Wine making kit producers recommend sealing up the primary fermentation with an air-lock because they are more concerned about eliminating any risk of spoilage than providing the fastest fermentation possible.
Lot's of air exposure is good for the primary fermentation – the first 3 to 5 days. This is when the wine yeast is trying to multiply itself into a colony that is about 100 to 200 times the little packet of wine yeast you originally put in the wine must. The yeast need this oxygen to multiply successfully.
Just remember that stirring the wine must daily to keeping any cap from becoming hard and dried is a critical part of having a healthy, active fermentation.
They provide a safety feature for your fermenter and keep a sterile environment within the fermenter. However, there are times when you can skip the airlock and you'll be just fine. It's not a huge investment to your homebrewing tool kit, so if you don't have one, we'd recommend adding one, just in case you need it.
You absolutely do not need an airlock for secondary, assuming you wait til fermentation is done. I've sealed a carboy with a stopper many times for a secondary, although these days I usually use foil.
Wine making kit producers recommend sealing up the primary fermentation with an air-lock because they are more concerned about eliminating any risk of spoilage than providing the fastest fermentation possible.
Leaving the lid and airlock off will allow the primary fermentation to start sooner and continue more rapidly, but it can also leave the fermentation susceptible to contamination should it not start in a timely fashion.
The airlock helps you keep an anaerobic atmosphere when fermenting. It prevents air from entering your fermentation vessel while still allowing the CO2 made during fermentation to escape. If your system didn't have anywhere for this gas to go, the pressure would build up.
In a closed system like the FARMcurious Fermenting Set (or other airlock system) a weight is generally not needed because the airlock keeps the environment oxygen-free and safe from contamination of yeast and mold.
You can, however, ferment it too long in terms of keeping it in a hostile environment for too long. What is meant by this is there may be unwanted chemicals or bacteria in your equipment, possibly contaminating your wine if you don't find out fast enough.
The first, and most important, step is the fermentation process, which happens when the yeast eats sugar, either in the fermentables or that you've added, and converts it into alcohol. Fermentation takes roughly two to three weeks to complete fully, but the initial ferment will finish within seven to ten days.
Primary fermentation generally refers to the stage of winemaking when the yeast is converting the sugars to alcohol and CO2. This stage can last from about one to three weeks.
Lactic Acid Fermentation
Figure 7.14. 1: Lactic acid fermentation: Lactic acid fermentation is common in muscle cells that have run out of oxygen. The enzyme used in this reaction is lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).
That depends on which stage in your winemaking you're in. In the primary fermentation, it's not necessary to use an airlock. But afterward, in the second fermenter, it's must-needed for you to use the airlock.
The use of perforated rubber balloons offers an easy and inexpensive alternative to conventional airlocks: as used primarily in homebrewing, the balloon is stretched over the orifice of the fermentation vessel and, if necessary, tightened with rubber bands. The balloon is then perforated with a needle.
An airlock in the pipes will eventually result in no water at all if it isn't taken care of. Even worse, it can cause blockages, overflows and other serious problems. Airlocks do sometimes fix themselves, but it isn't a risk worth taking.
If you don't release the pressure created by the production of carbon dioxide you run the risk of your vessel exploding and no one wants that! Airlocks take the guesswork out of when to “burp” and aid in providing the proper anaerobic environment for food safety.
You can absolutely open the bucket if you feel it's necessary to stir the must. There is very little chance of contamination if you are diligent in sanitizing everything that will touch the must. If any air borne particles do get in there won't be enough to get a foot hold and will be overtaken by the yeast.
Within 24-36 hours, carbon dioxide normally starts bubbling through the airlock, as long as everything is working correctly and if the fermenter is sealed properly. Fermentation can take as little as 3 days if you are using a fast-acting yeast and the temperature is ideal.
Traditional airlocks are a culprit for fermentation blowout. If the Krausen develops too quickly, it can bubble up into the airlock and prevent it from letting air out. The pressure inside the carboy will then increase until it blows the airlock off the top.
They see that the airlock is not longer bubbling and figure this is when the fermentation is done. In reality, the fact that the bubbling stopped is only an indication that the fermentation may be done, but is is not an absolute indicator.
Burping is essentially just opening your bottles ever so slightly during the second fermentation process to release air or “excess pressure” in the bottle. Many brewers recommend burping bottles every day, or every other day while your bottles are fermenting at room temperature.
Airlocks aren't designed to tell you anything, and they aren't indicators of fermentation. When an airlock bubbles, it simply means that the air pressure inside the bucket or carboy is sufficiently high to push up the little column of water and relieve the pressure.