after inoculation pf tek help

so im using mason jars (with holes in the lids) and after inoculation (and during incubation) do i need to keep tinfoil on top of the lids covering the holes?

I keep the foil on mine, not sure if everyone one does that or not.

just the person i was looking for.+rep. thanks again.

The foils only purpose is to keep your filter material dry during pressure cooking. Steam collects on the lid of the pressure cooker when in use and drip back down to the bottom which can get your filter material wet, which gives contams a chance to enter your jars. If you have a proper filter(dry verm layer for pf tek/ tyvek or polyfil for grain jars) then you can take off the foil after pressure cooking and you will be fine. Keeping the foil over an already proper filter is only slowing down gas exchange and could potentially lead to slower colonization times. However, tin foil over a jar is not airtight and would still allow for gas exchange and would still work... It's just not necessarily necessary

I've always read that you should remove it to give the jars better FAE. Although I doubt it makes a huge difference.

asdf1 said:

I've always read that you should remove it to give the jars better FAE. Although I doubt it makes a huge difference.

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I chose making bigger holes in my lids over removing the foil. but yeah more gas exchange could be needed.

on pf tek you dont need to keep foil on

if your really worried and dont want to use foil i like to use micropore tape Good luck!

timeismoney1 said:

on pf tek you dont need to keep foil on

if your really worried and dont want to use foil i like to use micropore tape Good luck!

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you dont even really need any type of filter if your area is steril, I dont even use lids any more! but i digress, some people prefer that extra layer of protection vs the extra gas exchange, i sometimes prefer both.

DarthD3vl said:

you dont even really need any type of filter if your area is steril, I dont even use lids any more! but i digress, some people prefer that extra layer of protection vs the extra gas exchange, i sometimes prefer both.

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Really no lids? Never new that one

But i dont have a dedicated area to make sure is steril 24/7 so that extra layer of protection brings me comfort

timeismoney1 said:

Really no lids? Never new that one

But i dont have a dedicated area to make sure is steril 24/7 so that extra layer of protection brings me comfort

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Yeah most people need some tpye of filter, i started playing around with no lids, and i got jars to colonize sooo much faster, my jars before where definitely choked by one of the things i was doing... lids, filter, and or foil.. so i cut it down to just filter and foil. or just lid and foil.

DarthD3vl said:

Yeah most people need some tpye of filter, i started playing around with no lids, and i got jars to colonize sooo much faster, my jars before where definitely choked by one of the things i was doing... lids, filter, and or foil.. so i cut it down to just filter and foil. or just lid and foil.

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Well thats nice to know. I will experiment with that next time!

If you are using a layer of dry verm in the top of the jars then NO you dont need foil or tape over the holes.