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DeadSquirrel · 11-10-2005, 08:12 PM

Hello, this is my first post here. I'm new to brewing and I have my first batch in my secondary carboy right now. I racked it on Sunday, added my stopper and airlock bubbler. When I got home from work on Monday, I looked in on it and it had blown the whole stopper out! Pissed off, I put it back on and I figure my first batch is now a bust. Should I bother bottling it? Or just assume it's dead from the air. It was open about 12 hours.

I have a holiday cranberry cider in my other primary right now. I'll probably start a holiday ale if this is truely dead. I'm sad...

**Orfy** · 11-10-2005, 08:19 PM

I would say not.

Think about it. the reason the stopper blew is all the CO2......
With all that CO2 in there it's not likely any air got near it. CO2 is heavier than Air so it would create a protective blanket over the beer.

Good CO2......Don't be sad be glad.

andre the giant · 11-10-2005, 10:14 PM

Don't give up on the beer unless:

1) It starts growing moldy fuzzballs on the surface
2) It begins to smell and taste like vinegar
3) Something crawls in it and dies

There may be other reasons to give up on it, but just having the stopper blow out is NOT... I repeat.... NOT a good reason to dump a batch of beer. If the yeast is active enough to create all that CO2, its probably strong enough to destroy any bad guys that happened to fall into the beer while it was exposed.

Proceed as if nothing had happened. The beer will be fine. Drink one for me!

Oh, and use a blow-off tube next time.

david_42 · 11-10-2005, 10:59 PM

3A. If the top blows off and something crawls in & dies.
4. If it pours like it has string in it (AKA ropy)

Your batch is probably fine, I'd hold off on bottling until you get through a day without blowing the stopper.

The Happy Mug · 11-11-2005, 01:35 PM

My very first batch in a carboy did the same thing. It blew all over my bedroom corner and floor. Why? I didn't use a blow-off tube. I ended up with hop particles everywhere. Incidendly, it blew in the middle of the night and scared the crap out of me. It blew the next day as well.

That blow-off tube is important. I use an old siphon hose, attach it to the small carboy cap extension, and run it into a growler with an inch or so of sanitizer solution. It's amazing how much stuff can get blown off the beer. My most recent batch required me to empty the growler (it was overflowing!)

I re-capped my first batch, and continued the brew.

What a batch it was. It was great. It was awesome. My best friend was in awe. Hang on to your batch, I'll bet it's just fine.

**Catfish** · 11-11-2005, 01:53 PM

As everyone else said:
bottle it, let it age, relax let it age a bit more and then Drink it. It will probably be one of the best beers made by Man (well... you). Enjoy your almost lost beer.