Too big of a blow off bucket/jar

So I searched this and couldn't find it anywhere so I apologize if this has been answered before.
I just decided to use the five gallon bucket with 3.5 gallons of starsan as my blowoff jar, but it seems that it will not allow bubbles. Maybe the pressure is too much?
I pulled it up and taped it so bubble are coming out, but wondering if I messed anything up or if it is really even a problem?
Thanks

I cant see that being an issue as the psi in a 5gal bucket shouldn't be too great to prohibit the bubbles from leaving the tube.

The blow off tube is only to allow for the release of extra krausen. If the pressure of having the tube in 3.5 gallons of Starsan was too much for the container it would blow out the stopper or blow off the bucket lid. If not the tube would bubble eventually.

There is nothing wrong here except if you did have blowoff you are wasting 3.5 gallons of Starsan solution. You only need about 1-2 inches in a small jar. Put the jar in the bucket in case it overflows and you are all set.

Sorry I was just using the leftover starsan from sanitizing everything from the brew, so as not to waste it. Good to know nothing was wrong, but at least now I get to hear the bubbling sound of my robust porter

For my blow off I just use a mason jar with maybe 3 inches of sanitizer and a clip to make sure the tube end stays under. I can't think why you'd need a whole bucket.

I use a 1 gallon water jug. I zip tie the tube to the handle to make sure it doesn't come out.

Yourrealdad said:

Sorry I was just using the leftover starsan from sanitizing everything from the brew, so as not to waste it. Good to know nothing was wrong, but at least now I get to hear the bubbling sound of my robust porter

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No need to apologize. I use a pail and fill it half full with left over StarSan just as you did. I do this because I often run two hoses from different carboys in together--I may soon be running three at a time--and I have had a hose slip or move and flip a smaller container over. I know clips would help, but one of my hoses is a large diameter one that fits right in the end of my carboy so no clip is available. Also, when I started doing this was in the middle of the brew day with no time to run to the LHBS for a clip. Besides, I've never understood this whole "it's a waste of StarSan" thing. In 2 1/2 gallons that's what? About a half ounce. I'd rather waste a half ounce of Star san than tick off the better half, ruin a bunch of stuff or--heaven forbid--ruin an entire batch of beer. I'll pour an entire jug of straight Star San down the drain before I do any of those things--my LHBS carries the stuff so it's not like I have to order it from some distant land and wait six months to get more.

cluckk said:

Besides, I've never understood this whole "it's a waste of StarSan" thing. In 2 1/2 gallons that's what? About a half ounce. I'd rather waste a half ounce of Star san than tick off the better half, ruin a bunch of stuff or--heaven forbid--ruin an entire batch of beer.

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Well, I would rather waste it than those other two things as well, but I guess I don't live in a world where those other two things are a possible consequence of saving and re-using starsan.

This thread brings up an interesting question I have about blow off tubes. When I was fermenting my RIS it required a blow off tube and ended up just attaching a 1/2" tube onto the top of my air lock. Fit perfectly actually. But I certainly wouldn't want to do that again. Does anyone know the correct diameter of tubing needed so that it will fit snug into the top of a carboy?

BrewKid said:

This thread brings up an interesting question I have about blow off tubes. When I was fermenting my RIS it required a blow off tube and ended up just attaching a 1/2" tube onto the top of my air lock. Fit perfectly actually. But I certainly wouldn't want to do that again. Does anyone know the correct diameter of tubing needed so that it will fit snug into the top of a carboy?

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What happened? This is what I've been doing. My blow-off tube is connected to the middle post on a three-piece airlock, and I have heard of many others on here doing it too (that's where I learned about it). I did crimp off the little plastic X in the bottom of the airlock too though...

BrewKid said:

This thread brings up an interesting question I have about blow off tubes. Does anyone know the correct diameter of tubing needed so that it will fit snug into the top of a carboy?

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I use a 1" ID piece of tubing which fits snugly in the top of a fermenter.

BrewKnurd said:

Well, I would rather waste it than those other two things as well, but I guess I don't live in a world where those other two things are a possible consequence of saving and re-using starsan.

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I didn't say it was a possibility for you, me or anyone else. However, I have had it happen--perhaps someone will tell me I'm doing it wrong too. I simply was saying that doing it the way the OP did was not an error--which was his question, and which was implied by the other response. It costs about a buck for the Star San in the bucket to save (for me) ten to fifteen gallons of beer, peace with my wife, and the cost of replacing the carpet and much of the clothing in my closet. I was giving perspective.

I just realized that you just said that in your world it is not possible for a jar of star san to get knocked over in your fermentation area--since that was part of my point. I'd like to live in your world. Every where else I've been Murphy is alive and well. Do you even need Star San in your world since it seems things work differently there. It seems like if it is impossible for a jar to accidently turn-over, perhaps it is also impossible for your beer to get infected. Do you mash and boil your wort? Or do you draw beer straight from the grain? I'd like to visit your world someday. Wow!

I am being mostly sarcastic, by the way.

I do it my way, you do it yours. I'll pay for my Star San, you pay for yours or don't.

cluckk said:

I just realized that you just said that in your world it is not possible for a jar of star san to get knocked over in your fermentation area--since that was part of my point. I'd like to live in your world. Every where else I've been Murphy is alive and well.

