Empty Airlock

[dustinthompson85]

So I made a Belgian dubbel back in October. Let is sit until now and noticed the airlock is empty. Wondering if there is anything special I should look out for? I know fermentation took place prior to the airlock going dry but worried it got ruined since it has been sitting exposed for an unknown time.


 

[RM-MN]

When fermentation ended there was mostly CO2 in the space above the beer protecting it from infection and oxidation. It should have taken quite a bit of time for the liquid in your airlock to evaporate so you may not have had much time for your beer to be exposed. During that time it was exposed the dissolved CO2 would still have been outgassing so it would be difficult for much oxygen to get in through the airlock.

Look at the surface of the beer for any pellicle that may have started. If there isn't one, your beer is probably fine.

 

[dustinthompson85]

 

[thehaze]

I think that looks fine. Take a gravity sample ( so you can measure ABV ) and taste it. If there are no obvious signs of infection or off-taste, bottle and try one after 15-20 days. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[dustinthompson85]

The air lock smells a little sour, but it's got some dead fruit flies in it. Wondering if the beer itself will smell better when I open it. If I have time I will try and bottle it today.

 

[thehaze]

Fruit flies could mean an infection, if some of those got in the carboy, but taste it and if the taste does not make you puke, bottle it and see it through. Either way, you have nothing to lose, aside from spending an hour to bottle and cleaning the bottles anyway. The beer could turn out good and that's always something to hope for.

 

[dustinthompson85]

The flies are only in the airlock. There is a very tiny layer of sanitizer and that's where they rest. I don't see any floating in the beer.

 

[TGFV]

Been in that position before with a carboys of cider I was aging in my garage.

Turned out fine since the cover cap for the tube ended up coming down and the flies can't really get into the catboy (for the same reason fly traps work).

While there is the chance it could have it is doubtful so give it a shot and see how it is.

 

[dustinthompson85]

Well I just bottled it. Came in around 6.5 % abv I think. It tasted like beer but didn't get to try it without priming sugar. We will see in a few weeks.