Dropped $40 on a fancy airlock for my first big batch of hot sauce and it clogged up in two days.

I was making a gallon of habanero mash and thought the bubbler would be better than a simple cloth cover. The thick pulp just rose up and blocked the whole thing, making a real mess. Has anyone found a good way to keep a bubbler clear with chunky ferments?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant_ross271d ago

Yeah, that thick pulp rising is the worst. I've had better luck with a wider mouth bubbler and leaving more headspace, like a good three inches at the top. It still needs a quick check every couple days to swish things around, though.

grant_gibson1d ago

But what if that headspace is just wasted space? My narrow neck carboy locks the pulp down below the liquid line. No daily checks needed. It ferments clean because the gunk can't float up. A wider mouth lets in more air every time you swish it. That's how you get off flavors.