So I brewed up a Russian Imperial Stout 2 days ago and the ferment was slow to get going. Then it started to take off and I was content to just leave it, and check in on it periodically.
So I got home last night to a bunch of people at my house playing Halo. I joined in and played until 3am when I decided I needed to go to bed. I checked on the fermenter one last time before bed and I then realized that I had a situation on my hands. A very bad one. There was Krausen just starting to come up the airlock. The lid had swollen to the point that I was concerned it was going to possibly blow off the bucket. So, quickly thinking about my options I grabbed my bottling hose and filled a gallon jug with water. When I yanked the airlock out of the lid, krausen shot upward all over some clothing as the fermenter purged the extreme amount of CO2 built up.
I then crammed the tube into the grommet and stuck the other end in the jug. Feeling that the situation was under control I checked the temp. It had risen 5*F in 6 hours so I grabbed a block of ice and another fermenter and dropped in the ice, with the RIS fermenter following it. I HOPE like hell that this beer isn't so mean and nasty that the ferment temps will run rampant.
So with that said, A Warning to New or even Experienced Extract brewers: Brewing 1.080 extract brews will usually need a blowoff tube, not an airlock.!!!
So I got home last night to a bunch of people at my house playing Halo. I joined in and played until 3am when I decided I needed to go to bed. I checked on the fermenter one last time before bed and I then realized that I had a situation on my hands. A very bad one. There was Krausen just starting to come up the airlock. The lid had swollen to the point that I was concerned it was going to possibly blow off the bucket. So, quickly thinking about my options I grabbed my bottling hose and filled a gallon jug with water. When I yanked the airlock out of the lid, krausen shot upward all over some clothing as the fermenter purged the extreme amount of CO2 built up.
I then crammed the tube into the grommet and stuck the other end in the jug. Feeling that the situation was under control I checked the temp. It had risen 5*F in 6 hours so I grabbed a block of ice and another fermenter and dropped in the ice, with the RIS fermenter following it. I HOPE like hell that this beer isn't so mean and nasty that the ferment temps will run rampant.
So with that said, A Warning to New or even Experienced Extract brewers: Brewing 1.080 extract brews will usually need a blowoff tube, not an airlock.!!!