Carboy is overflowing

Just checked my carboy, and the foam has gotten so high it is up in my airlock. Suggestions? It is a 5 gallon carboy and has 5 gallons in it, did i overfill??

irishbrew26 said:

Just checked my carboy, and the foam has gotten so high it is up in my airlock. Suggestions? It is a 5 gallon carboy and has 5 gallons in it, did i overfill??

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Lol I was just coming here to post the same thing. I tried to take the airlock off but it is like a loaded gun. Gotta be a easy way to fix. Otherwise she gonna blow!!

If you are using a carboy for your primary, use a 6.5g if you can so you have adequate headspace for the krausen. Also, for the first, most active phase of fermentation, hook up a blowoff tube into a bowl of sanitized water.

short answer, yes a 5 gallon carboy is not large enough to ferment a 5 gallon batch. Normally 6.5 gallon ( or larger) fermenters are used for primary fermentation.

Since its already fermenting, I would say your best bet is to change to a blow off tube as opposed to the airlock you are using, and hope for the best.

in the furture smaller batches, or buy a larger carboy!

the 5 gallon carboy should be good for secondary fermenting a 5 gallon batch though, so the carboy doesnt have to go to waste.

Is there anything i can do now? Should i take off the airlock and try and hook up my long tube to the carboy bung??

Never ferment 5 gallons in a five gallon carboy. its always going to overflow. what you can do is to put in a blow off tube. but next time get a bigger carboy. try a 6.5 gallon bucket they work great but also put in a blow off tube!!!

Hook up a blow off tube and it will be fine. My first beer blew off the air lock and hit the walls and celling. I put in a blow off tube and all was fine. You will just have a little less beer than you had planned.

I did this once in a pinch. Since it's late and I'm sure a 1" blow off tube isn't falling from the sky...use your racking tube, soften the end with hot water, sanitize and it will slip onto the center tube of the 3 piece airlock, just take the other 2 pieces out. Just watch it to make sure it doesn't clog or you're at square 1. Not ideal, but in a day or so, you can remove the airlock, clean and sanitize it, reinsert and your back in business.

Blow off tube!

all i use is 5 gallon carboys for 5 gallons never had a problem, just use a blow off tube

irishbrew26 said:

Is there anything i can do now? Should i take off the airlock and try and hook up my long tube to the carboy bung??

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I just did that and it worked perfect. Only problem was I wanted to slowly let off pressure but.... My ******* wanted to get a good whif of the beer as it came out and it shot all over my dam face. Beard is covered with sticky ****. What a moron.

Ok, stuck my tube in the piece of th airlock, looks likeit should work, thanksso much!!

mux said:

View attachment 43918

Blow off tube!

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Are those ... t-shirts covering the carboys? That's pretty smart to keep the light out. I might steal that.

irishbrew26 said:

Ok, stuck my tube in the piece of th airlock, looks likeit should work, thanksso much!!

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No problem! Just remember to check that skinny line from time to time to make sure it doesn't clog. In the future something like mux has setup is ideal, plus a 6.5 gallon carboy won't lose as much brew.

Yeah, it always seems to go nuts when you don't have a blow off tube in. I didn't on this on this batch. It is 8 gallons split between two 5 gallon carboys, and it almost made it up to the airlock before I caught it.

RCBIV said:

Are those ... t-shirts covering the carboys? That's pretty smart to keep the light out. I might steal that.

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Yeah- the t-shirts work great.

yeah blow off tube is a MUST....
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3FhSpA1eDI]Ryley's Hollow leg an American Rye Beer - YouTube[/ame]

the above video is my American Rye after 24 hours. I changed out my blow off bottle with a new one wit fresh starsan water.

-=Jason=-

Is it true that if its blowing off it is blowing off all the good yeast?
Especially in ales?

Hopmonster1 said:

Is it true that if its blowing off it is blowing off all the good yeast?
Especially in ales?

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Not all of it. You should catch that good yeast for future use

Infant gas drops may help. Pop the air lock and instill 20 drops or so.

Just make sure to get the dye/flavor free stuff.

Use a blow off tube. search "carboy blow-off tube" in the forums.