Explosive Fermentation

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hansonian

hansonian

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I made a 6 gallons of wine yesterday for the missus. Used a box kit I bought from the local brew store like I normally do. I wake up this morning and notice it's blown the air lock off the top and spewed stuff everywhere. Is this normal? I've done a couple kits before and never had this issue.

It still has enough pressure in it that if I try and insert a air lock it'll push the whole thing out in a matter of seconds. Should I just let it off gas for a few hours and try again? Is there any harm to be had by letting it run off a bit today?

Thanks.
 
hansonian said:
I made a 6 gallons of wine yesterday for the missus. Used a box kit I bought from the local brew store like I normally do. I wake up this morning and notice it's blown the air lock off the top and spewed stuff everywhere. Is this normal? I've done a couple kits before and never had this issue.

It still has enough pressure in it that if I try and insert a air lock it'll push the whole thing out in a matter of seconds. Should I just let it off gas for a few hours and try again? Is there any harm to be had by letting it run off a bit today?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'd cover the opening with a towel or something to keep the bugs out. With it generating that much CO2, it will protect itself for the next few days.
 
do not use an airlock during primary fermentation, wait until about 1.020 to add airlock.
 
Normally I would have photos. I cleaned this one up pretty quick so the missus didn't have time to assess the damage. Next time something I'm brewing explodes I'll get pics and deal with the fallout from the mess.

Towards the end of yesterday (about 24 hours after the wine was started) it seemed to calm down to a reasonable level. I've got a paper towel rubber banded around the top to get anything from going back in.
 
I rarely air-lock a primary, just for the reasons you found out.
Loose cover for a week or 10 days and then into a secondary with an air-lock.
 
What vessel were you using for the primary? I use 30 litre vessels for my 23 litre (6 US gal) primaries and however strong the fermentation, there never seems to be any risk of the airlocks not coping.
 
I don't use carboys for the primary phase of wine making. The head space isn't enough, even for the whites. Use the traditional giant wine pail with the loose fitting lid. Transfer it into a carboy at 1.020 and throw an air lock. Tried a carboy for a white wine once and the blow off tube was working hard.
 
Dynachrome said:
You can't post a thread like this without pics. That's just teasing us.
Click to expand...

here you go everyone so there are some explosion pics:

Pumpkin pie melomel

Pumpkin pie day 1.jpg

Pumpkin pie day 1(3).jpg

Pumpkin pie day 1(2).jpg
 
Arpolis said:
here you go everyone so there are some explosion pics:

Pumpkin pie melomel
Click to expand...

So colorful! Where did you get the square carboys, and what volume are they? Did the ceiling stain? Having flashbacks to baby daze and feeding pumpkin/squash.
 
Heck I am in those baby days right now with one at about 6 months now lol. I got the square water bottles at Walmart. I thought that they were cool because they had the wide tops for primary "which I thought would contain the krausen of doom", and I could do the normal airlock. Also after racking to secondary for aging I turn them on there sides and I put in a water spout in the airlock hole so I can fill bottles easy when ready. Oh yea and they are 2 gallon jugs.
 
Arpolis said:
Heck I am in those baby days right now with one at about 6 months now lol. I got the square water bottles at Walmart. I thought that they were cool because they had the wide tops for primary "which I thought would contain the krausen of doom", and I could do the normal airlock. Also after racking to secondary for aging I turn them on there sides and I put in a water spout in the airlock hole so I can fill bottles easy when ready. Oh yea and they are 2 gallon jugs.
Click to expand...

Ah congrats on the kiddo! I am counting the months until the youngest heads to college(30 months), and for the oldest who recently got out of military in late Feb moves out of the basement(he says January). Were the squares in outdoors/camping section? Will have to check out. Thx.
 
There is a purified water section where you can refill water cooler type containers and it was sold there. Out of all the walmarts around me there is only one that sels these.
 
Cool pics!!!! I put a lid on my Carmel Apple Mead primary, and when I came home from work the next day, it looked like it was going to drop some puppies. Everything was so swollen...I wish I would have taken some pics, but all I could think about was the mess it would make, if I didn't release some pressure. I don't think the lid will ever return to normal!!! ;)
 

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