You can use
mDrawerLayout.setDrawerLockMode(DrawerLayout.LOCK_MODE_LOCKED_CLOSED);
to lock your DrawerLayout so it won’t be able to open with gestures. And unlock it with:
mDrawerLayout.setDrawerLockMode(DrawerLayout.LOCK_MODE_UNLOCKED);
Here you can find more info about DrawerLayout: Android API – DrawerLayout