Periodically clean airlock during extended primary?

[Cashback]

Making my first batch (Muntons Extra Light with Amarillo Hops), and I intend to leave in primary for two weeks before bottling. After fermentation slows, is it necessary to change airlock water or clean the airlock periodically? Thanks.

 

[Easterbrook]

I never have. Nope. Two weeks is nothing.

The only reason I'd clean the airlock is if I had really vigorous fermentation that shot beer through the airlock.

 

[lumpher]

no. use vodka instead of water in the airlock. if you have fruit flies land in the water, and that water gets into the beer, it can be toast. might never happen; you might brew for 25 years and never see it. here in texas we have fruit flies, and they love the hefeweizen aroma. i've seen 3 or 4 dead ( but grinning ) floating in the vodka, and a little backsuction into the fermenter from when i crashed the beer. vodka kills the nasties they carry

 

[Cashback]

Ok. Thanks. I did have very active fermentation the first two days, and had to switch to a blow off setup. Then went back to the airlock after cleaning and re-sanitizing. This is a cool process, and I can't wait to get it in the bottles.

 

[richlong8020]

I rig a blow off tube every time now. Easy to manage and clean. Never have to worry about airlocks anymore.

 

[unionrdr]

I'll use a blow off till the heavy action subsides,then switch to an airlock filled with cheap vodka. Nasties that get into it & die of alcohol poisoning.

 

[kh54s10]

I use a blow off tube at the start of every fermentation and only switch back to an airlock if in need the blow off tube for a new batch.

 

[BigFloyd]

Two weeks is on the short end of ferment time. Two months in the primary would be considered "extended".

Of course, if you get any krausen pushing up through the airlock, you have to clean and re-sanitize it.

As long as there's sanitizer in my S-airlocks, I leave them be. I try to only expose the fermenting beer when I have to. I guess you could say I'm from the "stick it in the bucket and leave it the heck alone except to take gravity readings" school of thought.

 

[Cashback]

Thanks for the input, guys.

 

[cullen]

I use an airlock with tap water. Outside of occasionally adding water if it gets low, I don't clean it during fermentation (unless something odd happens). I've done this with mead over a multiple month aging.