1st brew

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

TheBandit

Active Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
39
Reaction score
0
Hi Guys,
I just finished my first 5 gallon brew from a kit. Everything seemed to go well. Its about 24 hours since fermentation started. My primary is a 7.9 gal bucket with lid. Wow is that bucket swollen. Looks like its gonna blow. My airlock is full of brown liquid now with bubbles coming out the top breather holes. The bucket is cool to the touch. Is this normal????
Anthony
 
It sounds like you did a great job!

All of us experience a vigorous fermentation at some point. There are several pictures posted of ktichen and closet ceilings that were redecorated by homebrew.

Body temp is 98.6 degrees and ferment is ideal 70ish for an ale, so it should feel cool to the touch.

Some people would say if you are worried about the pressure in your bucket, pull the airlock before it blows. You are outgassing at a rate that precludes the possibility of oxidation or contamination through the CO2.

Another reccomendation is to look at using a blow off tube for your next batch, or re-rigging this one: it is a large diameter tube often used in a carboy that the end is submerged in a bowl of water, thus creating an airlock, but allowing large volumes of CO2 and krausen material to pass.
 
Sounds like you have one heck of a fermentation going and your airlock is plugged. My last wheat beer did the same thing, my suggestion is rig up a blow off tube and you should be good to go, it will release the excess krausen and help keep from making a mess. If you don't want to go through that trouble try cleaning out your airlock and removing the little star tip at the bottom which I have had clog up before creating a small problem.
 
Thanks guys. There seems to be plenty of gas coming out the airlock. While I was waiting for a reply I read about mopping the ceiling and such stories so I took the bucket and put it in the shower, just in case.
 
+1 to blowoff tube. If you've got this much airlock activity this early, you might as well pop in the tube before your airlock blows out. My 5th batch (an IPA) was the first to demonstrate this. I brewed my beer, pitched my yeast, then left the house for a party. I came home that night and went to sleep. When I woke up, my airlock was coated with foam, inside and out. There was krausen all over the floor; it was messy.

I popped out the airlock, and popped in a santized tube into a growler of water + Star San. Everything should be just fine now :D
 
Ok I removed the airlock and released the pressure. Cleaned out the airlock and replaced it. I'm still leaving it in the shower though. I'm glad I came to check this before I went to bed. I think I can sleep now. I think some sort of blowoff tube for next time. Thanks for all the input.
Anthony
 
All you have to do this vigrously in the primary is to lay the lid on top of the bucket, don't snap it on until the mass of bubbles (krausen) subsides then after a week or so pop the lid on and put your airlock back in. There is so much CO2 coming off it now that you won't get Oxygen through that thick blanket of Co2 gas to spoil the beer.
 
After cleaning the airlock the batch bubbled for 3 more days without causing any problems. It looks like nothing is happening now after 1 week. I think I'm gonna let it sit in the primary for 2 more weeks before I bottle.
Anthony:ban:
 
I had the same problem with my first batch. It's b/c my poorly designed kit instructions told me to pitch the yeast pretty much whenever. Make sure you cool down your batch before adding the yeast and you likely won't need to take off the airlock or attach a blowoff.

Now the hard part--waiting!
 
My wort was properly cooled down to less than 80° before I pitched the yeast and I still had krausen coming out of the airlock. I think if you pitch the yeast at high temps you run the risk of killing the yeast. But then again I'm just a noob.:D
Anthony
 
Yes fretsforlife ,
I have the same exact setup and if you can believe it mine was more swollen. I took the airlock out and cleaned it up good, then put it back and kept a close eye on it. I had no more problems after that. Go ahead take it out and clean it.
Anthony:mug:
 
Back
Top