Do-it-yourself fermentation water trap for a flask. Water seal: an important tool for every winemaker! Normal development of yeast in Braga

In this article, let's talk about the simplest device that contributes to the correct process. It is called a water seal for mash. This is a small addition. positively affects the quality of the finished product, and sometimes even able to prevent spoilage. Consider the principle of operation of the water seal, what varieties are there and how to do it yourself.

In the manufacture of mash, yeast takes over all the work of converting sugar into alcohol. They are eat sugar, converting it into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which is released in large quantities.

If the fermentation container is tightly closed with a lid, then the gas will simply have nowhere to go. It may cause the container to explode. If, on the contrary, you leave the container with the mash open, then it can get into oxygen, which activates harmful bacteria in the mash.

These bacteria feed on alcohol and produce acetic acid, which adversely affects the state of the mash. In addition, other harmful microorganisms can get into the wort. This will make the final product taste less good and will lead to a decrease in the yield of alcohol.

Scheme and principle of operation

The scheme for creating a water seal is quite simple. A small hole is made in the lid of the fermentation tank. A flexible tube is hermetically inserted into it. You can seal the hole plasticine or silicone.

The other end of the tube is lowered into a container of water, such as a jar. During fermentation, carbon dioxide passes through the tube and enters the jar of water. At the same time, the ingress of oxygen into the mash is excluded, and the release of carbon dioxide occurs unhindered.

Worth noticing! Some manufacturers advise using as a sealant dough. This is not worth doing, because when the dough dries, cracks form into which oxygen can penetrate.

Today, there are several types of ready-made hydraulic seals on sale that do not require additional assembly manipulations. You can buy them via the Internet or in special stores selling equipment for making homemade alcohol.

Purchased water seals are of several types:

• Double chamber. It is a curved tube with two thickenings in which water is located. Below is a rubber seal that seals the structure.
• collapsible. It consists of two chambers, one is inserted into the other. It is smaller in size than a two-chamber water seal, which is its advantage.

Such shutters cost from 2 to 5 dollars. They do their job well. However, such a device is very easy to make yourself.

How to make a shutter for mash with your own hands?

On the Internet, there are many options for making fermentation shutters. Let's look at a few of the most common.

Water

His diagram is shown above. The lid on the fermentation container is tightly closed, a hose is inserted into it through the hole, the end of which is placed in a container with water.

The junction of the cover and the hose is carefully sealed with plasticine.

medical glove

This method was used back in Soviet times. A rubber glove is put on the fermentation tank. If necessary, she pulled together by a thread at the base. A small puncture is made in one of the fingers, through which carbon dioxide will escape.

With the help of a glove, it is easy to track the end of fermentation. When it is blown away, it means that the fermentation process is over and the mash can be distilled.

cotton plug

Sometimes the laziest distillers use cotton wool as a shutter. This way the simplest of all, it is enough to cork the neck of the fermentation container with a piece of cotton wool. But this does not make the method effective, because air will still penetrate into the container.

Another disadvantage of this method is inability to determine the end of fermentation by eye. In this case, you will need to bring a lit match to the neck of the fermentation tank. If the match is lit, then the fermentation process has stopped. If it goes out, it means that the yeast is still working and releasing carbon dioxide.

Important! It is not recommended to use a cotton plug as a closure for mash, because. it does not exclude the penetration of oxygen.

With odor removal

Braga, when ripe, emits a characteristic persistent odor that households or neighbors may not like. There is a shutter with a fermentation odor removal. To do this, you need to slightly improve the first version of the water lock.

On a jar of water into which carbon dioxide escapes, put on capron cover with two holes under the hoses. A hose from the fermentation tank is inserted into the first hole and immersed in water.

Another hose is inserted into the second. It does not need to be submerged in water. The end of the second hose is brought out into the street or connected to the top of the sewer pipe. All joints are sealed.

