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**KYB** · 03-23-2009, 07:55 PM

I had an airlock on mine and it was bubbling hard. Bubbled some of the whiskey out of the top, so I put a blowoff on it for a couple days then it died down and switched back to the airlock. I already had some tubing I had from lowes and luckily it fit perfectly in the hole when i took the grommet out (1/2" outer diameter I think). Peering in the hole it didn't look like anything got too high. Better to be safe than sorry right? I mean, why not?

ifishsum · 03-23-2009, 08:17 PM

Murphy's law says that the time you decide to skip the blowoff, you'll have a explosive fermentation....

but I've never actually needed one on my buckets.

zippyslug31 · 03-23-2009, 08:39 PM

Thanks for all the insite everbody.

As to the "why not" sentiment, well I thought I was being overly cautious and thought why not just leave the primary alone and start with the airlock instead of futzing with the bucket since it's never an issue anyway.
What I didn't realize is that most EVERYBODY ELSE is also starting with a tube! LOL

When I get home tonight I'll stick the tube back on...... hopefully I won't have to post pictures of my newly redecorated dining room! =(

zippyslug31 · 03-23-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ifishsum

Murphy's law says...

Yeah, that's what I was worried about being this was my first yeast reuse/starter batch.

It didn't blast off like I was expecting given it was a starter, so I just figured..........

Hopefully won't be learning the hard way.

**Saccharomyces** · 03-23-2009, 09:50 PM

YES.

Pitched 3L starter of Wyeast 1028 London Ale, twice fed, into 5 gal of Maharaja clone at 1.102 in a 7 gallon bucket. That yeast was HUNGRY, the next morning it was blowing off like a mofo. I cut the bottom T off of a 3pc airlock and rigged a blowoff tube just in case, and dropped in some foam control drops through the airlock hole. Cleaned up the huge yeast mess.

If I wouldn't have caught it in time I'm sure there would be four more pieces of space junk up there in orbit -- the three piece airlock and the bung.

Or maybe five including the lid...

Couevas · 03-23-2009, 10:19 PM

Back in the early days, before I knew anything of blowoffs, I fermented a hefe in a bucket. It went nuts to say the least.

After the krauzen began bubbling out of the airlock, I cleaned it and replaced. It happened again. I then discovered blow-off tubes and got a tube that fit in the airlock hole. It wasn't enough. At this point the lid was bulging hard, even with the blow-off.

I duct-taped the lid down and went to bed.

The next morning I was cleaning a mess off the walls and ceiling. It had blown the lid off with a blow-off tube and duct tape.

Goes to show you that even a blowoff might not be enough. I go with a 1 inch (IIRC) tube stuffed in the mouth of the carboy now. No more attacks of the blob.

**rico567** · 03-23-2009, 10:20 PM

I use the standard 6.5 gal plastic bucket for fermenting. I use nothing but an airlock. I got a couple of foamouts in the first half-dozen batches, until I learned to pitch at lower temperatures and my 61F basement does the rest. No further issues. I've brewed a large variety of extract beers, and the airlock works fine. Normally the trub line never comes more than halfway between the liquid and the lid.

The one exception to this rule was last June, when the basement flooded two days after I started fermenting an imperial stout. All that newly-fallen water coming in raised the basement temperature, and the next morning I heard the lid blow off the bucket. I replaced the lid and put in another sanitized airlock. Less than an hour later, the lid blew again. I just replaced the lid and put a sponge soaked in Star San over the hole. That stout is just now coming into its own....I call it the Flood Stout, and it's very good.

bottle-o-jeff · 03-24-2009, 01:02 AM

I've also had a hefe blow the lid off of a 6.5 gallon bucket. Yeast and wort all over the walls, and the lid was about 6 feet away (I heard it bounce off of the air conditioning vent, that's what woke me up). Hefe's ferment vigorously.

**Bernie Brewer** · 03-24-2009, 02:08 AM

It depends on the yeast, the pitching rate, fermentation temperature, how well you oxygenated the wort, and prolly a bunch of other variables. Bottom line: When in doubt, use a blowoff.

OTH, you're not a REAL brewer until you've used a mop on the ceiling.......

llazy_llama · 03-24-2009, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippyslug31

As to the "why not" sentiment, well I thought I was being overly cautious and thought why not just leave the primary alone and start with the airlock instead of futzing with the bucket since it's never an issue anyway.

Oh that's not the case at all. If you believe that, you're due for an exploding bucket lid any day now.

As Bernie pointed out, most of us have had to clean ceilings now and again. I've had to stand on a chair to scrub mine before, and I don't plan on doing that again any time soon.