Fermentation Explosion/Question

So I am brewing myself a clone of Stone Brewery's Arrogant Bastard and had a little problem in my fermentation process. I capped off my fermenter the other day and inserted my airlock (just the same as I have done it times before).

Apparently while fermenting they head had blocked up my airlock. The pressure continued to build resulting in the lid of my 5 gallon fermentation bucket blowing off.

My best guess is that this batch sat open to the environment for no more than 6 hours. When I realized the problem I cleaned out the air lock and reconnected the lid. As I sat there anxiously awaiting the first bubbles to start up again, nothing came.

Is this batch a wash?
Will I need to reintroduce my yeast strand?
Is this just a bump in the fermentation processes that should be of now concern?

Thanks for the advice.

No, your beer should be fine since the brew was outgassing.

This happens every once in a while with clogged airlocks.

I'm sure your airlock is gurgling away again by now.

Check the gravity - maybe it's already done.

I certain it's fine. I've never had a blowoff that resulted in a contaminated/wasted batch.

All,

Thank you for the advice. Sonvolt, I am pretty sure that it is not finished yet. I am only a day into the primary fermentation. I will check for gas when I get home this evening.

Cheers

If your using Nottinghams yeast, they are known, from what I've read around here, to ferment pretty quickly. Mine did that, one day of aggresive fermenting, then nothing. Well, nothing to see on the bubbler, but it was still fermenting. Might check you lid, you could have blown the gasket loose and are now experiencing some leakage around the air lock.

I blew the lid off my fermintation bin the first 2 batches I brewed and they both turned out fine, I don't use a sealed container just a big bucket with a lid (that I no longer seal completely!) I think people seem obsessed with contamination but as far as I can gather the chances of actually getting nasties into your beer are pretty low, some people brew with completely open containers remember!

However I am still pretty new to this so I may be talking utter rubish!

my local homebrew guy told me that in england they just place a clean towel over the fermenter opening and let it go ... i'm betting airlocks were invented for people too darn busy to check their carboys/buckets on a regular basis ... like me

Let's not forget they've been brewing beer for a couple thousand years, airlocks are a 19th century invention, give or take a hundred years.

As long as you didn't roll around in your compost pile and then stick your hand down to the bottom of your bucket, chances are you're fine.

Remember, the worst thing that could happend is you could wait another week to throw it out. Taste it before you bottle if you're still worried.

I read somewhere, as long as fermentation has started, the worst thing that can happen to beer is that it will taste bad. Anything with fermented alcohol is an inhospitable enough environment to kill anything that's actually bad for you.

Relax, it's just beer.

kvh