# Balloon air lock wine making (cross post)



## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Is it a fact that you should remove the balloon every 5 days or so and re cap then shake the bottle and return the balloon to the top? This was mentioned in another post (in Home brewing) and now I am confused. I thought I should just leave the balloon in place til it is done fermenting. Opinions?


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## Hemigod (Jan 12, 2014)

I know it's been over a month but I'm new here. If you've poked a SMALL hole in the balloon, then leave it. It should work out fine. DEPENDING on the recipe you're using. Good luck.


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

You don't want to shake the bottle of fermenting wine. It is carbonated and it will act like soda pop. If you add granulated sugar to this, it will foam up so much you will lose a lot of the liquid when it shoots out of the container mouth; only add sugar that is dissolved in water. The yeast like oxygen to function in the beginning, but alcohol is only made when the must or wort is in air-tight vessels. Oxygen will make your wine oxidize and ruin the taste.


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

Why don't you just buy a real airlock and stop using a jury-rigged balloon? They are cheap plastic things that only cost a buck or two.

You don't want to shake your fermentor, especially after fermentation has slowed down. You want the fines to settle out and sediment on the bottom of your bottle. If you don't have a clear-glass fermentor, you'll be surprised to see how much churning there is during the early stages of fermentation. Watching it churn is better than television.


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## That'll Do Pig (Jan 23, 2014)

ITA with MichaelK

I usually buy airlocks 15-20 at a time and treat them as nearly disposable. Balloons won't keep oxygen out when your wine finishes fermenting and the c02 flow stops


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