Carboy exploded!!!

Hello, 2 days ago I made an IPA, I used the yeast fermentis us-05, witch I washed from a previous brew. I had about 1.25 cup of washed yeast. I made a 1/2 gallon starter and pitched the yeast to a 5 gallon carboy OG 1.058. Yesterday it was fermenting perfectly, but this morning I found that it blew the airlock and a lot of beer was spilled. I ferment then in a modified fridge wich i have at a constant 65f. I changed the airlock and it continued to bubble. Should I be worried about contamination? I think I obviously pitched too much yeast, Is there any side effect? How much washed yeast should I use for future brews?

It could contaminated, but you'll have to wait to find out. I would replace the small airlock with a blow off tube. If you don't have one measure your carboy neck inner diameter and run to your lhbs or hardware store and get four or five feet of food grade tube that fits into the neck. PUT THE OTHER END INTO SOME STARSAN or bleach water. Let it ferment like crazy and when it calms down put the little airlock back on it.

If it is still so vigorous that it risks clogging your airlock, switch that out for a blow-off tube.

You'll find a lot of detail on what a blow-off tube is in several threads and there are a few ways to make one, but briefly, a bigger diameter hose from the carboy mouth down into a reservoir of starsan or something like that (vodka). The reservoir fluid still lets you see the bubbling but the bigger diameter hose can cope with the suds and chunks that a really vigorous fermentation can carry upward. Also, if for some reason you get some backward flow, sucking a little starsan/vodka/etc into the beer won't contaminate.

On contamination, you're probably fine. The yeast are pumping out so much CO2 that dust is unlikely to fall in right now.

To avoid this problem, I start my fermentations with a blow-off tube setup and after that has calmed down (a day or 2), I then swap to an airlock. No more yeast/beer spray on the walls for me!

As an aside, this is a vigorous fermentation, but it by no means indicates that you pitched too much yeast.

Glad your carboy did not explode! That would = 0 beer.Blow-offs are pretty common and usually turn out fine.Put a blowoff tube on it until it recedes.What temp did you happen to have it at when it happened?

I've seen blow-off tubes mentioned quite a bit, but I don't remember reading anywhere about potential yeast lost. How much yeast is in the foam that blows out?

looneybomber said:

I've seen blow-off tubes mentioned quite a bit, but I don't remember reading anywhere about potential yeast lost. How much yeast is in the foam that blows out?

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Not enough to matter. If there is enough activity for a blowoff, you have tons of active yeast in suspension.

Carboy exploded!!!
Ahhhhhhh I expected to see a photo

In the future you can use Mr.Malty.com or Yeastcalc.com to determine the proper amount of yeast to pitch if you're worried about over pitching...

+1 on the blowoff. The krausen doesnt always get that high but if it does your not cleaning up a volcanic yeast explosion. Ive also found I dont have to keep filling the airlock.

My carboy exploded yesterday. Not a fancy brew, just a simple Pale Ale and OG was 1.054. I was not home but my wife said the whole house shook. It must have been a clog in my blow off hose because the last time I checked it had a vigorous ferment but nothing unusual. I think I will now stick to primary fermenting in a bucket. In the picture you see the glass (obvious) but you can notice the pool of wort at the left side. It took me over 6 hours to clean. When I started to clean I was mad about having to clean... but then I got sad over losing my batch. Not sure what that says about me...lol.

I've seen people do blowoff hoses using a small vinyl tube connected to the center stem of a 3 piece airlock.

I have a 1" blowoff tube that fits snugly into the bung of my carboy. No way a 1" blowoff tube is going to build up enough pressure to blow.

1 inch I/D hose for me every beer.

aprichman said:

I've seen people do blowoff hoses using a small vinyl tube connected to the center stem of a 3 piece airlock.

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That would be me. I also don't have too many suitable vessels available for the jug of starsan and once needed to place the carboy into a plastic tote and just lift up the very top part of the 3 piece airlock. Theory: If krausen climbs high enough it will lift off the "restiction" in the 3 piece airlock and just foam down the side of the carboy into the overflow bin. Cleaning the overflow has got to be better than cleaning the ceiling and walls. Not the most elegant solution and it turns out not needed, but explosion prevention is important.

I find this thread to be odd. There are no shortage of impact related carboy incidents. There is also no shortage of popped bung stories. But not too many pressure related carboy explosions. Something just seems too unusual here.

Mourning the loss of a batch is something many homebrewers go through. Whether infection strikes, bottles start exploding, racking disaster, it happens. You're allowed to be sad.

I did use a 1" tube that fits on my airlock. Somehow it blew. The only thing I can think of is a clog. The neck of the carboy had the bung and airlock piece still in it and it was stuck solid. Still very surprised it can blow up a carboy.... wow!

tdoug19, Sorry for your loss. It sounds like the airlock tube was the restriction, so a 1" tube didn't help prevent a clog. It would be better to just jam the 1" tube into the mouth of the carboy without an airlock or bung. Your carboy bung must fit much tighter than mine. I'm sure mine would blow out before it built enough pressure to explode the carboy.

I bet that was loud. Easily like a gun shot. Probably would've gotten the cops called

This thread is false advertising, I want a picture of an exploded carboy now!

How big a carboy did you use. Did you have a lot of enough headspace?

Is this just further evidence to suggest that fermenting in an Ale Pail is a much safter/better way to go than using a carboy??

Sorry for your loss, I don't own a glass carboy, I've read too many stories about them breaking and have no desire to own one.

I posted a pic.... a few replies up. There really is not much to see.. just a broken carboy (glass on the ground). I suppose a live video feed would have been really cool. I ferment in a little cubby so that limited the amount of wort everywhere. Although I have been finding shards of glass all over.

My wife said the house shook when it exploded but she exaggerates sometimes...

I used a 23 L carboy and left about 1/2 " from when it starts tapering. I have primary fermented in a carboy about 50 times and just use a blow off tube. I have never had a problem before. The temp was about 69F in my basement. I admit it was a vigorous ferment and it looked like some foam went up to the bung and then the foamed subsided a little bit and dried, cementing the bung in. Then it really got going at about 40 hours in. That is near when it blew... I also used a 1L starter and like I mentioned OG was 1.056.

Psych said:

This thread is false advertising, I want a picture of an exploded carboy now!

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http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/7/8/9/7/0/photo0237-63495.jpg

Hoppity said:

http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/7/8/9/7/0/photo0237-63495.jpg

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Thanks, I needed that.

tdoug19 said:

I did use a 1" tube that fits on my airlock. Somehow it blew. The only thing I can think of is a clog. The neck of the carboy had the bung and airlock piece still in it and it was stuck solid. Still very surprised it can blow up a carboy.... wow!

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You put the 1" tube OVER the airlock and bung?

Blowoff tubes are supposed to be put IN the bung without the airlock on. My blowoff tube (1" ID) fits snugly in the bung. Even if it wasn't 100% airtight the pressure from the CO2 would keep anything out. It would also prevent exploding carboys 100% of the time

Cheers