need help fast with blow off problem

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jffrybauer

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This is only my fourth batch and I have a problem. I have a batch that went into primary on saturday night. This morning, there is foam literally pouring out of my airlock.

Is it too late to switch over to a blowoff, or should I just let it overflow?

I'm afraid the airlock holes will clog and blow the lock.
 
Yup, been there done that many a time. Don't worry about it and just do like Yooper tells ya. Wipe up the goo if necessary with a cloth dipped in sanitizer. I like to spray starsan all over the neck and blow-off once I have wiped it just to be sure. Then let it go til it settles down. Then you can replace the airlock.

No worries.
 
jffrybauer said:
I'm afraid the airlock holes will clog and blow the lock.
Click to expand...

Your fears are completely founded. Unless your ceiling needs painted anyway, do as the others have suggested and rig up a blowoff. Be careful removing the existing airlock though. There might already be quite a bit of pressure built up behind it, resulting in an unexpected "facial."
 
thanks to each of you.

With my limited supplies, the best I was able to do was pull a stretch of 7/16 tubing through a "universal" stopper, about 2 or 3 inches past the bottom of the stopper. Had to use pliers to pull it through since the tube was bigger than the hole and I'm not hearing any hissing from the stopper so I guess it's an airtight fit.

I dropped the other end into a 3 gal pot with about 3 inches of purified water covering the tube's outlet.

All seems good, I have kraeusen moving through the tube and the water in the pot is bubbling with co2 outlet.
 
jffrybauer said:
I dropped the other end into a 3 gal pot with about 3 inches of purified water covering the tube's outlet.
Click to expand...

Good work. If you've not already done so, add some sanitizer (idophor or starsan or something like that) to the water in the pot. You don't want bad stuff growing in there and working it's way back through the tube. Or maybe that's what you meant by purified water.
 
I have taken a different path

I took the stopper out and put a cloth soaked in Vodka over the top for a day then when things slowed down put the stopper in
Beer was find

I sent a plastic bucket cover to the ceiling in the shower one time. so take the advice with that in mind.
 
StunnedMonkey said:
Your fears are completely founded. Unless your ceiling needs painted anyway, do as the others have suggested and rig up a blowoff. Be careful removing the existing airlock though. There might already be quite a bit of pressure built up behind it, resulting in an unexpected "facial."
Click to expand...

Thanks for this classic, I am at work and just choked when I read it lol.
 
FYI...You can always do this with your 3 piece airlock...

Airlockbo2.jpg


Ailockbo1.jpg
 
I had the same sort of problem, however I was out of town when the fermentation really picked up. I got back to find dried foam all down the side of my carboy and an airlock filled with brownish water and a ring of yeast cake at the bottom of the chamber, but the airlock was still working/bubbling since the ale-water mixture was higher than the fill line. I didn't have the time/materials to make a blow off tube and left it that way for a few days.

Do I need to worry about this batch being ruined? The airlock was still functioning but was filled with a water ale mixture and inactive yeast. I finally got my materials for a blow off line today, but it sat like that for about a week (im guessing).

Thanks
 
burns629 said:
I had the same sort of problem, however I was out of town when the fermentation really picked up. I got back to find dried foam all down the side of my carboy and an airlock filled with brownish water and a ring of yeast cake at the bottom of the chamber, but the airlock was still working/bubbling since the ale-water mixture was higher than the fill line. I didn't have the time/materials to make a blow off tube and left it that way for a few days.

Do I need to worry about this batch being ruined? The airlock was still functioning but was filled with a water ale mixture and inactive yeast. I finally got my materials for a blow off line today, but it sat like that for about a week (im guessing).

Thanks
Click to expand...

No worries that this batch is ruined. Other than the mess, you are good. There is so much CO2 pushing out, nothing is going to get in. It's lucky you didn't have an explosion while you were gone. Clean it up, re-sanitize your bung and airlock and let that baby finish fermenting.

Welcome to HBT!
 
rag soaked in vodka was a nice touch- i have never heard of that. MacGuyver would be proud
 

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