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fermenting Empty Airlock :'(

I just can't figure out what's going on here guys.

I've been using these mini airlocks where I've had to in order to fit some more jars in my fermentation mini fridge. Obviously there is a much smaller reservoir, so the water may need topped off more often than a big 3 piece one (although I've really hardly ever had to top off an airlock, even several weeks in). But this thing on my Thai ferment is constantly empty. I just filled it up 2 days ago and check it out..there's hardly any water, and the Hab one to the left is fine. Is there something that can cause negative pressure in a ferment that can just suck all the water up backwards? Is it leaking internally somehow? Just curious if anybody else has experienced this.

Tonight I'm going to just replace it with a different, new one and see if it goes away.

If that doesn't work..I might try moving it to the door of the fridge. An admittedly far fetched theory might be, since it's next to the coldest part of the fridge, it might get cold enough at the bottom of the cycle it contracts inside and sucks backwards. I highly doubt this is the case, especially since the other one is doing fine, but just trying to think about what's causing it.
 

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I have had this problem before as well ....and as BBS has already mentioned I think it was caused by temperature fluctuation.
 
Sizzle Lips said:
I have had this problem before as well ....and as BBS has already mentioned I think it was caused by temperature fluctuation.
Most refrigerators are "dry cold" in that they wick away moisture - so if that could also be a factor in the airlocks drying out.
 
Thanks for your responses. I replaced the air lock with a clean new one and moved it as far away from the evaporator coils as possible, no issues since! They do need topped off more often than the big ones but that's just par for course I suppose.
 
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