From syringes

A compact and convenient water seal can be made using 2 disposable syringes. The flasks from them are fastened together with adhesive tape or electrical tape. The nozzles of the syringes are connected by a narrow silicone tube. Water is poured into one flask. The device is inserted into the lid of the fermentation container and is well sealed.

There are a lot of options for creating a shutter, but the principle is the same: do not allow oxygen to penetrate into the mash while allowing free release of carbon dioxide. A water seal is a mandatory attribute of proper fermentation. Its use beneficial effect on the taste and aroma of the final drink.

Useful videos

What is a water seal, why and why is it needed, how to make it yourself:

What is a water seal and why is it needed? In all recipes for the preparation of drinks that need fermentation, a water seal is used. After all, the fermentation process is accompanied by the release of carbon dioxide. And the access of oxygen from the air leads to the fact that our drink does not ferment, but turns sour. This is where the water seal comes to the rescue. It is just designed to release carbon dioxide and prevent contact of the drink with air.

How to make a water seal for wine

There are a huge variety of types of water seals on the market, but often they either do not fit our containers, or just when we need them, they are not available. However, you should not despair. After all, at home there are almost always several items that will help us make a water lock for mash with our own hands.

How to make a water lock for wine with your own hands

This will be one of the easiest options. True, it is somewhat limited in use. It can be successfully installed on any glass jar. To do this, take an ordinary medical rubber glove. Its feature is that it is very elastic and easily stretched.

• We pierce a hole in one of the fingers of the glove with a needle.
• We put a glove on the neck of the jar and fix it tightly on the neck.

Such a shutter is sometimes called "Greetings to Gorbachev". During fermentation, gases fill the glove and it inflates. The hole in the finger enlarges and excess gas escapes through it. Evidence of the termination of the fermentation process is the lowering of the glove.

• Instead of a glove for bottles, you can use a balloon

Water lock from a dropper

For this do-it-yourself water seal, we will use the part of the dropper that serves to supply air to the bottle.

• Close the container with a plastic lid or cork stopper.

• We pierce it using a dropper needle

• We lower the free end of the dropper tube into a container of water.

Now carbon dioxide will freely escape through the tube to the outside, and water will prevent air from entering the can. The fermentation process is controlled by air bubbles that float in a jar of water. The cessation of air release indicates the cessation of the fermentation process.

Do-it-yourself water seal for wine

In the case of large containers - barrels, it becomes necessary to remove large amounts of carbon dioxide. When using plastic drums, we can use standard bronze dies for plastic containers.

• bronze inlay. It can be purchased at any hardware store.

• We drill a hole of suitable diameter in the lid.

• Screw on the notch.

• We connect a flexible hose to the tie-in.
• Lower the other end of the hose into a container of water.

The fermentation process is considered completed when the release of gas bubbles from the hose stops.

Thus, we examined the simplest options for water locks that you can do with your own hands using improvised means.

Winemaking and home brewing consist of many stages, one of which is the preparation of mash and the proper organization of fermentation. At this stage, there is an active reproduction of bacteria and the release of carbon dioxide, which must be removed from the tank.

For this, a water seal is needed, it is an indispensable device, without which it is impossible to ensure a full-fledged fermentation process. This article will tell you how to make a water seal for mash with your own hands, as well as store options for such devices.

The fermentation process is to convert sugar into alcohol, which ensures the presence of yeast. It is characterized by abundant emissions of carbon dioxide, and if it accumulates, this will soon lead to an explosion of the container.

The water seal removes carbon dioxide and does not let oxygen into the tank.

The problem is that you cannot simply open the lid on the fermentation tank, in which case oxygen will penetrate inside, under the influence of which a number of microorganisms will be activated that convert alcohol into acetic acid. In addition, along with oxygen, harmful bacteria can enter the mash, which will negatively affect the quality of the finished product or even spoil it.

A water seal is needed to remove carbon dioxide from the tank, while preventing the access of oxygen and harmful bacteria to the mash. For this reason, such a device is simply necessary in order to ensure high-quality fermentation.

