Blowoff tube necessary or not?

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rpolzin25

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So going to be brewing a hefeweizen this weekend and I am debating if I am going to need a blowoff tube or not. We are brewing a 10 gallon batch (splitting into 2 carboys) and I was planning on using my siphonless big mouth bubbler (6.5 gallons). The yeast I plan is using is wyeast 3068. I know this stuff can really take off and I don't currently have a blowoff tube. Should I just go w/o one or the alternative would be to use my bucket fermenter which won't be a problem w/ the extra head space. Appreciate the feedback.
 
I ALWAYS install a blowoff tube for the first couple of days of active fermentation right into a big jar of starsan (I do 10 gal too, and both carboys feed into the same jar). When the yeast layer drops and gas activity is clearly slowed (day 3?), I switch out the blowoff tube for a 3-piece lock.

It's better to be safe than to ruin a batch of beer. It doesn't cost but 2 feet of tube and some sanitizer...
 
I plan on controlling the fermentation temp at like 65 degrees and my neighbor (who is a homebrewer and has like 20 some kegs) claims I should be fine considering I plan on controlling the fermentation temperature.
 
I went and bought extra airlocks so I could permanently affix tubing to them. Now I ALWAYS use those blowoffs until things calm down, then I switch out for regular airlocks.

My tubing terminates in a quart mason jar half full of StarSan, sitting in a pan/tub in case of bubble over.
 
Last edited:
rpolzin25 said:
I plan on controlling the fermentation temp at like 65 degrees and my neighbor (who is a homebrewer and has like 20 some kegs) claims I should be fine considering I plan on controlling the fermentation temperature.
Click to expand...

The actual temp you set your fermenter at is based on what strain of yeast you use and style of beer you are trying to make. Regardless of how well you control your fermentation temp, if you have a full active yeast starter and great viability, you still run the risk of blowing the stopper. \

Besides, your process is going to be different than your supposed 20 kegger homebrewer. Unless you know your process does not involve vigorous fermentation, I don't know how you wouldn't want a tube especially starting off.

How do you plan on controlling the temp? What strain are you using? What starter size?

Cheers!
 
I use a blow off tube at the start of EVERY fermentation. It is a small price to pay for the insurance of not, blowing krausen through your airlock, blowing the airlock off, or blowing the top off a bucket.

Like Johntodd I use only a small amount of Starsan in a container that is then placed in a larger container in case of a lot of blow off. That way I am not concerned about atmospheric changes creating a reverse siphon sucking a gallon or more of sanitizer back into my beer as I have heard on this site. "Did I ruin my beer" posts.

I also leave the blow off tube on the entire time unless I need it for a new batch.
 
With that yeast strain, I always use a blowoff. Regardless of ferm temp (I use a ferm chamber with a controller) I get blow over to a gallon jug through a 1" diameter PVC tube. Have >40 batches behave like this:mug:
 
I always use a blow off tube now vs. an airlock.
Ever since I started making yeast starters and adding yeast nutrients I always get pretty vigorous fermentation and krausen gets ejected almost every time- even though I use a fermentation chamber.
 
cannman said:
How do you plan on controlling the temp? What strain are you using? What starter size?
!
Click to expand...

I was planning on using my chest freezer and temp controller to maintain fermentation temp at 65 F. It was suggested to me to tape paper towel to fermenter and put the thermometer for the temp controller between fermenter and paper towel to get more accurate reading of fermentation temperature. I would just be using the smack pack for wyeast 3068 and no starter.
 
rpolzin25 said:
I was planning on using my chest freezer and temp controller to maintain fermentation temp at 65 F. It was suggested to me to tape paper towel to fermenter and put the thermometer for the temp controller between fermenter and paper towel to get more accurate reading of fermentation temperature. I would just be using the smack pack for wyeast 3068 and no starter.
Click to expand...

Fold enough paper towel to be at least 1/2" thick so that you are insulating enough to read the wort temperature and not the air temperature.

