JeffoC6

Recipes 

Hi guys, posted this in another forum and hoping I can get some fresh eyes on my concern here, since this IS the "Fermentation" forum

I read something in another thread that has me a bit concerned. I have a 1-gallon glass carboy. I don't have any plans on going bigger at this time, as I simply don't have the room.

With that said, I've brewed 2 beers thusfar, and have them both fermenting in my primary glass carboy. One was an English Brown Ale and the other was an Everyday IPA. Both had some pretty vigourous fermentations, but the IPA was a bit more active, and the krauzen started jumping up into my blow-off tube, clogging it at one point. Good thing I was home and able to replace it with another blow off tube...and then later....another.

To my point, I want to brew a chocolate stout. In a thread, I read that "bigger" beers need more head-space. Well, if I'm having this type of situation with an IPA, wouldn't I then have the same situation, if not more, with a stout? The last thing I want to do is stay up all night changing clogged blow-off tubes, or not being able to leave my place for 3 days during vigourous fermentation. The first 2 brews I made had about 4-5 inches of head-space. The Brown Ale wasn't a problem, but the IPA almost was. Would a stout be wise due to limited head space in a 1-gallon carboy?

I know that I should probably look to have a bigger blow-off tube, but I'm not sure how to get this done...I bought these to fit onto my 1 gallon carboy:
http://labelpeelers.com/38mm-plastic-screw-cap-with-hole-p-2501.html

I love them, but obviously, they only allow me to use one size of tubing. I don't show that they make these kinds of caps with larger holes, thus, giving me room for larger tubing, so what should I do?

Can I file down the hole, making it wider/larger and try to fit a bigger hose in it?

Stouts are my favorite beers, and I really want to brew one, but I don't want to have to stay up all night making sure my blow off tube doesn't clog. Help!

__________________
Pap Don Brewers

Planned: DFH 60 Minute IPA Clone
Primary #1: Bowling Ball Stout
Primary #2: Empty
Primary #3: Empty
Primary #4: Belgian Blonde
Primary #5: Ed Wort's Apfelwein
Primary #6: C&C Hop Factory
Bottled: Raspberry Wheat, Red Rye Ale, Cottage House Saison, Simcoe IPA, Bavarian Hefeweizen
Drinking: Honey & Chamomile Wheat, Yooper's House Pale Ale, Lefthand Milk Stout Clone, Vanilla Bourbon Stout, Lakefront IPA Clone
Batches Made: 18

day_trippr

Recipes 

Go down to the hardware store and buy yourself a few feet of 1" inside diameter vinyl tubing. Just stuff one end in the mouth of the carboy and you're good to go - just like the big kids do

Cheers!

JeffoC6

Recipes 

So the hell with caps/bungs/etc.? Just pitch my yeast, fit the tubing into the neck of the carboy so it's good and tight, and then put the other end in my StarSan solution?

__________________
Pap Don Brewers

Planned: DFH 60 Minute IPA Clone
Primary #1: Bowling Ball Stout
Primary #2: Empty
Primary #3: Empty
Primary #4: Belgian Blonde
Primary #5: Ed Wort's Apfelwein
Primary #6: C&C Hop Factory
Bottled: Raspberry Wheat, Red Rye Ale, Cottage House Saison, Simcoe IPA, Bavarian Hefeweizen
Drinking: Honey & Chamomile Wheat, Yooper's House Pale Ale, Lefthand Milk Stout Clone, Vanilla Bourbon Stout, Lakefront IPA Clone
Batches Made: 18

Calichusetts

Recipes 

Small bungs fit into 1-gallon carboys...you can attach a larger hose to molded hole in it...I believe 1 inch.

Break up the brew into two carboys if you can if you are concerned with headspace

pelipen

Recipes 

That's what I do. Just find a hose that fits snug and stuff it in the top.
Just sanitize the hose so anything that drips back in doesn't pick up contamination.