Weizenheimer

Recipes 

Are there any good reasons to use an airlock rather than a blow off during primary? If i use an blow off don't I just put a hose into my drilled stopped (that the airlock would normally go in) and put it in some water, or are there any other steps? Does it matter if the water is above or below the plane of the fermenter?

BuffaloSabresBrewer

Recipes 

Nope thats it. Doesnt matter the level of the water as long as its sitting on the bottom of it. Vodka would be better than water but water will work. Boil the water and let it cool before using it.

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McKBrew

Recipes 

I'd always recommend starting with a blow-off tube. It will prevent cleaning up a mess in the end. You can rig a blow-off tube in a number of ways. 1) Use a large diameter tube and stuff it in the neck of a carboy and feed to a bucket of sanitizer sitting on the ground next to the fermenter, 2) connect a smaller diameter tube to the center post on a three piece airlock, etc...

Sticking it through a stopper is not a good option as the small diameter hose will not be effective and will end up clogging.

ShortSnoutBrewing

Recipes 

Personally, I use a blow off that is wide enough to fit in the mouth of the carboy (let the jokes begin). Less of a chance of anything getting clogged. Hopefully that is clear in this picture:

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mrk305

Recipes 

I think he is using a bucket, like I do. I stick 3/8 i.d. tubing in the grommet and then into a half filled beer bottle. i never get clogged with 3/8 tubing. I start with a blow off hose every time and switch to an airlock when I start the next batch.

Weizenheimer

Recipes 

Thats correct my primary is a bucket. So if I understand correctly I can use the tubing that attaches to my racking cane and just connect that to the center post on the 3 piece airlock. Wouldn't it be more likely to clog that way than just taking the syphon tubing directly out of the stopper?

TexLaw

Recipes 

Frankly, I like using Fermcap-S (a.k.a., "foam control"). That way, I don't have to mess around with a blowoff tube or any mess at all.


TL

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evandam

Recipes 

So do I, but if you every pour on a yeast cake, don't count on Fermacap to save you.

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Primary 1 - Black Widow Dry Stout
Primary 2 - Black Widow Dry Stout
Secondary 1 - Apfelwein
Secondary 2 - Apfelwein
Keg 1 - Adverse Yaw House Pale Ale (Notty)
Keg 2 - Adverse Yaw House Pale Ale (S-05)
Keg 3 - NB #8
Keg 4 - Centennial Blonde
On Deck - Faversham Best Bitter (Orig Recipe)

steinsato

Recipes 

Do you all use blow off tubes after a certain O.G. has been reached? I've only needed a blow off tube once and that was with a beer that had an OG of 1.101. I currently have an APA that started at 1.071, its been about 36 hours. The airlock is bubbling nonstop. I just hope I don't come home to a mess. I've done lots of beers in this gravity range with no messes but I guess a big thing depends on the yeast as well.

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glenn514

Recipes 

Considering the rate of bubbling of my last batch of brew, I'm glad I started with a blowoff tube. I just took my #10 carboy stopper to the hardware and bought a length of vinyl hose that fit tightly in the hole. When the fermentation activity calmed down, I replaced the blowoff with an airtrap. Had no clogging whatsoever. ymmv.

glenn514