Speidel air locks

[Cider Nick]

I am using the large air locks that come with Speidel tanks. I had assumed that the fill level was indicated by the plastic line/ ridge that encircles the lock about 2.5 cm above the base (given that it has fullholle written on it which is German for fill height). However, I have had many instances of the orange cap lodging on top of the inner ridge which then allows air to get in through the semicircular holes at the base of the orange cap. I have now started filling it well above the ridge fill line and am keeping a close watch.

Has anyone else had this problem and is this a design error or am I doing something wrong?

Many thanks

Nick

[pkb]

I have a few tanks with that sort of airlock, and have not been very pleased with their performance.  This year I just replaced them S shaped ones and watched them bubble away.  

[Andrew Lea]

On 23/11/2014 18:37, pkb wrote:
> I have a few tanks with that sort of airlock, and have not been very
> pleased with their performance. This year I just replaced them S shaped
> ones and watched them bubble away.

My observation has been that they only get 'stuck' when the wind catches
them or if a very vigorous fermentation is taking place or they are
filled above the 'fullhohe' line. To cope with the former I put a
plastic hat on each one, cut from an old polythene milk bottle. To cope
with the latter I just knock them back into place from time to time.
Once the fermentation slows down I have not found a problem. I agree
they are not well designed and I think the orange cover needs to be a
bit heavier so it doesn't get stuck quite so readily on the internal
moulding. It is not ideal that they should stick if the cider-maker is
not around to knock them back down again ;-)

I must say I am quite happy to use them as airlock seals for finished
cider. It is true that water can suck back on a cold night but it goes
into the space between the spigot and the orange cover and in my
experience does not suck back significantly into the cider. It returns
to its proper position next day. As far as I have seen, the integrity of
the seal is always maintained.

YMMV

Andrew
--
near Oxford, UK
Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

[John B, Bath]

I recently got my first one of these Speidel airlocks. I was surprised that the top orange part floats/bobs up & down, as I have smaller versions of the same design (for demijohn bungs) and the caps of these smaller ones click into place. On my Speidel airlock I have therefore now secured the top down with elastic bands and the gas still bubbles out, but without the top bobbing about.