i've made my 5th batch of beer and never had bomb carboy.but this time just after 9-10 hours my airlock starts bubbling too fast ,i think i overpitched it.I'm afraid if it will explode !!?? should i do something ?
I'm afraid of an explosion !
- Thread starter Irena
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
veritas524
Well-Known Member
Haven't heard of an exploding carboy yet... if you have a lot of activity you might need a blow off tube if anything, but I wouldn't worry about your carboy "exploding."
Remove the stopper and cover the opening with a napkin. When the fermentation slows, sanitize the stopper and put it back in.
IceFisherChris
Well-Known Member
Nuggethead
Well-Known Member
+1 on the tin foil. It can be sanitized with Starsan or Idophor spray before using. As long as the airlock is bubbling, it can't blow-up. Only if your airlock becomes completely plugged and can't vent can this become an issue. Keep a three foot piece of 1" blow off tube handy and know more worries.
cvstrat
Well-Known Member
Like others have posted it wont explode, but it can send the airlock flying and spew wort about 20ft in all directions one tip is to break the little plastic tip off of the bottom of the airlock the tip restricts the flow of wort spewing through and can get clogged usually if you do this the wort will flow out of the top of the airlock and down the carboy (better than blowing off). definitely save some old milk jusgs and go to home depot and get some hose. i use blow offs for all of my fermentation now
azscoob
Brewpub coming soon!
I have not used an airlock in about 6 months or more, I just use a blowoff tube for my primaries now, no worries about making a big mess. and simple to set up.
BIGREDIOWAN
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't think it would explode +1 to the blowoff set-up. I just have airlocks, but if I need to get a blowoff set-up I can get one pretty easily.
Glass Carboys can explode. Usually the stopper will go flying out followed by a stream of beer, but occasionally a carboy will break, and glass will fly everywhere, embedding itself in walls and appliances. Fortunately I do not speak from experience, but have seen reports and pictures on various forums.
As a minimum you need to ensure the 'X' at the stem of the airlock is taken out. This probably increases the minimum restriction area by 5, making it harder to get plugged. Next remove the the plastic top of the airlock. If it does start to flow through the airlock, you don't want that to be the restriction. result is pressure again can build up and the top of the airlock will go flying along with a stream of beer.
I think the safest thing to do is to put tin foil over the top and be ready to mop up any mess. Sit the carboy on a round oven try or similar to catch any overflow.
As a minimum you need to ensure the 'X' at the stem of the airlock is taken out. This probably increases the minimum restriction area by 5, making it harder to get plugged. Next remove the the plastic top of the airlock. If it does start to flow through the airlock, you don't want that to be the restriction. result is pressure again can build up and the top of the airlock will go flying along with a stream of beer.
I think the safest thing to do is to put tin foil over the top and be ready to mop up any mess. Sit the carboy on a round oven try or similar to catch any overflow.
Nuggethead
Well-Known Member
I have used 3/8" in a pinch. Just dip about 2" of the end in boiling water and it will stretch over the inner piece of the 3 piece airlock.
juslod
Well-Known Member
Yeah the pressure should never get to the level of the carboy exploding, however you should worry about a mess and your airlock blowing off the top! I just had this issue and made a thread with pictures of the cleanup.. Don't let this happen, it is a freakin' mess!
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/stout-volcano-215123/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/stout-volcano-215123/
juslod
Well-Known Member
I believe a 1/2" ID tubing will fit over the airlock, but you can also use 3/8" ID tubing if you heat up end of the tube to stretch over the end.
I'm a bit nervous about something similar granted I'm using a plastic bucket fermenter. I have a 5gal batch in a 6.5gal bucket. Thus far the bubbling is extremely slow. However right now the fermenter is in SWMBO's coat closet. Thankfully I started reading more tonight to tell her, but I'm a bit nervous on how it'll act until I can get back to her place this weekend. Are there any simple fixes I can have her do until then? She only lives about 2 blocks from the HBS so I can have her go there if I know what to tell her to get. This is still my first brew 
(Not trying to threadjack, promise!)
(Not trying to threadjack, promise!)
juslod
Well-Known Member
What was the gravity of the beer, the yeast you used and temperature of the closet? To be safe you could have her go to the HBS and get a 3-piece airlock and a hose that will fit on top of the shaft in the center. The hose just needs to be long enough to fit into a second container (pitcher, pot, anything she has that will hold some water) and dip the hose under some clean water.
The blow off tube is much harder to clog then an airlock, because if the fermentation gets too extreme the extra krausen will just blow through the tube and collect in your second container holding water. If you get a very vigorous fermentation and you are using only an air-lock you risk the chance of it clogging - resulting in the bucket gaining pressure.
The blow off tube is much harder to clog then an airlock, because if the fermentation gets too extreme the extra krausen will just blow through the tube and collect in your second container holding water. If you get a very vigorous fermentation and you are using only an air-lock you risk the chance of it clogging - resulting in the bucket gaining pressure.
TBH I'm not sure; I was in a bit of an excited rush to make my first batch and forgot to sanitize the hydrometer. The recipe says it should be around 1.059, and I followed it like the bible except for adding a cinnamon stick and two cloves of allspice in.
The yeast is wyeast #1099XL Whitbread ale yeast. The closet is a steady 65 degrees F.
Is it alright to use tubing the same diameter as the port on the lid of the fermenter bucket? I think the port is 5/16ths with the gasket.
NyPDFustercluck
Well-Known Member
You probably wont get a very good seal by just jamming the tubing in through the grommet on the lid. You'd be better off following the previous posters advice by using a blow-off setup if you're worried. In my experience the hazard of overflow/explosion are greatest in the first day or so of fermentation (when it's most active), how long has it been for you now? I've had a batch of barleywine blow the lid off my 6.5 gal bucket the first night it was fermenting due to a clogged 3-part airlock. After that situation I've been using a carboy and blow off tubing for my primary, as I'm both able to see the fermentation process and it's easier to attach a larger diameter hose (3/4'') which is harder to clog than the smaller hose that comes with the racking cane.
=========================================================
Primary1: Air
Primary2: McQuaker's oatmeal stout
Secondary1: Mind Bending Barleywine
Secondary2: Air
Bottled: American Amber Ale, India Black Ale, Russian Imperial Stout
=========================================================
Primary1: Air
Primary2: McQuaker's oatmeal stout
Secondary1: Mind Bending Barleywine
Secondary2: Air
Bottled: American Amber Ale, India Black Ale, Russian Imperial Stout
