better brew kit.

Done a better brew kit IPA the other day and added some honey and light dme.Problem is it fermented like mad and started blowing wort through my airlock.Panic set in and I made a blow off tube,but as I fitted it to the rubber bung it started pushing the bung further into the bucket lid.I was left with no option but to lift the lid quickly and hold the bung while I fitted the tube.There is no bubbling down the tube,and although there is a slight bulge up on the lid,I am worried fermentation has stuck/contaminated.Any ideas guys.Ill be gutted if its screwed.

Stop worrying. It isn't likely that it is contaminated and if it is, worrying will get you as far as rocking in a rocking chair will. You might have a plugged blowoff tube that is causing the lid to bulge so carefully remove the lid again and check because you really don't want the lid to blow off as it makes a mess everywhere, walls, ceiling, floor, etc.

Thanks my man,what about if I clean and refit the airlock?I suspect that the tube on the blowoff is too big for the bung and is sqeezed in too tight.

If your beer is fermenting really strong you could take the lid off and leave it off. Unless your area is really unsanitary the beer isn't likely to get infected. The yeast have too much head start.

I'm not really advocating leaving the lid off, check for blockage and if the krausen isn't up to the lid level, sanitize the airlock and put it back in.

If the krausen is up to the lid and the blow off tube is blocked, remove it, put the fermenter in a tub to make cleanup easier, and leave the airlock hole open. It will make a mess of the lid and may run down the sides of the fermenter but at least you won't have to repaint the walls and ceiling.

Many thanks,airlock cleaned and fiitted.

Im using a two chamber type airlock,there are no bubbles since refitting.But the "exit" chamber is pushed higher than the chamber where the co2 would enterfrom the fermenter.Do you think this means it is fermenting and producing co2,but aggresive fermentation has finished?Took a hydrometer reading last night,and it has indeed fermented quite a lot,just worried it may have stuck.Sorry to keep asking such rookie questions,but your feedback really helps.

That's what I would assume as well, , but what was your hydrometer reading? That's the best way to tell bar none. And remember relax and have a home brew.

Cheers Stevo,I got about 40 bottles of treacle stout lined up ready for Christmas.Cant wait.

Excellent! That should ensure a merry Christmas! Was your hydro reading pretty close to your FG? I know I usually let it sit in primary for 3+ weeks just to make sure the yeast is done with its magic, with the airlock quiet for weeks.