"Bubble Bucket"

I brewed a Belgian Golden Strong last night and due to lack of empty carboys brought out the 7.5 gallon bucket to ferment it. After almost 2 years brewing never had an issue with blowoffs. Granted I've always used a blowoff tube in carboys but NEVER used a blowoff tube on the lid of the bucket. I always figured the extra head space in the bucket was enough to keep the foam from getting out and it always has....until this morning....

SWMBO wakes me up and anxiously says "Honey, The bucket bubbled!". I knew she wasn't talking about typical airlock activity as she's used to seeing that and knows it's normal. I come downstairs to find my first blowout. It's amazing how instead of popping the airlock off the whole bucket expanded. The bottom of the bucket rounded out and the lid expanded as if the bucket was being inflated like a balloon.

Has anyone experienced this before? I started to worry that the pressure would negatively affect fermentation but after rigging up a blowoff tube to the bucket still has some pretty aggressive activity.

The joys of homebrewing...

I've had this happen a couple times--almost always with dark beers, naturally. My last IBA did exactly what you describe, and that was *with* a blowoff tube set up. I use almost exclusively buckets (only exceptions are sours) and have decided that a blowoff is required for every batch I do; I've had too many unexpected messes without them.

True that! My makeshift blowoff tube that i made with the airlock stopper and spare siphon hose will now be a permanent fixture in my setup.