AY222

Recipes 

Hello there,

Rookie at this so help would be appreciated..

Picked up a Brewhouse kit and an equipment kit from my local store.

My primary fermeter (plastic pail) has a hole in the top of it, but the instructions from the brewhouse kit say nothing about using an airlocke or blow off tube set up.

I set it up two days ago and assumed as the instructions said that I just had to put the lid on, now the foam is coming out of the hole and is covering the top of the lid...starting to think I should have used a airlock in the hole (foaming a lot out of the hole).

1) Do I need to use and airlocke on it?
2) If so, can I add one now or is the batch toast?

Thanks..

Parker36

Recipes 

1) Yes, you always need some type of airlock or blow off hose when fermenting.
2) Yes, add it now. No telling if the batch is good, but the chances are good enough that it didn't get infected to keep it around until you can give it a taste.

annasdadhockey

Recipes 

If it is foaming alot out of the hole, you should be using a blowoff tube. When the overflow foamming subsides, stick an airlock in there to keep nasties from getting in.

You beat me to it Parker.

__________________
Anybody can be a rockstar when the rest of the room is wearing helmets and drooling on themselves.

FERMENTING: Big Brew #4 Rye IPA
CONDITIONING:
DRINKING: Black IPA, Brett Belgian tripel, Irish Red Ale
THINKING:

ajf

Recipes 

The hole in the lid is for an airlock, but if you have krausen coming out of the hole, you should use a blow off tube until it calms down, then replace the blow off tube with an airlock.

Don't worry, apart from the mess, it won't have caused any damage, but make sure you sanitize the blow off tube and airlock before you attach them.

-a.
And you both beat me to it.

AY222

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Thanks a million. I have read some posts all morning and got a great answer in two minutes. Much appreciated.

Figbash

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You'll need to get something in the hole ASAP. If the foam starts receding it will likely contaminate the brew. Just stick a sterilized piece of Tygon tubing in for now with the other end in a jar of water, until you can get an airlock. If you add a little sterilizer to the water and keep it full, you won't even need an airlock.

Tom

AY222

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Ok another problem has come up... connected the blow off tube and the pressure is so much that the air coming out of the tube is not keeping up and the pressure that is building and the in lid of the pail is blowing open, just on side up not all the way off (3 times now)...

McGarnigle

Recipes 

Brewhouse kits give very active fermentations, and they recommend a 7-10 gallon pail. If you're brewing six US gallons (what the kits are designed to do) in a 6.5g pail, you're going to have problems. You need a bigger hose, and probably a bigger hole in your lid.

AY222

Recipes 

thats what I thought.. shortened the hose and raised the jar to speed up the venting, seems to have done the trick for now. Have to look into a bigger bucket for next rounds or adjust the whole like you said.

the joys of the first batch.