Foil instead of airlock

[11amas]

Same here, starters are only foil, I use foil for the first few days of activity and switch to airlock as things slow. Lagers are the exception or anything I suspect might be slow starting.

[raven19]

If you want to get really funky, how about a balloon with the fat end cut off and stretched over the carboy throat, taped small end over the blow off tube. Gives you the seal and the flexibility in a limited height environment.

[TimmyR]

Just got a mini fridge for fermenting, only problem is that my carboy is about an inch from the top, can I just ferment out for a week with just foil on the carboy instead of an airlock? I would then pull the carboy out and put the airlock on and let it sit at room temp for a week, then bottle. Issues? Better ideas?

I ferment everything almost with a loose piece of foil over the top for the first few days/week or so (unless its going to blow over like WLP530 does everytime.)

Seems like a good plan.

[Smelletor]

I only have a couple of inches clearance in my chest freezer so I use either both foil and cap/blowoff into starsan. Like everyone said, make sure to switch to something that doesn't let air in after fermentation slows down. I think one of the Whites mentioned at some point that he thought airlocks were overused, but I may have made that up.

[dunleav1]

You foil guys must not have fruit flies where you live.

I build a contained fermentation chamber. I installed a Love two stage controller in an 20 cubic foot upright freezer.

[popihead]

After several Sunday Sessions with the Whites and JZ shows, I pretty much only use foil now. Sanitize it and smash it around the mouth of the carboy. There is typically so much gas coming out of the carboy as it sits in my closet, I don't need to worry about anything going in. Also, it's as close as I can get to a more open fermentation too help improve flavors on my beers. Since you have yours in a dedicated fridge, there's also no real worries of bugs especially in the very vigorous, first part of fermentation.

[herbaljoe]

I recommend a condom stretched over the mouth of the carboy with a hole poked in the tip...

[11amas]

Lubricated or not Joe?