Batch #12 vs Batch #9, the only difference was the jar lid

I ran the same hot sauce recipe twice, 3 weeks apart, and batch #12 came out with a way better fizz and tang. The only thing I changed was swapping the standard mason jar lid for an airlock lid I had sitting in a drawer. Has anyone else seen that big of a difference just from changing the seal setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_nancy4d ago

That airlock lets gas escape while keeping oxygen out, so the yeast gets more time to work before things go flat.

river_thompson3d ago

Honestly I always figured the airlock was just to keep stuff from exploding or getting infected, like the whole point was just sealing it up. Never really connected that the oxygen being blocked was actually the main thing helping the yeast do its job longer. That makes so much more sense now because I'd see recipes where the airlock bubbles slow down but the beer still wasn't done, and I'd get confused. Your explanation kinda clicked for me, like the yeast isn't fighting the air the whole time, it's just working in its own little bubble. I guess I never thought about gas exchange that way, but now I get why people are so picky about their airlocks.