Advice on your first blow off tube!

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Butler

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So Im a noob and thought that Id share my first experience with a blow off tube mess. First heres what Ive done so far, Got my first beer making kit in December for Christmas, batches made so far:

1. Alititude amber ale that came with kit, just bottled yesterday.
2. Midwest Kolsch, primary
3. Ed worts Apfelwein, primary
4. Just made Brandon O's Graff yesterday, using Wyeast 3068 weizen

So I used the same blow off tube set up for the Graff as I did on the Apfelwein, because I used the weizen yeast on that as well and it needed it cause it filled the bottle with a heavy foam. By the way, all 5 gal batches in 5 gal carboy. Well I only used a quart sized mason jar for the blow off tube with about 2" of sterilized water in it, well woke up this morning and the closet reeked of beer/apple smell, open the door to find out that it filled the jar up with foam as well and over flowed, not a lot but a bit, luckly the closet is tiled, sort of easy mess, but had to pull all three primaries out to clean the bottoms, lesson learned, use a bigger jar for your blow off tube.

-Cheers
 
I suspect I'll be purchasing my first carboy soon and will need to construct my first blow off. Thanks for the advice!
 
Similar thing happened to me. Made my brown ale batch last night, set it up blowing off into a tall mason jar half filled with sanitizer/water solution. I woke up w/ it over flowing. Easy clean up but when in doubt, go bigger
 
you needed a blow off for Apfelwein? there shouldn't be krausen in apfelwein.

i use a gallon milk jug can fit a couple of tubes in it
 
you needed a blow off for Apfelwein? there shouldn't be krausen in apfelwein.

i use a gallon milk jug can fit a couple of tubes in it
I used Wyeast 3068 wiezen yeast, it is quite an active fermentation to say the least, if you look up other threads on various yeast to use for Apfelwein, you get different decriptions of the many profiles of using different yeast.

By the way the milk jug is a great idea, thanks!
 
For what its worth, since I started keeping my fermentation temps under control I've not needed a blow off tube at all. By under control I mean within the recommended range for the yeast strain used.
 
The pic I posted above is actually WLP530 @60º in a 50º environment...good healthy starters and servomyces + this yeast = blowoff, I don't care what temp you're at. There's no rule of thumb when different strains and methods come into play.
 
For a 5 gallon batch you should use a 6.5 gallon carboy or bucket.

Absolutely this! Your primary needs some head space for the krausen to spread into! 5 gallon carboys are great for secondary / lagering / dry hopping / etc., but 6 or 6.5 gallon carboys work great primary. Couple one of those with a blow-off tube, and you shouldn't have any more crazy messes to deal with.
 
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