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That cheap airlock I bought on Amazon finally bit me

I was skeptical about spending $8 on a pack of 3-piece airlocks versus the $4 ones off Amazon. After 6 months of no issues, I thought I was smart saving money. Then last week I checked my sauerkraut batch and found mold on top because the cheap airlock cracked and let air in. Lost about 5 pounds of cabbage and 3 weeks of waiting. Has anyone else had bad luck with budget gear for fermentation?
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3 Comments
the_jessica
Eight bucks for an airlock that couldn't even hold a fart, let alone keep oxygen out. Hope you at least gave the mold a proper burial.
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the_kim
the_kim18d ago
Buying cheap gear is actually fine if you know what you're doing. That crack was probably from you tightening it too much or storing it wrong, not a defect. The $8 ones break just as easy if you don't handle them right. Plenty of people use those $4 airlocks for years without problems, it's all about how you treat them. Sounds like a learning curve issue more than a product issue.
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jenny_hall
jenny_hall19d ago
Jeez, my buddy's cheap airlock did the same thing last month.
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