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Do You Sniff Your Fermentation Lock?

I know, it’s sort of a personal question.

I have been sniffing my fermentation airlock for the past few days to get a sense of what is happening in that bucket o’ mine. I am getting a nice whiff of grapefruit each time I push down on the bucket lid. I am hoping it’s just the Glacier hops giving off their pleasant aroma…but I swear I smelt the same odor when I pitched my starter. I know the WLP051 is supposed to be more fruity than WLP001, but I didn’t think it would be this fruity.

Like I said, it smells nice…it doesn’t smell like vinegar or cider. It smells right…not wrong. I think my wife is weirded out a little when she sees me in our second bathroom, bent over and sniffing the airlock.

OK, I think I crossed the TMI threshold for today. Type to you tomorrow.

STOP SMELLING THE AIRLOCK!

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5 Comments

  1. Dude, I’m an airlock sniffer, a trub scooper (with my hands) and a hydrometer sample drinker. You aren’t alone. I’ve taken deep, long snorts of my airlock that would make Scarface blush.

  2. Say hello to my little friend….the airlock.

    I am glad I am not the only one.

  3. smokey2008

    I’m a closet sniffer! Guess not anymore though.

  4. Dave

    hey guys, there is nothing wrong with sniffing your airlock.
    nothing wrong with sniffing someone else’s air lock either.
    In fact it is OK to sniff someone else’s airlock whilst they watch….
    And they can smell yours at the same time.

  5. I’m Ok.

    You’re Ok.

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