I hate wort fishing. I just did a 2 gallon batch of stout in a 3.5 gallon pail type fermenter. I accidentally pushed the airlock stopper through the hole in the lik and into the wort-- @#%^$$. Maybe I should just have left it in there, but I really wanted it out.

A few mintes of fishing around with a StarSan sanitized plastic spoon retrieved it. Now we wait to see if the batch is infected.

I bored a larger hole in the lid of my primary so a #6 cork would fit. Seemed to work better than that small grommet for holding an airlock.

I finally gave up because the lid itself never sealed properly and just started using an open primary.

I've done that, but not since installing the airlock before placing the lid on the fermenter.
"Open Fermenter" Do you put anything over the primary, like Saran Wrap or something like that?
Cheers.

I just throw a dish towel over the primary, when the krausen drops I rack to the secondary. I'm new to beer so I am still experimenting. I have made less than 10 batches. However, I have made wine for a long time so I just started making my beer like I make the wine except I don't stir it. So far all the beer has turned out great. Using the towel I can check it 2 to 3 times a day.

capper wrote:A few mintes of fishing around with a StarSan sanitized plastic spoon retrieved it. Now we wait to see if the batch is infected.

I have done much worse things to a batch of beer with no repercussions.

Sanitization is very important, however. I think unless you consistently ignore sanitizing protocol, you'll generally be ok. I asked my grandma what they used to use to sanitize when they made beer on the farm 50 years ago. She said, "Sanitize? We just cleaned everything with soap!" She claimed the beer tasted great. So, just don't worry about this sort of thing. There's a million other factors affecting the flavor of your beer and I doubt a sanitized spoon is one of them.

wyo wino wrote:I just throw a dish towel over the primary, when the krausen drops I rack to the secondary. I'm new to beer so I am still experimenting. I have made less than 10 batches. However, I have made wine for a long time so I just started making my beer like I make the wine except I don't stir it. So far all the beer has turned out great. Using the towel I can check it 2 to 3 times a day.

Holy cow. Just a towel? That's a new one for me. Hey, as long as the beer is covered and the towel is clean everything should be fine. After all, the Mr. Beer kegs don't have a proper air lock on them either. And some homebrewers actually use an open fermenter method.

I'm not daring enough for that. Curious... Do you remove any of the krausen, or just leave it alone? That might be a good alternative to a blow off tube. Just a towel, and scoop every so often.

Okay, I'm going to have to do an experimental batch with just a towel.

I started making wine back in the early 70s. A commercial winemaker kind of led me through the process. I never sterilized with anything except soap and water and then covered the open primary with a lint free towel. Like muslin. I wrap a shock cord around the primary to hold it in place. You have to watch the wine closer and with wine we stir 2 to 3 times a day and measure the SG. I don't stir the beer but after a couple of batches I saw what was happening. When the krausen drops it is pretty much ready to rack. I just rack to a carboy and install the airlock. I now use one step to sterilize. As I mentioned I am new to beer but it is very similar to wine making. That krausen cap protects the beer just like the cap over wine when in the primary.