Glass carboys for beer primary fermentation question

NScooknet · 11-05-2011, 03:24 AM

Hi all,

I'm using a couple glass carboys as my primary fermenter, and plan on leaving the wort in the fermenter for a couple weeks or until it's ready to bottle, and not use a secondary fermenter at all.

My one and only plastic bucket currently is busy with a batch of Festa West Coast IPA, all I had left to use were the glass carboys.

Since this is my 1st time using the glass carboy as a primary as opposed to the usual plastic bucket what I'm concerned about is the amount of krausen that may form in the glass carboy, and what to do about it if it's to much.

I had a batch of Pale Ale go crazy with a really violent fermentation recently in the plastic bucket, so now I'm wondering if the glass carboys even have enough room.

I've seen some people use glass carboys as primary fermenter and they use a drainage hose type thing, which is a hose in the bung instead of the airlock, which goes to a large jar of water next to the carboy, so it still bubbles up under water to maintain an airlock, but the krausen has somewhere to go if it gets too much.

Should I use this kind of setup?

Right now, there is just the usual airlock in the carboys, and I just pitched the yeast a few hours ago, so there's still time to unplug the airlock and replace with a tube if you think it will get messy!

I just started a batch of Brew House Oktoberfest, and a batch of Brew House Winterfest Ale at the same time, maybe the hoses could both go into the same jar of water, or would that be a bad cross contamination thing?

Thanks!!

Chris

kh54s10 · 11-05-2011, 03:30 AM

If you have one, set up the blow off. It is less messy it it does blow and no consequence if it doesn't. You can just leave the blowoff set up or switch to an airlock after the peak of fermentation has passed.

second question: there should be no problem putting 2 blowoffs in the same jar.

**BainbridgeBrewer** · 11-05-2011, 03:34 AM

You can put a hose on the airlock. I use a 1" hose on carboys. I rigged this one up when my IPA suddenly had a freak ferment and filled 2 gallons of the bucket with krausen and started coming out the airlock. Only thing I'd worry about in smaller diameter hose is something plugging it.

NScooknet · 11-05-2011, 03:59 AM

Thanks for that info!

Hopefully I can swap out the airlocks tomorrow without disturbing it too much, it won't let an infection in or anything by opening up the airlock for that short amount of time to switch to a blow off tube will it?

Here's what it's looking like right now:

Incidentally, that little jar you see on the top of the black plastic covered fermenter is a fruit fly trap, they just will not die here in Nova Scotia right now where we live!!

The little buggers LOVE to land in Iodophor for some reason, makes it very hard to sanitize everything! Grrrr!

This is what I don't want to happen again:

NScooknet · 11-05-2011, 03:32 PM

Yup, this morning when I got up there was krausen everywhere, and the airlocks were overflowing! Sticky mess...lol.

Here's what I rigged up, what do you think??

Should I leave it like this until done, or just plug in the airlocks once fermentation seems to subside?

**usfmikeb** · 11-05-2011, 03:45 PM

I'd remove half the water from the container the tubes are going into, so there's space for any blowoff. I like the round vessel on the left, where did you get it?

**Hammy71** · 11-05-2011, 05:21 PM

I usually leave the blow off tubes on for the first week and then swap out for the airlocks. I don't like using such small hoses for my blow offs because I've had my large diameter ones clog before. You local hardware should have tubing that will fit directly into the mouth of the carboy. You may never need it...but when that thing blows from the pressure, it's a friggin mess.

NScooknet · 11-05-2011, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usfmikeb

I'd remove half the water from the container the tubes are going into, so there's space for any blowoff. I like the round vessel on the left, where did you get it?

Thanks guys for those suggestions, much appreciated!

I'm still getting the hang of things, but I learn quickly

That round container on the left is actually Pyrex lab ware, it's a 6000ml volume container, not sure what it was used for, I bought it at auction. Needless to say I've cleaned it REALLY well, for all I know it could have been used to make meth or something bad like that.

I am going to make a test batch of apple cider in that round container, but that's a whole other story, hehe.

The liquid in the container is actually Iodophor solution, I had to sterilize the tubing anyhow, so i thought since it eventually just dissipates I'd just leave it in the container since it's sterile. Hope that wasn't a mistake.

It actually is filling up quite a bit from the blow off, so I'm gonna remove some of it right now!

I would have used that fat tubing you showed, but I had to make due with what I had on hand, next time I'll be more prepared!

Thanks again!

Chris

**Hammy71** · 11-05-2011, 08:07 PM

Quote:

I'm still getting the hang of things, but I learn quickly

Then your gonna go far!! LOL

NScooknet · 11-05-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammy71

Then your gonna go far!! LOL

Thanks Hammy,
I've got nothing better to do with my time, I'm disabled with a chronic pain syndrome and stuck in the house, even my doctor suggests I drink beer to help with the pain!

Nothing better than brewing your own cure! LOL

Chris