Blow off tube vs air lock

I brewed a west coast IPA on Saturday and since it was a 5 gallon batch in a 6 gallon carboy I put a blow off tube on instead of an airlock. This appears to have been a good choice since the tube is full of Kroisen and the bucket is full of beer colored bubbly StarSan.

It has been 4 days now and things are slowing down so I was wondering - should I take out the tube and replace it with an airlock or just leave it alone?

What do you do???

I switch mine only because I'm not confident in whatever I use for the other end of the blow off tube. I'd hate for it to get knocked over somehow and find it hours later.

MKEbrew said:

I switch mine only because I'm not confident in whatever I use for the other end of the blow off tube. I'd hate for it to get knocked over somehow and find it hours later.

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Ya, if the blow-off tube is in a stable vessle you can leave it there for the whole fermentation.

Leave it alone unless you think there will be a large drop in temp causing suck back.

rockfish42 said:

suck back.

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Nobody likes that!!!!

Either way is fine. Just be sanitary if you change it. I would also change the Starsan solution in the catch jar if you haven't just in case you get the dreaded suck back.

I use a blowoff, many of my beers would have made HUGE messes without it and I think I will always use one just for safety measures.

I leave it on until I go to secondary, and see no need for a bubbler. I've never had suckback, but I use a large arc on my tube that would take a great deal to suckback on. Largest temp drop for me has been from 84F down to 65F.

It's less hassle to leave it alone too (nice plus), but the downside is you don't get to watch the nice little bubbler I do use a bubbler if I make a cider and then I can get my kicks watching a bubbler if I have the urge.

One of the reasons I am thinking of switching it over is because the tube is 1/2" and a lot of gunk has passed through it. now when I watch it burping into the catch bucket, it will have a few regularly spaced bubbles and then all of the sudden it will do a big belch of bubbles. I'm wondering if the tube is slightly restricted...

I think I'll just change it over - and of course then I can watch the bubbles!

The less you mess with it the less chance there is for something to go wrong...

I leave mine on for the duration of the primary. If I need to check, add or mess with it, I switch over to an airlock. FWIW I use good old tap water in my blowoff bucket because Starsan is sanitizing it why? and it is expensive... The worlds cheapest vodka goes in the airlock because IF there is a "suck back" I may as well be some tasteless booze vs. a chemical.

I'm new at this compared to many, but, my novice perspective ...

I made a huge mess one time with a plugged bubbler ... my fault, but, I now always use a tube during primary and go to a vodka-filled airlock for secondary. I use water in my blowoff bucket with good results. I ferment in a room with stable temps ... maybe that is why I get away with water. Starsan in the bucket is a good idea, but, I've not needed to go there.

I switch it out after things slow down, around day 5 for most brews. I like to remove my blowoff setup so I can thoroughly clean it. No point in cleaning month old yeast gunk out of a 1/2 inch hose if you don't have to. I swab the carboy/bung with 70% rubbing alcohol before I pull the bung and replace it. I'm not at all worried about the 2 seconds of exposure -- sounds like brewer-paranoia to me.

I am among those who use a blow-off for the first very vigorous fermentation, and then switch it out with a 3-piece airlock. You could certainly leave the blow-off attached if you don't anticipate a sudden drop in temperature. Either way is fine.

glenn514

{OMG...this was my five hundred and SECOND post! I missed the 500 mark!}

LarryC said:

One of the reasons I am thinking of switching it over is because the tube is 1/2" and a lot of gunk has passed through it. now when I watch it burping into the catch bucket, it will have a few regularly spaced bubbles and then all of the sudden it will do a big belch of bubbles. I'm wondering if the tube is slightly restricted...

I think I'll just change it over - and of course then I can watch the bubbles!

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More likely that there is a bunch of yeast slurry in the catch vessel that is restricting air flow. I cut that end of the blow off hose in a 45 degree angle to eliminate the restriction. It works.

Bob

Why not just use a few drops of Fermcap-S prior to primary? Eliminates the need for blowoff tubes (unless you're crazily trying to ferment 6.4G in a 6.5G bucket).

BNAllen said:

I made a huge mess one time with a plugged bubbler ....

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Only one time? Yeah, you MUST be new....

I had the airlock on my bucket plug once, and the top of the fermenter was domed up about 1.5"! Like a *******, I reached for the airlock to pull it out, and "burp" the fermenter.

Fortunately, my other half correctly envisioned a jet of wort coming out the hole and stopped me... "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I also have raisin stains on my bathroom ceiling above the tub, because they plug the airlock grommet hole nicely with the airlock removed, and will hold a surprising amount of pressure before they let go.....

I need to investigate these blow off set ups, i just lost about 2 gallons to a geyser of foamy beer this morning. What a freaking mess it cause. 6 gallons in a 6.5 carboy was a mistake with no blow off. Im just glad we were home.

I never had a beer geyser but it is only because I read so many stories here of that happening.When I bought my starter kit it came with a blow off tube. When I switched to Better Bottles (after dropping a glass carboy) I had to get a different blow off setup and this one uses a 1/2" tube over the inner stem of the 3 piece airlock. So no matter what type of fermentation container you use, you can rig up a blow off tube.

I've switched to always using one, need it or not. It is just easier I think.

My glass carboy is large enough that I have no risk of it blowing out so I just use an airlock.

BrewThruYou said:

Why not just use a few drops of Fermcap-S prior to primary? Eliminates the need for blowoff tubes (unless you're crazily trying to ferment 6.4G in a 6.5G bucket).

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NOT ALL THE TIME!! I started using Fermcap-S on my second brew. (11 done to date) 2 of my higher gravity brews have blown vigorously anyway. One used Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity in a Belgian Dubbel and the other was my last using WLP023 Burton Ale yeast in a Winter Ale. 5 gallons in a 6 gallon Better Bottle. Just a little more for the Belgian Dubbel.

I leave the blow off tube in place if it stays clean and change it if it gets scummy.

I just rest solid lids on my buckets now. No snapping down, no airlocks. Works like a champ.

EdWort said:

I just rest solid lids on my buckets now. No snapping down, no airlocks. Works like a champ.

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Brilliant. Definitely doing this next time. Many foam-overs?