Water seal for wine: what is it and how to do it yourself at home

In the manufacture of homemade wine, a water seal is used to remove carbon dioxide. All experienced winemakers and even beginners know this. For these purposes, they take the device from the store or make it at home, and often use a thing intended for other purposes. Most often, a rubber medical glove is used. It can also be a cotton swab, syringe, dropper.

What is a water seal for wine

A water seal for wine is a device that is put on a container with wort to remove carbon dioxide from it, and as an obstacle to oxygen entering the vessel.If this is not done, the wine will turn into vinegar, and the product will be irrevocably spoiled. In rare cases, the bottle may rupture from excess accumulated gas.

The quality of the wine will not be affected by the device used, as long as it is properly made and used. Along with self-made hydraulic seals, they use factory ones, which can be bought at the store. There is no difference, but you have to make a choice - spend time or money.

Applications

Airlock is used in the manufacture of grape or fruit wines. Regardless of what kind of wine you end up with: dry, semi-dry, dessert or fortified, a water seal is a must. It provides a constant output of carbon dioxide formed as a result of fermentation, and does not allow oxygen to come into contact with the wort. Without its use, good wine will never come out.

How to DIY

Make a water seal at home is not difficult. You need to take the necessary items, such as a nylon cap and a rubber tube, for a classic and "quiet" option. In another case, you will need a dropper and two syringes. The simplest is a medical rubber glove or cotton, which can be used to create closures.

Classic

To make a water seal, you need to prepare nylon caps in the right amount, at the rate of one per bottle. The same number of rubber tubes, half-liter jars and a little plasticine. The length of the straw depends on the height of the bottle.

In the middle of the lid, a hole is made around the circumference of the tube, where it is inserted. To avoid the release of air from the container, the place where the tube enters the hole must be coated with plasticine. The lid is put on the bottle, the other end of the tube is lowered into a jar half-filled with water, which should be topped up as it evaporates.

As long as the water in the jar gurgles and bubbles, you can be sure that the fermentation process continues.

After it ends, there will be no more bubbles, so you can continue the process of making wine.

Medical glove

When using a rubber medical glove, the cover and accessories associated with it are not needed. The glove is put on the neck of the jar, fixed with insulating tape or tape. A pair of fingers or all five are pierced with a needle.

During fermentation, the glove inflates, so it will be easy to determine when the fermentation process is over. At this time, it will sag due to the lack of air in it.

Cotton plug

If it is not possible to install a water seal, you can use a cotton plug. To do this, the neck of the bottle with raw materials is tightly plugged with cotton wool.During fermentation, carbon dioxide escapes, and air does not enter the container. This method is not reliable, as there is a danger of air getting inside.

Quiet Model

To get rid of unpleasant gurgling, you can make an inexpensive device. A hole is made in the lid, a tube is inserted into it, which must be made with a small loop and secured with a plaster. Insulate the junction of the base of the tube with the cover. After pouring some water into the tube, the “silent” model is ready.

Device from syringe and dropper

To make a simple design, you will need two syringes, a dropper, plasticine. In the lid from under the container where the wort will be, cut a hole that will be the same size as the diameter of the syringe. The first is inserted into the hole with the spout up, the second is attached with tape to the first, with the spout down.

The syringes are interconnected by a tube from under the dropper. One syringe is half filled with water to keep air out of the jar, and the other is used to remove carbon dioxide.

Wine Store Shutter

In the store you can see several types of water seals, differing from each other in price, appearance and quality.

1. The cheapest purchase will be a cap with a hole and a hose attached inside. The disadvantage of this design is a loud gurgling during fermentation and an unpleasant smell.
2. Within two hundred rubles, you can buy an S-shaped water seal. The main disadvantage is manifested in strong fermentation, when the pressure pushes the water out.
3. One of the best is the glass-type shutter. It is silent, during fermentation it does not let in an unpleasant odor, the water in it almost does not evaporate. The price ranges from 200 to 600 rubles.

If you set a goal, then most of the water seals offered in the store can be made independently, while saving the family budget.

Terms of use

A self-made water seal is practically no different from a device bought in a store. Before using it, it is necessary to check how tightly the parts of the structure are in contact with each other. For tightness, it is better to coat the junction of parts with glue, plasticine, wax.

1. When installing a special lid on the wort container, you need to make sure that the tube does not rest against the bottom of the water can.
2. You can use a glove on a glass container with a volume of no more than twenty liters.
3. You can put a balloon on a jar with a narrow neck.

For making wine, it is better to use a simple home-made water seal and not to undertake complex production of the product.

The end result is identical, and you can save money and your time.

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