Types of finished hydraulic seals

It is easy to purchase a water seal at specialized points of sale or order it in an online store.

These devices can have a different design, as a rule, they are of two types:

• Collapsible. The device consists of two flasks inserted one into the other. The advantage of this design lies in its small size and ease of use.
• Two-chamber. In essence, such water seals are curved tubes with compartments connected in series, into which water should be poured. An elastic band is attached to one end of the tube, it acts as a seal. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor its condition, since drying occurs over time, and to replace it in time.

On a note. The cost of hydraulic seals ranges from 100 to 300 rubles, and almost everyone can afford such a purchase. Therefore, if there is no desire to spend time creating a structure with your own hands, it is better to purchase a finished model.

How to make a water seal with your own hands: popular ways to make a device

A water seal is the simplest device that is easy to make on your own. The most common methods are described below.

Classic variant

To make a device for removing carbon dioxide in the classical way, you will need the following materials:

• jar;
• lid;
• flexible tube,
• sealing material (wax, paraffin, plasticine or silicone glue).

The procedure is as follows:

1. Make a hole in the lid that matches the diameter of the tube in size.
2. Insert the tube and seal the entry point.
3. Close the fermentation tank with the structure, and place the free end of the tube in a jar of water.

Attention! To create a water seal, you should not take too thin a tube, since the foam released during the fermentation process can clog it.

The advantage of this design is that it is a kind of indicator by which you can determine that fermentation is complete. This will be indicated by the absence of bubbles in a jar of water.

Water trap with outlet

The fermentation process is accompanied by an unpleasant odor. To get rid of this problem, you need to somewhat improve the classic version of the water seal and make it with a tap.

This can be done in the following way:

1. Fill a glass jar 1/3 full with water.
2. Punch two holes in the lid.
3. In the first, install the hose that comes out of the fermentation tank and place it in the water.
4. Remove the tube from the second hole and lead its end into the sewer pipe. Thus, the unpleasant smell will not penetrate into the room.

When using this design, it is required to ensure that the second hose does not touch the water in the can.

cotton plug

To create a shutter, you will need sterile medical cotton wool. It must be tightly tamped into the neck of the tank so that there is no free space left.

Such a simple device will allow carbon dioxide to go outside, while not letting oxygen in. However, a cotton plug cannot be called completely sealed.

Another disadvantage of this method is that when using it it is very difficult to determine the end of the fermentation process. For this reason, cotton wool is used only as a last resort, in the absence of other options.

Device for removing gas from a rubber glove

Such a design cannot be called a water seal in the full sense of the word, because water is not used in this case. However, this method is very popular.

For work you will need:

• thick rubber glove;
• electrical tape or stationery gum;
• thin needle.

The glove is put on the neck of the container, fixed with electrical tape or rubber bands and several punctures are made with a needle.

On a note. By the glove you can determine when the fermentation process is completed. Its end is characterized by the fact that carbon dioxide ceases to be released, in which case the glove deflates.

Drop water seal

To make a water seal from this medical device, in addition to it, you will need a plastic lid and a jar of water.

You need to do the following:

1. Close the fermentation tank tightly with a lid.
2. Insert the needle from the dropper on top.
3. Immerse the tube in a container of water.

The end of fermentation can be seen in the same way as when using a classic water seal. If the water in the jar has stopped bubbling and gurgling, the process is complete.

Device from a dropper and syringes

Such a water seal is an improved version of the previous one.

In order to make this device, you will need the following materials:

• dropper;
• syringes for 10 and 15 ml;
• twine, stationery gum or adhesive tape for fixing.

The hydraulic seal must be assembled in the following order:

As is clear from the above, it is not difficult to make a water seal with your own hands using any of these methods, even a beginner can handle it.

This video shows a detailed process of making a water seal from improvised means at home.

