Just realized my basement setup almost ruined a 6-month ferment

I was in my basement in Cincinnati last week checking on a big batch of hot sauce when I noticed the airlock on one of my half-gallon jars was completely dry. The temperature had spiked from a heat wave and the ferment was way too active, it almost pushed the brine out and let air in. How often do you guys check your airlocks during big weather swings?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan232mo ago

Used to just set it and forget it for weeks... but after a cold snap froze the brine in my airlock last winter, I check them every few days when the forecast looks wild. Keep a little bottle of distilled water next to my jars now for quick top-ups.

hunt.rowan2mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man, @dylan23, that's a special kind of fermenter pain. I can just picture opening the fridge to find a little iceberg in the airlock. My last place had a drafty kitchen and I'd find the water level just gone, totally evaporated. Now I'm paranoid and eyeball those things like a hawk if the heat kicks on. It's either that or wake up to a dried-out lock and a jar of questionable kraut. Your distilled water bottle idea is smart, I might just copy that.

susanh463d ago

Freezing brine in an airlock sounds like a real pain, but I gotta ask - how often does that actually happen? I've been fermenting for years and never had a freeze issue, even in pretty cold weather. A little distilled water bottle next to the jars feels like overkill for something that might happen once or twice. And checking every few days just because the forecast looks wild? Seems like a lot of fuss for something that usually just sits there doing its thing. Most of the time, the brine just needs a top-off from evaporation, not a full-blown crisis. Is it really that common to have airlock problems?

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