Vinegar is a byproduct of bacteria... The vinegar itself doesnt cause vinegar. Vinegar flys transmit the bacteria. Which can survive the alcohol.
I love my airlocks
I love my airlocks
Getting started, what do I need?
- Thread starter Fortytwo
- Start date
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White vinegar is apparently OK because it's been distilled... but I wouldn't use a cider vinegar anywhere near my mead because often that DOES still have the bacteria in it.
Fortytwo, I'd suggest replacing your cloth with plastic wrap once the fermentation dies down, keeping foreign matter out is one thing but after the yeast is done breeding, you don't want to let too much oxygen near your must.
That said, I've found that JAO is pretty resistant to oxidation, at least once it's been racked and you don't need to worry about any fruit sticking up out of the surface.
Fortytwo, I'd suggest replacing your cloth with plastic wrap once the fermentation dies down, keeping foreign matter out is one thing but after the yeast is done breeding, you don't want to let too much oxygen near your must.
That said, I've found that JAO is pretty resistant to oxidation, at least once it's been racked and you don't need to worry about any fruit sticking up out of the surface.
It's white cleaning vinegar, so it should be ok. And I rinsed the orange well afterwards. But thanks for the tip, I'll be very careful with vinegar.
Would a plastic wrap not seal the entire fermenter airtight? I could then also put the screw lid on?
I use plastic wrap (double or quaduple layer) and an elastic band when I'm out of airlocks or if I can't fit a stopper to the container I'm using, it resists oxygen and contaminants but it's not quite airtight so any CO2 produced can still escape without building up unsafe pressure within the vessel. DO NOT put an airtight lid on anything that might still be fermenting, this is where the term "bottle bomb" comes from, though it's far less safe with glass, we've even had a member here injured with a plastic bottle explosion.
Yeast only needs oxygen for about the first half of fermentation, after that you're risking spoilage, so once the really active fermentation dies down, you'll probably want a little more than a cloth there.
With your particular container, you might be able to find a stopper big enough so you could properly airlock it.
Yeast only needs oxygen for about the first half of fermentation, after that you're risking spoilage, so once the really active fermentation dies down, you'll probably want a little more than a cloth there.
With your particular container, you might be able to find a stopper big enough so you could properly airlock it.
That was what I was worried about. 
Tnx. I'll start by using the plastic wrap for containment. I did find a local shop that sells airlocks and rubber stoppers, so that's definately worth looking into. They also sell a lot of dedicated equipment for wine making, so if this works out I'll have to get some proper stuff to start making more sophisticated meads.
Tnx. I'll start by using the plastic wrap for containment. I did find a local shop that sells airlocks and rubber stoppers, so that's definately worth looking into. They also sell a lot of dedicated equipment for wine making, so if this works out I'll have to get some proper stuff to start making more sophisticated meads.I've put some plastic wrap over the fermenter instead of the cloth. I'll keep an eye on the pressure, but I think it'll be all right. Thanks for the advice! 
I was worried about how it was going to smell, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cloth smelled faintly of wine, so that's good I'm guessing.
I was worried about how it was going to smell, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cloth smelled faintly of wine, so that's good I'm guessing.