Everyone who produces alcoholic beverages at home knows that at the fermentation stage, a water seal should be made for the mash.

What is it for?

A water seal during fermentation is necessary:

• To ensure the removal of carbon dioxide formed in enormous volumes (4 cubic meters per 1 liter of mash) from the tank.
• In order to prevent oxygen from entering the homebrew, which will disrupt the proper process of alcohol production and lead to oxidation and souring of the product, which will spoil the taste and quality of the final product.
• To control the phase of the fermentation process - in the active stage there will be a lot of bubbles, in the final stage there will be no carbon dioxide at all.

Scheme of a standard water seal

The classic water seal used at home has a standard scheme:

1. The container with the mash is tightly sealed, and a certain solid adapter is inserted into the cork - a glass, metal or plastic tube. It should have a fairly wide cross section - this way carbon dioxide will “collect” more efficiently and the adapter will not clog with foam.
2. A flexible rubber or silicone hose of optimal section is attached to the tube. All joints are securely sealed.
3. The end of the gas exhaust hose is lowered into a container with water, such as a bottle or a jar.

A do-it-yourself water seal for making mash can be made from various improvised materials. So, in recent years, dropper tubes have been used as a gas outlet hose. They are sterile, do not have a specific smell, and the transparency of the silicone allows you to control the state of the “hose” lumen and replace it if it is clogged with foam.

To ensure the best “collection” of gas, disposable syringes are used as an adapter, the plastic body of which is inserted into the cork or cap with the nose up. Improvised materials are used as a sealant - plasticine, glue and dough.

Despite the fact that now the industry produces a lot of accessories and devices for winemakers at a relatively inexpensive price (a purchased water seal will cost you no more than 300 rubles), lovers of homemade alcoholic beverages continue to create gas exhaust systems on their own.

One of the options for a water seal from the store

Many options that are used at home are difficult to call a word with the root "hydro". A true water seal must have a container with liquid in its design. But winemakers continue to install popular options for removing carbon dioxide and call them water seals in the old fashioned way.

When choosing the right way to make a reliable water seal for mash with your own hands, first of all evaluate the tightness of the system. It is this factor that determines the taste of the final product in the future.

Glove

This invention of the Soviet times still does not lose popularity due to the availability of "material", visibility and the ability to put on a glove on any wide neck, ensuring the tightness of the container.

• a medical glove is put on the container in which the mash is poured and must be tightly tied to the neck and shoulders with adhesive tape so that it is not torn off by pressure;
• so that carbon dioxide comes out, a hole is made in the fingers with a needle;
• according to the fullness of the glove, the stage of the fermentation process is determined: if it has fallen, the drink is ready for the next stage.

Classic variant

This method of water seal device is very simple and affordable. Carbon dioxide through a sealed system of tubes enters a container of water. To prevent the outlet tube from falling off due to being torn off during periods of active fermentation, it is recommended to attach it to the vessel with tape.

The classic version of the organization of gas removal has one drawback - the specific smell of fermentation will constantly stand in the room where the container with the future alcoholic beverage is located.

With outlet

This option of gas removal will allow you to avoid problems with a specific smell. The container into which carbon dioxide is supplied from the mash is made airtight by organizing an inlet for two hoses in the lid or cork. According to one of them, carbon dioxide from the mash will enter the water, as in the classical method. The second hole is intended for the removal of gas from a container of water. The end of this tube should slightly protrude from the lid into the vessel with water, without touching the liquid, the other end should be taken out into the street or into the ventilation, so you can put the mash and not be afraid of the smell.

Assessing your capabilities and following your desires, you can always find your ideal “recipe” for a water seal device. It will help you provide yourself with delicious home-made drinks.

We recommend watching a video on how various types of water seals are made.

Without a water seal, it is very difficult to get a stable fermentation process, so it is best to learn how to make a water seal for mash with your own hands, so that in the future this procedure does not cause any questions and difficulties.

