My airlock keeps getting clogged with mesh. Is this normal?

That’s never fun. It can have a bit to do with the type of yeast of you are using (some like to foam up more than others). I like Champagne yeast… it seems to minimize that kind of thing, but I am more of a cider/wine guy and don’t do much beer. It could be just that there is not enough space in between the lid and your mash/wort.

Then there is the idea that your starches/complex sugars are too plentiful. They love to form bubbles (just look what happens when you cook pasta with the lid on the pot). I had a very old friend who used to make his own shine, and he minimized foaming with a bit of sugar and a 1/8th of a tsp of canola oil. But since he was distilling it, the taste wouldn’t be effected. If you’re not gonna distill, I you might want to add maybe a tiny tiny bit of oil to the airlock water, because the oil gets in between the starches/carbs and prevents foam.

Source(s): I loves my homemade pomegranate wine. …And moonshine.