Hydration of foeders When new, a foeder is hydrated with steam, filled with water and held leak free for a minimum of 24 hours . Upon delivery, the sooner the foeder can be filled with water, the better . If the foeder sits empty for an extended length of time, the best way to rehydrate is to steam for 24 hours and then fill with cold water for 24 hours . If you don ’ t have access to steam, the next option would be to run hot water through the sprayball for a minimum of 8 hours, then fill with cold water . If you don ’ t have hot water, fill with cold water for 24-48 hours . This should provide a leak free foeder that is ready to drain and fill with beer . If you need to leave water in the foeder for more than a few weeks, we recommend adding citric acid to the water to create a holding solution . During the beginning stages of rehydration please make sure to tap all bands that may have moved prior to the foeder becoming fully hydrated . During hydration the foeder will grow 1 ” in circumference . It is extremely difficult to move bands after the foeder is hydrated.