Help, I'm overflowing!

Can anyone help? I just brewed a batch of Barleywine beer (my first one) and only a day later, it is foaming up and overflowing the fermentation tub. It blew the top off of the pressure valve. Is this normal? I left about 4-5 inches of headspace, cleared out the foam once and it is at it again!


HELP!!!!

I think it may be time for a blowoff tube. I've never used one before but I think you basically replace your airlock with a sanitized tube that runs into a sanitized glass/vessel of water. Once your fermentation slows, you can replace the airlock.

If my directions are not clear, I'm sure a search of the forum will give you threads that are more detailed.

Good luck.

4-5 inches is usually never enough headspace for a primary fermenter. If you are using a bucket as a primary sanitize a length of tubing and jam it in the hole where your airlock goes and the other end in a vessel containing water. If you are using a carboy as a primary fermenter you can either do the same thing as above or measure the opening of your carboy and buy a bigger blowoff tube that will fit in there.

AleHole said:

measure the opening of your carboy and buy a bigger blowoff tube that will fit in there.

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1 to 1 1/4 in diameter will usually fit the opening. Get it from your local hardware store, sanitize and put it on flowing into a bowl or bucket of sanitized water.

Blowoff tube it is. In bigger beers like a barleywine, you're more prone if you don't have a ton of head space. It's always good to have one handy anyways.

For barleywines and wheats, you really need 1/3 head space. An 8 gallon bucket is a good idea. My 3CPA, which is only 1.060, foamed over last night. I had pitched it on a cake, so it started fast. I left it in the sink, even though the krausen is dropping.

Thanks for the great advise all. I put a flow tube on and moved the bucket to a cooler part of the house. It is settling down now! Just as a side, I found that my 5/8 tube fit nicely on the out tube of my airlock so I did not have to run out (in the middle of the night) to find the right diameter hose!

Ray R said:

Thanks for the great advise all. I put a flow tube on and moved the bucket to a cooler part of the house. It is settling down now! Just as a side, I found that my 5/8 tube fit nicely on the out tube of my airlock so I did not have to run out (in the middle of the night) to find the right diameter hose!

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When I used a bucket for a primary (now I use a carboy) I did the same with the airlock. But, you may consider sawing off the bottom portion of the airlock to give it more flow space to exit out. Can get easily clogged without a wide enough opening.

Welcome To The Club

sirsloop said:

Welcome To The Club

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yup congratz on a vigorous ferm! Now all you have to do is blow up some bottles and clean some beer off your ceiling and you'll officially be in the home brew club!