Blow off tube..or blow off tube then airlock.

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This is my first time using a blow off tube; as well as a yeast starter and aeration (hence the need for the blow off tube!).

After the about 15 hours the airlock had foam and "stuff" coming out the top, so I replaced it with a blow off tube. Man did it bubble like crazy!

Now (about 40 hours after pitching) the bubbling has slowed significantly.

Should I put the airlock back on? Or just leave the tube in until I rack to secondary (or bottle)? I know that theoretically there is a risk of contamination for the few seconds it takes to yank out the tube and put the airlock in.

Thanks in advance!
 
Either way is fine. I usually just leave the blow off tube on there since it's less work and I'm lazy. If you don't have a need to remove it (ie. to free up some space, use it for another fermentor, etc.) then don't bother. It certainly won't hurt anything.
 
Also the risk of contamination is really low switching these things in / out if needed. Assuming you sanitize your hands and whatever you're playing with then you shouldn't worry. Basically something would need to float / fall into the fermentor and somehow take hold in a low pH, relatively alcoholic wort. Possible, but not too likely assuming common sense is followed.
 
There's just about zero chance of contamination. I mean, consider how beer was brewed back in the day. Most contamination fears are unfounded. For every 100 threads asking about it, maybe 1 is really contaminated.
 
Either way is just fine. I usually do a blowoff tube the first 7-10 days and then switch to an airlock because I like the sound it makes. During active fermentation co2 is pushing out so there is zero chance bacteria will get in. Also, i gurantee there is SOME bacteria in the wort regardless of how anal your sanitation is. The point of pitching adequate starters and airlocking is to REDUCE the chance of bacteria colonizing your wort not ELIMINATE it. elimination is not possible unless you have a lab grade clean room.
 
I too use a blow off for the first week then switch to the airlock. You can leave it or take it off, it doesn't matter. I switch over to make moving the carboys around easier.
 
I too use a blow off for the first week then switch to the airlock. You can leave it or take it off, it doesn't matter. I switch over to make moving the carboys around easier.

Ditto what Hammy said, I do the exact same thing
 
I leave the blow off on unless I need it for a new batch. I want to change it! That means a new beer. I only have one blow off assembly for my Better Bottles.
 
Keep in mind that your blow off tube IS an airlock.

Pez.


People who are afraid of oxidization will say that it's an airlock that somehow can let a lot of o2 permeate. But i think those people are ninnies.

I did have a 1 gallon brew that got left in a closet with a blowoff tube while i was on vacation. There were some wild temperature swings and the water line in the blowoff vessel was about 2/3rds as high as the water line in the fermenter.

There was some suckback. of bleach water. I was very disappointed.

Other reasons for switching to an airlock after vigorous fermentation is over may include: The blowoff vessel is full of dead krausen and is starting to stink, you were going to mess around with something in your fermentation space and you'd just as soon completely avoid knocking over the blowoff vessel, you just plain feel like it, etc.
 
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