Aggressive Fermentation Help!?!

Hi guys, first of all, thanks for all the great advice on here!! Its a HUGE help for all of us noobs.

Anyway, I got a Midwest kit for Xmas and am currently working on my second brew. Ive been searching the boards for a while tonight and though Ive found a lot about filled air locks none quite answered my dilemma. I brewed a brown ale (SG 1.054) and pitched Nottingham yeast yesterday afternoon @ 70-75 degrees. Tonight the airlock keeps clogging up and Ive been looking into switching to a quick blow off hose. Ive read to attach the tubing to the airlock and also inserting it directly into the grommet on the top. Unfortunately I can not for the life of me get my spare tubing to fit with either of these methods. What I was considering was removing the rubber fitting and placing the sanitized tubing directly into the hole creating a blow off but it doesn't quite seal (tubing is slightly smaller than the hole). Would this be a better option than taking the chance of getting a clogged airlock over night? And if so will the lack of a seal leave me open to any contamination until fermentation settles down??

Again, thanks to everyone for sharing their own words of wisdom!!

Andy

I'm assuming you're using a 3-piece type airlock and the clear vinyl tubing? Try heating up the end of that tubing in hot water and see if it will fit over that piece in the center of the airlock.

Also, you might want to do with that airlock is cut off the little plastic nipple at the end of it on the side you push down past the grommet. During high krauzen, it will clog very easily.

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Thanks for the quick reply! I tried heating it/attaching it and no dice. You think my make shift blow off tube will suffice until the yeasties slow down a tad without risking too much??

My only concern would be that because it's not an airtight fit and gunk could collect on the top of the lid, outside of the tube, it could drip back into your beer along with anything it picked up from the top of your lid...

You might be better off putting the airlock back in place, putting your bucket into the bathtub and cracking the lid a little. This will allow the blowoff to run down the side of the bucket. When it's done blowing off, reseal the lid and continue on!

You'll be fine putting the hose in even if it's a little loose. If it bothers you just sanitize some aluminum foil and pack it around the opening.