r/brewing • u/12NANI12 • 2d ago

Homebrewing is this dangerous

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i was making some apple wine so i left the cap half open as i didnt have an airlock. does this come with any health hazards and what other alternatives can i use?

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u/ProfessionalFew2725 2d ago

I’d really encourage you if you’re interested in fermenting and experimenting with brewing to please purchase a proper starter set up. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive but if you’re going to venture into home brewing it’s important you take contamination as seriously as you would cooking dinner or food for friends family etc.

In this case I’d worry about airborne contaminants getting in even if your co2 is escaping during fermentation. I’d also worry about how clean the bottle was before you poured your contents in.

People have been making alcohol for hundreds of years without the food/brewing safety that is considered best practice today but despite that I’d really recommend, especially if you’re already asking if this setup is dangerous to invest in an airlock, a proper fermentation vessel and sanitizer. Best of luck and if you’re not feeling confident, please don’t drink it.

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u/12NANI12 2d ago

i will look into a starter kit thanks and is there anything i can do to improve the conditions of this batch? i also used the bottle that the juice came in if that matters

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u/skooched 2d ago

This will be just fine. As the commenter before me said, it is easier with some very inexpensive equipment - a bucket with a lid and an airlock - but this is absolutely a valid method as well and will likely produce apple wine as expected so long as you added yeast and keep the temperature within the threshold listed on the yeast package. You can also replace the cap on the bottle with a balloon that has a pinhole poked in it for a seal that will let air out but nothing in.

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u/12NANI12 2d ago

thanks i replaced it with a latex glove inside out