Why to use a blow off tube

Being a newbe to brewing I had read here that when brewing a wheat type beer you should use a blow off tube.

Well I am glad I did, as you can see with this picture!



This is a Blueberry wheat ale and there was no fermentation until after 2.5 days and then the yeast starting eating, have a look.



Thanks to all the folks here who give such great advise to those of us who are new brewers!!!
:rockin:

if you fill the carboy up to the neck, you should probably use a blow-off with any beer, especially a hefe

My first batch went in the fermenter yesterday. Came back from school to find wort in the airlock, with krausen nearly clogging the darn thing. I swapped out the airlock for a clean, sanitized one, but am surprised at the vigor of the fermentation, though the kreusen seems to have subsided. This is in a British Bitter with an OG of 1.035, using liquid Wyeast 1098. Nothing about this suggested it would make a mess, but I'm not going to complain that my first batch fermented more vigorously than I thought I would.

Just about any style can blow-off. Low gravity ales can start and finish extremely quickly. I had a small Brown that got up into the airlock and had just enough pressure to force a fine spray through the ring of holes.

So how do you know when to use a blowoff tube? I had thought that hefe's and anything with an OG > 1.060 was the rule of thumb, but I had to go to a blowoff tube on the bitter I mentioned above after it blew the second airlock and stopper out.

I use a blowoff for every beer. I'd consider it a best practice. I don't know what the down side using a blowoff is. I DO know what the downside of NOT having a blow off is.

Solid point, well taken. Do you use 1/2" tubing?

Tube size?



I honestly don't know. I went to the LHBS years ago and got the ID that fit on the fat end of a carboy cap. On only use carboy caps.

I'm another that ALWAYS starts with a blow off tube. Just how I learned. I use a tube that fits snuggle in the opening of the carboy then wrap saranwrap around it just to be sure there are no gaps. Again, just how I was taught.

I've found in the past that 1" ID vinyl tubing from Lowe's or Home Depot just fits into the neck of a carboy. I skip using the cap or airlock parts for the primary, and just jam the sanitized blow-off tube into the neck.

jds said:

I've found in the past that 1" ID vinyl tubing from Lowe's or Home Depot just fits into the neck of a carboy. I skip using the cap or airlock parts for the primary, and just jam the sanitized blow-off tube into the neck.

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I'd be hesitant to use tubing from a hardware store. It's not food grade and can add some unpleasant flavors to your beer. I know, I went that route to trying to be "frugal" and quickly ran to the LHBS to get the proper tubing.

what if you using 6.5 gal buckets for a 5 gal batch, think a blowoff tube is still needed?

jds said:

I've found in the past that 1" ID vinyl tubing from Lowe's or Home Depot just fits into the neck of a carboy. I skip using the cap or airlock parts for the primary, and just jam the sanitized blow-off tube into the neck.

Click to expand...

Same here:

FEARDIZ said:

what if you using 6.5 gal buckets for a 5 gal batch, think a blowoff tube is still needed?

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In my post. Those are 6.5g.

I never want to come home to see the lid blown off my fermenter and wort all over the place. Not that I think that it'll automatically ruin anything. I just don't want to clean it up. I'm just lazy like that.

olllllo said:

In my post. Those are 6.5g.

I never want to come home to see the lid blown off my fermenter and wort all over the place. Not that I think that it'll automatically ruin anything. I just don't want to clean it up. I'm just lazy like that.

Click to expand...

psst...he said 6.5 gal buckets, not carboys.

That's why I used lid and not cap and fermenter, not carboy in my post.

he he....I mixed you up with BierMuncher. My mind registered your avatars as the same...

I'll have that next beer please ma'am....

Kilted Brewer said:

I'd be hesitant to use tubing from a hardware store. It's not food grade and can add some unpleasant flavors to your beer. I know, I went that route to trying to be "frugal" and quickly ran to the LHBS to get the proper tubing.

Click to expand...

I know for a fact that one of my nearby homebrew stores buys their vinyl tubing from the hardware store. I don't think it's a problem if it's properly cleaned and sanitized.

Do I need to use a blow off if I am using a 6.5 or so gallon primary? If so, can I use my siphoning tube attached to the stem of my airlock? Do I need to cut the "X" off the bottom of the airlock? Ready for my first brew and dont want to mess it up!