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Sorry, I probably should have said "reasonable" vs "possible", and I never said anything about whether a jar could get knocked over, only if a pissed off SO or a lost batch were consequences of re-using star san, and there's no reason they need to be realistic consequences of re-using star-san, or even knocking over a blow-off jar that has starsan in it. My jar sits inside of a 5 gallon bucket. So if it turns over, it doesn't go anywhere. Except into my bucket. Also, setting it up against an edge of the bucket makes it way less likely that it will tip over.

My world really isn't that crazy, you see.

cluckk said:

Do you even need Star San in your world since it seems things work differently there. It seems like if it is impossible for a jar to accidently turn-over, perhaps it is also impossible for your beer to get infected. Do you mash and boil your wort? Or do you draw beer straight from the grain? I'd like to visit your world someday. Wow!

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Wow.

Thanks for the idea. I never thought of putting a smaller container into a larger one.

I used my bottling bucket as a container for my blow off tube but didn't put enough easy clean in it. It was bubbling fine but mold started growing in the bucket. Is there any chance that my wort can get contaminated from the mold that grew in the bucket? I am soaking the bucket with PBW Cleaner now. Should I use bleach too? I'll probably get a new spigot. Thanks in advance for any advice

tg123 said:

I used my bottling bucket as a container for my blow off tube but didn't put enough easy clean in it. It was bubbling fine but mold started growing in the bucket. Is there any chance that my wort can get contaminated from the mold that grew in the bucket? I am soaking the bucket with PBW Cleaner now. Should I use bleach too? I'll probably get a new spigot. Thanks in advance for any advice

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If you've got mold growing in anything that will touch your beer after boiling, I'd chuck it. Don't even chance it. Get a free bucket from a grocery store bakery and add a 2 dollar spigot to it.

Fizzycist said:

If you've got mold growing in anything that will touch your beer after boiling, I'd chuck it. Don't even chance it. Get a free bucket from a grocery store bakery and add a 2 dollar spigot to it.

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Thanks for the advice. How about the existing beer that's in the fermenter? Any chance that the mold could travel back through the blow off tube into the carboy? I'm assuming no since it has positive pressure from the CO2 production but just want to make sure. I swapped it out with an airlock and it seems to be bubbling still which I think is a good sign.

Thanks!

unionrdr said:

No,it won't back up the tube into the beer. You're fine there. I use 1/2 gallon plastic vodka bottles for blow off jugs. !/3 full of water with a splash of starsan. No mold,just co2 & krausen.

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Thanks! That makes me feel better. I'll pick up some starsan next time I'm at my lhbs.

Yourrealdad said:

So I searched this and couldn't find it anywhere so I apologize if this has been answered before.
I just decided to use the five gallon bucket with 3.5 gallons of starsan as my blowoff jar, but it seems that it will not allow bubbles. Maybe the pressure is too much?
I pulled it up and taped it so bubble are coming out, but wondering if I messed anything up or if it is really even a problem?
Thanks

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other than the fact that you wasted more than 3 1/4 gallons of starsan, nothing wrong with the setup.

BrewKid said:

This thread brings up an interesting question I have about blow off tubes. When I was fermenting my RIS it required a blow off tube and ended up just attaching a 1/2" tube onto the top of my air lock. Fit perfectly actually. But I certainly wouldn't want to do that again. Does anyone know the correct diameter of tubing needed so that it will fit snug into the top of a carboy?

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Why wouldn't you do that again? I'm using the middle post of the 3-piece airlock with 1/2" tubing going to a bottle of sanitizer. I didn't cut off the posts either...and it's bubbling constantly since about 6hr after pitching and it's been 24hr now. It's not a BIG beer though...so maybe that makes a difference. It's a 1.068 OG IPA w/2 packs of Safale 05.

Picked up a bucket from a local grocery store that they used for dill pickle. A little rinse with bleach or oxyclean and it should be good to to right? Hopefully the pickle smell doesn't stay

tg123 said:

I used my bottling bucket as a container for my blow off tube but didn't put enough easy clean in it. It was bubbling fine but mold started growing in the bucket. Is there any chance that my wort can get contaminated from the mold that grew in the bucket? I am soaking the bucket with PBW Cleaner now. Should I use bleach too? I'll probably get a new spigot. Thanks in advance for any advice

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Please, this is a non issue. That mold isn't going to magically crawl into your beer, and it isn't going to hurt your bucket.

I also use my bottling bucket, and I also have been guilty of not changing out the crud once fermentation dies down. Had a horribly, stinky, moldy bucket.

Oxiclean + hot water + lots of rinsing + sanitizer. Have had no issues with it since.

homebrewdad said:

Please, this is a non issue. That mold isn't going to magically crawl into your beer, and it isn't going to hurt your bucket.

I also use my bottling bucket, and I also have been guilty of not changing out the crud once fermentation dies down. Had a horribly, stinky, moldy bucket.

Oxiclean + hot water + lots of rinsing + sanitizer. Have had no issues with it since.

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Thanks homebrewdad. Sorry if it's a stupid question. Still new at this and I've seen some mixed opinions. I did rinse out the bucket and soaked with oxyclean and it looks like the plastic where the mold grew is a little darker than the rest of the bucket. I'm thinking it's the mold staining the bucket. I'll do a few more rinses and soaks to see if it'll come out. In any case I got a free bucket from the grocery store so I have that as backup too. Cheers