A water seal is necessary because carbon dioxide is intensively produced during the fermentation process, the volume of which can reach approximately 4 m³ per 1 liter. the resulting ethanol. Gas gradually accumulates in the wort tank, which increases the pressure in the tank and can lead to its rupture. Therefore, gas must be removed from the fermentation tank, but in such a way that oxygen does not enter it, otherwise acetic acid will appear in the mash instead of ethanol, which bacteria will begin to produce under the influence of oxygen. Thus, instead of wine, the winemaker can get vinegar.

You can buy this simple device along with other necessary equipment for winemaking and home brewing in a store, or you can save money and make a water seal with your own hands. There is more than one recipe for making mash, and in the same way, there are so many options for making a water seal. It is simply unrealistic to consider all of them, so we will limit ourselves here to a few of the simplest options.

medical glove

The simplest and most popular design, which women love very much because nothing needs to be drilled, chiseled or glued in the manufacture of this device, is a medical glove. It is suitable for wide mouth containers such as 3 and 5 liter jars and cans. And although it is not literally a water seal, it nevertheless works similarly to it and with the same success, despite the fact that it is cheap.

The shutter from the glove will be made in this way:

• a glove is pulled over the throat of a jar or bottle;
• tie it at the base with a thread or fix it with an elastic band;
• pierce a hole in any of the fingers with a needle or awl.

Carbon dioxide inflates the glove during fermentation, and it remains in this position as long as the fermentation process continues. As soon as the mash is ready, the glove will deflate and hang on the bottle. The disadvantage of this device is the smell present in the room where the mash is located, as well as the fact that such a shutter can be fixed on bottles with a volume of more than 20 liters. practically impossible, as the gas pressure would be too high.

For a narrow neck, some experts recommend using a condom instead of a glove.

It fits perfectly, for example, on five-liter water bottles.

In addition, a children's inflatable ball may be suitable for a narrow neck.

Cotton cork

If the winemaking process takes place in such a remote village that there is not even a medical glove or condom there, a small piece of cotton wool or rags can help out. Of course, such a cork does not guarantee the complete tightness of the fermentation bottle, especially towards the end of fermentation, when the pressure of carbon dioxide in the container begins to drop, as a result of which air gradually enters the bottle.

This method is used only in extreme cases, when it is not possible to install any other type of water seal: the neck of the bottle is tightly plugged with a cork made of a lump of cotton wool or other porous material through which carbon dioxide can escape.

This method is inconvenient because it is very difficult to determine the end of the fermentation process using a cotton plug.

Standard option

Your homemade water seal for making good mash or wine in the standard version is a classic set: a jar with a tube and a lid. It is also called "water lock". It allows you to determine with great accuracy the moment when the mash or wine is ready: as soon as the bubbles have disappeared in the jar of water, and this has been going on for a day or two, it means that the wine can be drained from the sediment, and the mash can be sent for distillation. Master it in this way:

• make a hole in the lid of the fermentation bottle;
• insert a tube into the hole made;
• seal the joints of the hole with the tube with glue or plasticine;
• the other end of the tube is lowered into a jar of water.

In this design, the ratio of the volume of the bottle and the diameter of the tube should be taken into account, since with a small diameter and large capacity of the fermentation tank, the water seal can be clogged with foam.

The easiest and cheapest way to get a water seal is to buy a dropper in a pharmacy. A hole with a diameter of about 6 mm is drilled in the cork, after which a rubber tip from a dropper is inserted there, which is made in such a way that it expands on both sides. Very tightly fastened by itself and does not require additional sealing. Nevertheless, just in case, you can circle the junction outside with glue.

The free end of the tube is placed in a jar of water.

All other types of water seals are much more complicated, although among them there are silent ones, and with an outlet to a window or sewer, and other devices that require a significant investment of time, attention and effort. But if such primitive products as a medical glove, condom or dropper work well as a water seal, then why complicate your life with various tricks, because the quality of wine or home brew will be almost the same as a result.