Darias
Member
Out of the hundred or so batches that I have made thus far, the only other time I have experienced this was with another wheat beer that was infected and ultimately discarded...
I started a batch into primary fermentation last night - 6# DME Wheat Extract, 1 oz hops, ale yeast pitched at 64* into plastic. My sanitizing was done as normal, without exception, nothing special about this batch whatsoever. Been in primary for 24 hours.
The fermenter was placed in my basement with an ambient temp of ~67*F, and the fermentation running at around 73* according to the tape thermometer.
When I got home tonight from work, the krausen has filled the airlock. I sanitized a new airlock and replaced the clogged one, and now there is foam filling the new airlock as well, with a notable pressure bubble under the lid of the pail.
I assume that the beer is infected, and running out of control. However, if it is not, what is my best course of action?
Leave a clogged airlock in the lid?
Pull the airlock and leave the hole open for gas / foam to escape
Sanitize my bottling hose and stick that in the hole? (Bear in mind, this is I believe a 3/8" hose, so using it as a blow off, I believe it will be clogged quickly)
I figure I want to do whatever I can to preserve sanitization on the off chance that the beer is not so far infected.
As I said before, I've only had this happen once before, with a nearly identical wheat recipe beer. Generally, I don't have krausen touch the lid, let alone put pressure under it and plug my airlock.
Thanks in advance!
~D~
I started a batch into primary fermentation last night - 6# DME Wheat Extract, 1 oz hops, ale yeast pitched at 64* into plastic. My sanitizing was done as normal, without exception, nothing special about this batch whatsoever. Been in primary for 24 hours.
The fermenter was placed in my basement with an ambient temp of ~67*F, and the fermentation running at around 73* according to the tape thermometer.
When I got home tonight from work, the krausen has filled the airlock. I sanitized a new airlock and replaced the clogged one, and now there is foam filling the new airlock as well, with a notable pressure bubble under the lid of the pail.
I assume that the beer is infected, and running out of control. However, if it is not, what is my best course of action?
Leave a clogged airlock in the lid?
Pull the airlock and leave the hole open for gas / foam to escape
Sanitize my bottling hose and stick that in the hole? (Bear in mind, this is I believe a 3/8" hose, so using it as a blow off, I believe it will be clogged quickly)
I figure I want to do whatever I can to preserve sanitization on the off chance that the beer is not so far infected.
As I said before, I've only had this happen once before, with a nearly identical wheat recipe beer. Generally, I don't have krausen touch the lid, let alone put pressure under it and plug my airlock.
Thanks in advance!
~D~