Blow off top

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fire943

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My blow off cap keeps getting blow off the carboy. Does anyone know why? And how to prevent. I'm concerned my batch is "blown". Sorry about the pun. The batch is temp controlled kolsch @ 58 in a chest freezer.
 
how big of a tube are you using? I always recommend just using a 1 inch tube. that fights tight into the top of a glass carboy, if your using glass.
 
It's plastic. I'm not sure of the diameter of the blow off tube but it does have a cap too.
 
Sounds like he's using a carboy cap without an airlock to me, but it's tough to be sure. Fire943, can you describe exactly what's on top of your carboy for us? Maybe link us to a similar product on one of the online homebrew stores, or even post a pic?

Might help us diagnose your problem. :mug:
 
No it is a blow off tube not airlock. It has a cap that goes into the carboy then the blow off tube goes into the cap. Cap is the white thing in the carboy
 
Hmm... good point. I guess we'll have to wait and see what he says.


Come on carboy cap! ;)

Edited: Looks like he beat me to it, although I'm still not really clear on what is atop that carboy.
 
Fire: are we talking about one of these with a tube through it?

carboy_cap.png
 
It has a tube about half the diameter then the one shown in the above picture. It also has a "cap" not unlike an airlock cap but big enough to fit a blow-off tube.
 
Generally, there isn't a "thing," at the end of the blow off tube, you just buy a big enough tube that you have to cram it down into the neck, allowing a secure fit.

Either that, or you use a carboy cap or a stopper+3 piece airlock and stick a smaller diameter tube into that.

Edited: If your tube seems to have a rubber stopper at one end, you might just be doing it right after all. When you're trying to stick it into the carboy, is it wet or dry? Wet stoppers tend to pop back out as you've described.
 
Generally, there isn't a "thing," at the end of the blow off tube, you just buy a big enough tube that you have to cram it down into the neck, allowing a secure fit.

Either that, or you use a carboy cap or a stopper+3 piece airlock and stick a smaller diameter tube into that.

Edited: If your tube seems to have a rubber stopper at one end, you might just be doing it right after all. When you're trying to stick it into the carboy, is it wet or dry? Wet stoppers tend to pop back out as you've described.

Thanks... I think. It was dry.
 
Ok. What's coming out. The stopper on top of your carboy? Or some cap you have on the end of your blowoff in the measuring cup?

If it's the stopper, is it coming out when you're getting a lot of blowoff? If so, your tube could be getting clogged and the pressure is forcing the stopper out.
 
Ahhhhhh, now I see. You have a stopper (similar to the one ChshreCat posted) and a tube. If that tube still isn't sticking even when it's fairly dry, you might try a quick dip in rubbing alcohol. That should dry it out enough to allow it to stick, as the inside neck of your carboy is likely still wet, and I wouldn't want to stick a rag or paper towel into it for fear of infection.

Alternatively, and what I would probably do, is just stick the thing on and secure it with duct tape.

Edited: Oh yeah, as he said, make sure it's not getting clogged before you go taping anything down! Wouldn't want to see another exploded carboy (although I think that's pretty unlikely).
 
Ok. What's coming out. The stopper on top of your carboy? Or some cap you have on the end of your blowoff in the measuring cup?

If it's the stopper, is it coming out when you're getting a lot of blowoff? If so, your tube could be getting clogged and the pressure is forcing the stopper out.

The stopper. It doesn't look like its getting clogged. This is my fourth batch and I never seen this happen in the previous batchs. It does appear to be a lot of blow off though. I am at the two week mark tomorrow as well.
 
wow, thats crazy fermentation! I guess it doesnt help you at nine at night, but in the future I'd go with what I said earlier and what C-cat pictured above with a bigger tube instead of a stopper and a tube. I promise that thing will never come out
 
wow, thats crazy fermentation! I guess it doesnt help you at nine at night, but in the future I'd go with what I said earlier and what C-cat pictured above with a bigger tube instead of a stopper and a tube. I promise that thing will never come out

Thanks, the one I had came with a kit. I will be going tomorrow to pick one up. What do you guys think about the beer though? spoiled?
 
you should be good. with that much of an active ferm, it wouldn't let anything nasty settle in there.

something similar happend to me with a trippel, and it turned out kickass
 

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