Fermentation Overflow

hello all, this is my first post on the forum looks great i'm sure i'll spend lots of time looking around to get some good knowledge but first things first...

i brewed my 3rd homebrew this past sunday. pitched the yeast and put the airlock on... it started bubblin alittle later and when i woke up the next morning it was really going and pretty much all day monday. when i get home from work monday i checked on it and i had beer on my lid and foam throughout my airlock - looks like it was going crazy and the beer got sucked into the airlock... anyway my question is wtf is going on? my first 2 beers didnt have any sort of problem like this... i'm worried if liquid is coming out than bad things are getting in? do i need to be worried? should i take the airlock off and cover the hole long enough to clean the airlock and put new water back in it? i hope it isnt ruined

any info would be appreciated, thanks in advance

Relax, everthing is going just fine! You've just had a very active fermentation. It's probably a good idea to clean the airlock, but if it's still overflowing, you'll need to put a blow-off hose on it. You can do that by putting your siphon tube into your rubber stopper or take the top off of your airlock and stick the hose on the middle of it. Then run the other end of your tubing into a bucket of water.

Welcome to the board!

Sounds like you need a blow off tube. It just means you've got a really bitchin fermentation going on.

Don't sweat it, I'm sure it'll be fine. If it is still going crazy, I'd search for blow off tube, and hook one up to prevent another mess.

I'm going to continue to do my primary fermentation in a glass carboy for just this reason, no surprises.

Too slow!

I know.

Is someone singing Eric Clapton songs around here?

That was a chant. Everything after Slowhand sucked.

You're wrong, everthing after Cream sucked.

sweet, i'm pretty pumped about brewing - like i said this is my 3rd beer and my first 2 have been awesome... i havent been brewing as often as i'd like but i'm a beginner and live in an apt so i can only do what i can....


i might have to start doin my primary in the carboy, do you just use a funnel to pour the beer into the carboy? no worries about splashin?

Chairman Cheyco said:

You're wrong, everthing after Cream sucked.

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I thought he started sucking right after he left the Bluesbreakers.

El Pistolero said:

I thought he started sucking right after he left the Bluesbreakers.

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No, wrong again. Cream. It was after that he picked up a Fender and stopped doing drugs. Pansey.

dinger said:

i might have to start doin my primary in the carboy, do you just use a funnel to pour the beer into the carboy? no worries about splashin?

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When transferring your wort to primary (in this case, a carboy), some splashing is actually a good thing. You need to aerate the wort so the yeast can go through the respiration phase. Just make sure your carboy, funnel, and anything else that touches the wort when it's below 160F are thoroughly sanitized. Also, make sure the wort is sufficiently cooled before aerating...you never want to aerate hot wort.

I live in an apartment too Dinger, so I feel your pain...cant wait to get a house so I can upgrade to a turkey fryer and have a basement to condition my beer.:rockin:

JRGSPE73 said:

When transferring your wort to primary (in this case, a carboy), some splashing is actually a good thing. You need to aerate the wort so the yeast can go through the respiration phase. Just make sure your carboy, funnel, and anything else that touches the wort when it's below 160F are thoroughly sanitized. Also, make sure the wort is sufficiently cooled before aerating...you never want to aerate hot wort.

I live in an apartment too Dinger, so I feel your pain...cant wait to get a house so I can upgrade to a turkey fryer and have a basement to condition my beer.:rockin:

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exactly.... yeah i think i aerated this one alittle more than the past 2 which may explain the kick a55 fermentation... anyway if you guys say no worries than cool - i'm just worried about contaminating it... like taking the airlock off to clean or if liquid is oozing out is anything possibly getting in?

JUST woke up this morning and had exactly the same thing happen to me on my 3rd batch as well (guessing it's an unlucky brew #?) I was thralled when you said everything would be fine! I just tried to assemble a "blowoff" hose but my POS airlock/hose are not able to fit, so instead of an ole duct taping i just re-filled the airlock and will have to watch it. I have never seen yeast react this way! So hope it comes out thanks for the advice next batches i think will all be blowoff hose assembled!

Chairman Cheyco said:

No, wrong again. Cream. It was after that he picked up a Fender and stopped doing drugs. Pansey.

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What about Delaney and Bonnie era?

Chairman Cheyco said:

No, wrong again. Cream. It was after that he picked up a Fender and stopped doing drugs. Pansey.

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He was on the right track with Mayall, but went commercial after Blind Faith.

My wort foameth over. Basement air temp 64 deg F, brewing IPA from a kit. It's a good year for foam! I'm glad to hear the flavor should hold up. Thanks.

Hi Guys, new to this forum. Not sure if this post is dead but any help would be great.
After a couple of days of fermenring, my batch came through the airlock, I took the lid off and gave it a clean and pit it back on. I think I might have fill the fermenter too much. My question is, now that the fermentation has finished the level on my hydrometer is showing as high as it should. Could I add in more yeast or will it be ok?

Thanks

BeardBrew said:

Hi Guys, new to this forum. Not sure if this post is dead but any help would be great.
After a couple of days of fermenring, my batch came through the airlock, I took the lid off and gave it a clean and pit it back on. I think I might have fill the fermenter too much. My question is, now that the fermentation has finished the level on my hydrometer is showing as high as it should. Could I add in more yeast or will it be ok?

Thanks

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What do you mean by, "as high as it should"? Like you've hit your FG? What was your OG and prjected FG? I wouldnt add any yeast, I dont see what good that would do you now that you have (potentially) hit your FG. To avoid the airlock issues, I would look into setting up a blow off tube for initial fermentation, then switch to airlock if you are so inclined. Then you wont have the explosion issues.

Wow. A 2006 thread dredged up in 2009 and again in 2015!!!

BLOW OFF TUBE!!!

No need to add more yeast since you have fermentation it will only waste yeast. (Unless you have a stalled fermentation which it does not appear in this case).

Wait at least 7 -10 days after brew day, if all visible signs of fermentation have ended, take a gravity reading, then wait 24-48 hours and take another one. If the readings are the same your fermentation is done.

Now you can make some decisions. If the beer is clear you can bottle it. Or many will leave it in primary for a few days to a month or more to allow the yeast time to clean up off flavors produced by fermentation. I usually go 14 to 21 days then keg it.

Another option is to do a secondary, this gets the beer off the yeast and sediment and might allow the beer to become more clear.

If adding something like dry hops or fruit a secondary is a good idea.
If aging a heavy beer for extended time a secondary is best.

I suggest getting a copy of How to Brew by John Palmer

Read up, learn and Brew On!!

Thanks for the reply.

The hydrometer i'm using has got colored sections which show start level and end level of fermentation(or what is should be) and it has stopped about half way up the level. I have used this kit(Woodfordes Wherry) before and it went up to the end level within 2 weeks.
I didn't take note of the OG Level. I'll set up a blow off tune to stop this in future.

Cheers