswilliams1975

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 31
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2013, 03:44:13 pm »
It seems all it OK as of now the beer has started to ferment and is off to the races. Thank you all for the input.
Anything worth having is worth hard to achieve.

Offline tschmidlin

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8198
  • Redmond, WA
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2013, 10:24:52 pm »
Just remember, it was less than an ounce of vodka.  An ounce of 40% ABV vodka diluted in 5 gallons of liquid will increase the alcohol of the liquid by about 0.06%.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline garc_mall

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 858
  • [1892.9, 294.9deg] AR Lynnwood, WA
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2013, 11:08:30 pm »
Just remember, it was less than an ounce of vodka.  An ounce of 40% ABV vodka diluted in 5 gallons of liquid will increase the alcohol of the liquid by about 0.06%.

And finally, Tom shows up with the math I was too lazy to do. Thanks Tom!  ;D
« Last Edit: January 22, 2013, 11:29:20 am by garc_mall »

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2013, 08:11:40 am »
This is why people use vodka. Water is fine in the airlock unless some of it gets sucked back in - then who knows what bugs drifted into the water that is now in the beer.  Vodka can get sucked in without worry as it will kill anything airborn that lands on it.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline micsager

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1179
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #19 on: January 22, 2013, 08:54:52 am »
When I started brewing I used vodka in the airlock.  When the bottle ran out I switched to tap water.  In hundreds of batches it's never been a problem to use tap water.

+1.  I now put 1-2 sprays of my stan stan bottle up the stem and a top with tap water.  No issues.

Dave

+1, this is exactly what I do. 

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10675
  • Milford, MI
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #20 on: January 22, 2013, 09:12:01 am »
Just remember, it was less than an ounce of vodka.  An ounce of 40% ABV vodka diluted in 5 gallons of liquid will increase the alcohol of the liquid by about 0.06%.
And the alcohol in vodka is ethanol, which the yeast make. I don't think you or the yeast will notice the extra 0.06%.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline anje

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 232
  • Lafayette, IN
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #21 on: January 22, 2013, 10:36:15 am »
I just use some star san in the airlock. Even if some gets sucked into the carboy, I have never had any problem. Besides, an airlock full of vodka won't hurt your brew whatsoever.

I use star san too. Mainly because I have a spray bottle handy. Makes it pretty easy to top off my airlocks if they start to run dry. I've had some sucked into my fermenter before, but I've never noticed any off flavors.
I've been using it too. Only downside seems to be that instead of simply burbling, the airlock blows actual bubbles.
<-- microbiologist brewster n00b.

Hops and toothpaste don't mix.

Offline dzlater

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 525
  • Dan S. New Jersey
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #22 on: January 23, 2013, 04:47:04 pm »
 I have one of those 3 piece airlocks. Once I forgot to put the little hat thing on the inside and tried to fill it with vodka. It didn't work.  :-[
But the beer turned out fine.
Lately I haven't even bothered with an airlock, just a piece a foil, no problems so far.

Dan
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 04:50:14 pm by dzlater »
Dan S. from NJ

Offline anje

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 232
  • Lafayette, IN
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #23 on: January 29, 2013, 10:15:52 am »
The downside of using a foaming substance like Starsan in the airlock instead of vodka:
<-- microbiologist brewster n00b.

Hops and toothpaste don't mix.

Offline redbeerman

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1849
  • On the banks of the mighty Susquehanna in MD
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #24 on: January 29, 2013, 10:19:46 am »
Don't fear the foam 8)
CH3CH2OH - Without it, life itself would be impossible.

[441, 112.1deg] AR

Jim

Offline micsager

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1179
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #25 on: January 29, 2013, 10:54:02 am »
The downside of using a foaming substance like Starsan in the airlock instead of vodka:


What is the downside?  that looks like mine have looked for years. 

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #26 on: January 29, 2013, 12:07:30 pm »
Don't fear the foam 8)
Except I've had all of the starsan leave the airlock as foam which equals non-functional airlock.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline bierview

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 235
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #27 on: January 29, 2013, 12:19:04 pm »
I typically use a six gallon glass carboy for my primary and a blow off hose.  Don't put the airlock on for 5 days or in secondary.  I find boiled and cooled h2o is the safest way to go if your concerned about vodka contamination.

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #28 on: January 29, 2013, 12:22:25 pm »
 A point nobody has made yet ... the S-shaped airlocks eliminate the contamination risk because they can bubble in both directions without pulling liquid in.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Brew ruined??? Vodka drip in wort....
« Reply #29 on: January 29, 2013, 01:49:47 pm »
A point nobody has made yet ... the S-shaped airlocks eliminate the contamination risk because they can bubble in both directions without pulling liquid in.

except that when they bubble 'backwards' you are pulling unsanitary air into your fermenter...

I am totally splitting hairs and would never actually worry about that.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce