Using a Larger Airlock Blowoff Tube

I started a honey weizen yesterday and after reading some things about wheat and honey I figured I would be better off with a blowoff than an airlock. Better safe than sorry, right?

I came home from work to a rather escalated fermentation and ran off to the hardware store right before it closed to get some tubing and a bucket. I measured the inside of the outer wall of the airlock and got tubing to fit inside it.

When I got back and did some searching I realized everyone seems to use a small diameter tube pushed over the inside post of a three-piece airlock to rig a blowoff tube, rather than a larger diameter 1.25" o.d. tube pushed inside the outer wall of an airlock... like this...



I'm worried it could be forced out easier by co2, and thats why people always but a tube around the inner post. Anyone try this? Should I just try it and RDWHAB? It seems like it fits pretty tightly and would work ok...

Looks like a pretty good idea to me. I might have to try that sometime.

I went ahead and hooked it up, replaced the airlock with vodka with a newly sanitized airlock and hose, put it in a bucket of sanitiser..

Before:




After:





Bubbling away:

[youtube]YQdLDbkpL7Q[/youtube]

i have a big tube as well, haven't figured out a way to use it with my better bottles yet though. using the big tube the way you are kinda defeats the purpose since you are limmited by the small diameter of the 3 piece airlock's inner post. when blowing off real hard make sure to keep an eye on it because it could become a real mess if that 3 piece gets clogged up and blows the lid off your bucket or even worse exploads a glass carboy! tell tale sign of a clogged blowoff tube in a bucket is domeing of the lid, watch for those bubbles

I think we use the center post of the airlock, because none of us have thought to use a larger tube... If it worked, then I'd say it's a great idea!

I just used the center post becasue it happened to fit my bottling hose.

One hint, saw the little cross hatched piece of plastic off the bottom of your airlock, this way gunk won't get caught in it and block you further.

If that all works, cool. But whenever i've had a clogged airlock, it originated from the little holes at the BOTTOM of that style of airlock, not in the water or tubing. In my case, adding that large tubing wouldn't have helped. FWIW.

cactusgarrett said:

If that all works, cool. But whenever i've had a clogged airlock, it originated from the little holes at the BOTTOM of that style of airlock, not in the water or tubing. In my case, adding that large tubing wouldn't have helped. FWIW.

Click to expand...

That's why I saw the section with the little holes off my airlocks.

Good Idea, Revvy, I'm doing that tonight when I get home. I still have the "x" in place on all mine.

Revvy said:

One hint, saw the little cross hatched piece of plastic off the bottom of your airlock, this way gunk won't get caught in it and block you further.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I will do that when I get home tonight.

Revvy said:

I think we use the center post of the airlock, because none of us have thought to use a larger tube... If it worked, then I'd say it's a great idea!

I just used the center post becasue it happened to fit my bottling hose.

One hint, saw the little cross hatched piece of plastic off the bottom of your airlock, this way gunk won't get caught in it and block you further.

Click to expand...

I just cut my "X" off last night and got some 1/2" I.D. tubing from ACE and it fits nice & snug over the center post. I do like the bigger tube as well...still might try that?

Thanks Revvy!!