Blow Off Question

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mgortel

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Brewed a Sweet Stout Saturday (2 days ago)....fermenting in a 5 gallon carboy with a full bore blow off tube.

Fermentation has slowed.....no more krausen coming out.....but boy did alot come out the first 2 days.....

Anyway, my overflow bucket with star san is loaded with krausen and is all brown....must be twice the starting volume of starsan I had.

Question is.....should I pull the blow off tube now that fermentation is slow...no new krausen...and stick a plug with air lock on carboy? I am worried about "germs" forming in overflow bucket cause of so much krausen even though it was a star san solution in there.....dont want them to get back into carboy.

My first time using a full bore blow off tube.
 
Once you are sure you are not going to get any more blow off you can pull the tube and put an airlock in place. Another day or two is not going to hurt anything.

It is amazing sometimes just how much will blow off. You never know which brews will do it, so I start every brew with a blow off tube.
 
Wewwwww ....you aint kidding man! A ton blew out......first time using carboy for primary (and it is only 5 gallon) ....usually use a ale pail...for th eextra headspace.....I needed to use carboy in order to fit into ferm chamber......since another brew in there in a ale pail.

Anyway, i think I should invest in a 6 gallon carboy.....

I will wait another day or so...maybe wait until the krausen still setting on top drops.....??:mug:
 
Bacteria and other "germs" can't crawl, so I never worry about it and just leave the blow-off the entire time. If the blow-off bucket is really filthy, I just replace the star-san...although I'm not even totally sure that's necessary.
 
I just leave the blow off tube in the whole time I primary (usually 5-10 days depending on the batch and how lazy I am that week.) However, I have never wasted starsan in the water bucket... I don't think it's necessary... done about 30 brews this way with zero issues... Is there aby reason to use starsan in the blow off bucket? Thought bacteria can't move up the tube?
I do change the water a few times depending on how much is coming out
 
Is there aby reason to use starsan in the blow off bucket?

The only reason I do it is because I've occasionally had issues w/ suck back after crash-cooling. Fortunately the beer came out fine anyways, but I'd much rather it accidentally pull back star-san than regular water that's had yeast/trub blown off into it.
 
If I use a blow off I just about always swap over to an airlock after it settles down. The main reason is if my kids run by it it's more likely they knock the tube off, or the water over. Much less likely they knock the airlock off.

I would think it's fine to leave the blowoff on if it's a solid setup even with yuck-a blown into the sani-tized water, although I'd probably at least change the water just so I never question IF it is a problem :D
 
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