Spent 3 hours trying to fix a stuck airlock on a ferment

I was brewing a batch of hot sauce from my garden peppers and the airlock on the carboy wouldn't bubble after two days. I thought I had an infection or a bad seal, so I checked every joint and even replaced the grommet. Turned out the lid was just on too tight and needed a quarter turn loose to let pressure escape. Took me way longer than the 10 minutes it should have to figure that out. Anyone else spent forever on a simple fix like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_susan1mo ago

Ngl you prob just overtightened it and panicked for no reason.

the_max1mo ago

Used to be the type who'd just crank things down and hope for the best, but watching a buddy snap a bolt in his engine block changed my mind real quick. Torque specs are there for a reason, even if it feels like you're not tightening enough. Now I actually get the "don't panic, just take your time" approach.

pat_stone1mo ago

@the_susan I've stripped enough bolts to know when I'm overdoing it.