| Introduction |
|
 |
|
DryTrap™
|
|
A BetterBottle DryTrap™ is a dry air trap, or
air lock. It is a precision check valve made of an incredibly
tough, proprietary PET that does not stain or impart flavors and is
easily cleaned and sanitized. A polished glass/ceramic ball rests in
a precision tapered seat to create a one-way seal. Fermentation
gases can escape easily by pushing the ball up, but air is blocked
from flowing in the reverse direction. A DryTrap has many advantages
compared to liquid-filled air locks.
|
|
Additional Information
- Use the popup menus associated with
the DryTrap and How-To Tips
tabs at the left side for random
access to all the specific information relating to the Drytrap.
Scrolling down this page will access the DryTrap specific
information in sequential fashion.
Chemical Resistance - In
general, avoid very strong caustics, such as KOH and NaOH (lyes),
and concentrated aliphatic ketones (e.g., essence oils). For
additional materials specifications, please refer to the
Technical tab at the top of this page.
|
DryTraps Do Not Dry Out Or Suck
Back |
 |
|
DryTrap air locks do not use liquid, so
there is nothing to suck back, blow out, or evaporate.
Evaporation is often blamed for the loss of liquid from a
liquid-filled air lock, but pressure changes are also a likely
cause. A pressure differential of 0.005 bar (0.07 psi or
0.15 inches Hg) is all it takes to lift a 5 cm (2") column of
water and suck the liquid out of liquid-filled air locks
and into fermenters, contaminating the wine or beer with the
liquid in the trap and letting in oxygen. Is it any wonder so
many winemakers and brewers use vodka to fill their
liquid-filled air locks in order to prevent mold and bacterial
growth rather than solutions of biocides, such as sodium
bisulfite.
| |
| DryTraps Block Oxygen Entry More
Effectively |
|
|
Oxygen can move through water
- fish and plants live in water. Oxygen can
also permeate through plastics such as
polystyrene hundreds of times more rapidly than
through PET. Utilizing new technology, which
accurately measures trace concentrations of oxygen
in closed spaces, BetterBottle engineers determined that
DryTrap air locks are more effective at
blocking the passage of oxygen than conventional
water-filled air locks.
Click HERE to view the study (1.5Mb PDF).
| | DryTraps Save Space
|
|
A DryTrap only stands 3.6 cm (1.4") above the
top of a closure. BetterBottle carboys fitted with DryTraps and
BetterBottle O-ring Closures are only about 53.5 cm (21") tall. This
means that BetterBottle carboys will fit into many small
refrigerators and they can be conveniently placed on 4-high
shelves.
|
| Installation/Assembly |
|
BetterBottle DryTraps simply plug into a BetterBottle
O-ring closures as well as standard stoppers and DryTraps are easy
to clean and reassemble.
To disassemble a DryTrap,
remove the stainless-steel spring clip (4) and
quick-disconnect hose barb adapter (1) and shake out the
stainless-steel retainer (2) and ceramic ball (3). To remove the
O-ring from the hose adapter (1) hold the part in one hand with your
thumb nail across the O-ring to keep it from moving in the groove,
while you push a wave of the O-ring toward your nail to make
a bulge that you can roll out of the groove. Use only BetterBottle
O-rings for replacement; they are made of special materials that
cannot be easily obtained through hardware suppliers and other
materials may not function correctly.
To reassemble the DryTrap, check that the tapered seat
and ceramic ball (3) are clean. Drop the ball into the seat and
install the stainless steel retainer (2) on the shoulder above the
ball. If the retainer is not in place, the ball could bounce up to
the opening in the hose barb and prevent outflow. Install the
quick-disconnect hose barb adapter (1) and lock it in place with the
clip (2). Confirm that the ball rattles in the
seat.
|
Operation
|
|
 DryTraps should not be installed until
foaming has settled away from the neck of a carboy. Prior to that
point, the rate at which carbon dioxide is being produced should be
so rapid that a blow hose will suffice. Once fermentation has
slowed and a DryTrap is installed, the rate of carbon dioxide
production can be easily monitored by listening to the gentle
clicking of the valve as it opens and closes. Alternatively, a hose
can be connected to the outlet of the DryTrap and the free end
occasionally submerged in container of water to observe the rate of
bubbling. To quickly assess the fermentation rate in large numbers
of bottles at a glance, consider hanging a zipper, sandwich bag,
filled with some water, on each dry trap. Pierce a hole through the
edge of a bag, just below the zipper and push the outlet of the
DryTraps through the hole. The zipper makes it easy to position,
fill, and close a bag.
|
Cleaning / Sanitizing
|
|
The special PET from
which BetterBottle DryTraps are made has a non-porous, hydrophobic
surface, making it extremely easy to clean and sanitize. DryTraps
may be damaged by temperatures exceeding 75° C (167° F). Read the
Wash/Sanitize section, under the Technical tab
at the top of this page, for important information.
The PET is very tough and will not scratch easily, but take
precautions not to scratch the precision tapered seat in the body of
the DryTrap. Always rinse DryTraps thoroughly in clean water before
storing them.
Abrasive scouring pads
and cleansers should never be required or used.
Soaking metal parts in cleaning or
sanitizing solutions can cause corrosion - they should be
removed.
|
| Service |
|
It should not
be necessary to remove the O-ring for cleaning and sanitation. If
the O-ring requires replacement for any reason, do not use sharp
tools to remove it; pin one side of the O-ring into its groove with
a finger nail and use the other hand to rub the rest of the O-ring
so that it bulges up in front of the pinch point and can be rolled
out of the groove. Use only BetterBottle O-rings, balls, retainers,
and clips for replacement; they are made of special materials that
cannot be easily obtained through hardware suppliers and other
materials will not function correctly.
|
Part
Numbers
|
|
1/2" DryTrap™ for
BetterBottle O-ring closures or stoppers - BB-DRT4
Replacement set of O-ring, ball, retainer,
and clip for 1/2" DryTrap - BB-DRT4-SERV
|
Packaging
|
|
Harmonized System Code
- 3923.30.90.90 applies to these parts
BB-DRT4 -
Individually
packed in a hang-hole, zipper bag
Bags
of 20 individual packages - 0.66 lbs (0.30
Kg)
| |
