Froth is coming out of the airlock

tridean · 03-09-2009, 02:32 AM

Hi All,
I did a search but couldn't find anything.

I put on a brew two nights ago, and overnight it has started frothing som much that it is coming out of the airlock.

Just wondering if I need to do anything, or just leave it? I did add a little more water in the airlock as it seemed there wasn't much left in it.

Cheers
Dean

llazy_llama · 03-09-2009, 02:35 AM

It's called blow off. If you're using a 3-piece airlock, take off the cap and the inner bell-shaped piece and stick a piece of tubing onto that hole. Run the tubing into a container (1/2 gallon or larger) filled with water and sanitizer. If not, stick the tubing through your stopper or grommet. This is a blow off valve. It works the same as an airlock, but it allows for overflow.

Also, tridean, any chance you are, or were recently in Japan? It's a long shot, but I knew someone back there who might go by the name tridean.

tridean · 03-09-2009, 02:40 AM

Hi llazy llama,
thanks for the advice. My airlock is only a one piece. Should I take it out and clean it at this stage while this brew is still going?

No I have never been to Japan. Tridean is my family company name and a play on words, using my wifes and My first names.

Cheers
Dean

llazy_llama · 03-09-2009, 02:43 AM

Odds are, you're going to get even more blow off. If you can remove/clean the airlock every few hours for the next day or two, then go for it. Odds are you'd be better off just taking the airlock out and sticking some tubing in there and calling it a day. Personally, I always use a blowoff for the first 3 days on any recipe I haven't brewed before. You never know which recipes are going to be tame and which are going to be explosive.