Obvious trick I found - just a quick tip

I brew AG 5 gal batches in 6.5 gal carboys. I don't have a blowoff tube setup because I....don't know why actually. Anyway, a couple big beers have crept into the airlock, but nothing too bad until today. I brewed one of Brewpastor's RIS's and re-used a Brit. Ale yeast cake. It just kept foaming into the airlck and I didn't know what to do but clean and replace. It got old quick, and then I did what any kid would do when their soda was foaming over - I sucked off the foam, but I used a wine thief. I just stuck it down into the carboy and sucked off the top foam/krausen - still a lot left below. Maybe not the best, but if you don't have a blowoff setup it might help save a headache. I haven't seen anyone mention doing this even though it is fairly obvious in hindsight. Yes, I need to get a blowoff tube, etc.

Maybe something in the foam you actually want in the beer? Just a thought...

i also brew 5 gal. batches in a 6.5 gal. carboy.... any problem in this????? I only use the 6.5 for a primary, and then I transfer it to the 5 gal. secondary. Would it be better to just use the 5 gal. with a blow off tube?

Just stick your racking tube into your airlock hole and you have a makeshift blowoff.

Nice- those are all fairly good ideas...

I've never tried sucking off the foam. Does it help over the course of a couple of days?

Also- doing primary in a 6.5 carboy is perfectly fine- it's prevented many an explosion for me.

Just to clarify, I wasn't saying there was anything wrong with putting 5gal into a 6.5gal carboy for the primary ferm. I was just saying that for this batch I needed a blowoff tube but didn't have one. Sucking 3/4 of a wine thief of foam once has prevented anymore foam getting into the airlock. Ferm has slowed now though. I did this at around peak ferm time.

6.5 gallon carboy is preferable for primary.

i don't really understand this...blow-off tubes are sooooo easy! i'd want that foam to stay in my brew

Go Lowe's tomorrow. Plumbing section. 3/4" outer diameter clear vynil tubing is like $2.49 a foot. Cut off a 5 foot hunk and you're done.

I learned the hard way with a Belgian Wit yeast.

DeathBrewer said:

6.5 gallon carboy is preferable for primary.

i don't really understand this...blow-off tubes are sooooo easy! i'd want that foam to stay in my brew

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So you're supposed to put the stuff that 'blows off' from the tube back in the beer? I'm not super crazy about sanitation, but this seems weird to me. BTW I would guess I removed maybe 1/8 of the total foam, no more. I have many different size racking tubes, I can fit one into the stopper, I guess it won't clog like an airlock could - even though they're the same diameter? I guess like BierMuncher said, 3/4 is the way to go. I guess then I'd have to use the carboy caps and not the stoppers.

no, no, no...don't put it back in the beer. if you use a blow-off tube, it will probably never leave your brew. it allows more pressure to be releaved and you won't get the foam up like you would with an airlock.

what i do is use a stopper and a tube that fits inside it. sanitize all this and run the tube from the stopper into a container of water with a bit of sanitizing solution in it. then sit back and watch er bubble

DeathBrewer said:

no, no, no...don't put it back in the beer. if you use a blow-off tube, it will probably never leave your brew. it allows more pressure to be releaved and you won't get the foam up like you would with an airlock.

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Ok, that makes sense. Still suprising though, airlocks would seem to let pressure out quickly. I guess it builds up until it bubbles though. I can't imagine this thing wouldn't have blown off regardless of what I would have done. Ok, next big batch/ big yeast I'll try a blowoff tube. Easy enough.

I'm too lazy to buy extra tubing just for blow-offs, i use racking tube heh, yeah the 3/8" tubing stuck in the bunghole (the universal bungs work the best), it's worked so far. Not broke don't fix.

Always good to have a blow-off setup around. It's inevitable for everyone. And when you get a big blow off, it really blows. The krausen will travel thru the tube and down into your small bucket of sanitizer. When it settles down, you could replace with an airlock or rack it since usually a blowoff is a very fast ferment. Biermunchers approach is assuming your using a carboy as is mine but I use one of these things below and stick your airlock in the center. If it looks like she's going to blow, cap the center and use the outer nipple for your blowoff tube into a bucket of sanitizer. $2 caps... different sizes for 6.5 vs 5 & 6 carboys though. I never use bungs anymore and just use these buggers "in case of emergency"

landhoney said:

I can't imagine this thing wouldn't have blown off regardless of what I would have done.

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i actually haven't had one blow out SINCE i started using blow-offs. like dB (not DB ) said, it's possible, but it definitely helps. good $3 investment, anyway.

i love brewing. i learn something new every single batch. you'd think it would stop after a few years, but nope...BEST HOBBY EVER! :rockin:

DeathBrewer said:

....like dB (not DB )

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Not to be confused with DYB

Thats right, that's a lower case d!
Ok dB step away from the apfelwein! . Going to bed b4 I get quoted for some stupid arse'd comment I may make. How do you spell goatboy sounds anyways?