A smack pack is about 100 billion cells the minute it is packaged. The cells start to die off right away. The process is not extremely quick so you still have most the cells if the pack is not too old.

An average 5 gallon batch is best with somewhat over 200 billion cells so a single pack is usually under pitching.

The single pack (unless old or some other problem) will ferment the beer. It is best to pitch the proper amount of yeast to give your beer the best chance to be the best you can make it.

As far as a blow off tube. Even a single smack pack with temperature control might blow off. You never really know. Unless you have a fermenter with several gallons of headspace it is safer to start with a blow off tube.
 
kh54s10 said:
Fold enough paper towel to be at least 1/2" thick so that you are insulating enough to read the wort temperature and not the air temperature.

A smack pack is about 100 billion cells the minute it is packaged. The cells start to die off right away. The process is not extremely quick so you still have most the cells if the pack is not too old.

An average 5 gallon batch is best with somewhat over 200 billion cells so a single pack is usually under pitching.

The single pack (unless old or some other problem) will ferment the beer. It is best to pitch the proper amount of yeast to give your beer the best chance to be the best you can make it.

As far as a blow off tube. Even a single smack pack with temperature control might blow off. You never really know. Unless you have a fermenter with several gallons of headspace it is safer to start with a blow off tube.
Click to expand...

Appreciate the feedback. The last time I used this yeast I used one pack for 5 gallons of a dunkelweizen and the end product was quite good (actually took 2nd in a homebrew contest). I also used it in my bucket fermenter which the krausen looked pretty darn high so I feel like it would burst through w/o a blowoff hose.
 
rpolzin25 said:
I was planning on using my chest freezer and temp controller to maintain fermentation temp at 65 F. It was suggested to me to tape paper towel to fermenter and put the thermometer for the temp controller between fermenter and paper towel to get more accurate reading of fermentation temperature. I would just be using the smack pack for wyeast 3068 and no starter.
Click to expand...


For what it's worth, I've used a bung with a thermowell, a probe taped directly to the edge of the glass, and one in the ambient of the chest. All three were measured using an stc1000. All 3 temps equalized. Conclusion: it doesn't matter. Forget the paper towels. Just tape the probe to the carboy.

Brew on!
 
fwiw - yeast is a living thing. You can predict probable behavior, but not with complete certainty. Every now and then, you get a little surprise.

Which is more likely to fail, an airlock or a blowoff tube (provided both are properly installed). Are either likely to cause a problem if installed correctly? For me, a blowoff tube just makes more sense. Less likely to fail and no drawback to using it.
 
cannman said:
For what it's worth, I've used a bung with a thermowell, a probe taped directly to the edge of the glass, and one in the ambient of the chest. All three were measured using an stc1000. All 3 temps equalized. Conclusion: it doesn't matter. Forget the paper towels. Just tape the probe to the carboy.

Brew on!
Click to expand...

BAD advise!

The temperature will equalize eventually. That is not what you are concerned with. Fermentation creates heat but the probe is measuring mostly ambient so the wort gets too warm.

Maybe your system will keep the three measurements within good range, but most systems would not.

Insulate the probe so that it measures the wort temperature and not ambient.
 
kh54s10 said:
BAD advise!



The temperature will equalize eventually. That is not what you are concerned with. Fermentation creates heat but the probe is measuring mostly ambient so the wort gets too warm.



Maybe your system will keep the three measurements within good range, but most systems would not.



Insulate the probe so that it measures the wort temperature and not ambient.
Click to expand...


I'm interpreting REAL DATA! Lol. Not just talking out of my @$$ Let me be just a bit more specific

1) I put the legwork into the experiments to get first hand accounts of field fact to end topics like this regarding probe placement

2) the environment in my experiments was 6gal carboy sitting in a freezer chest controlled by stc1000 at ale ferm temps. This is ops setup.

3) if you have your carboy inside a freezer chest, the stc1000 will regulate ferm temps regardless if you tape the probe to the wall of the carboy or use a thermowell based. It's the first law of thermodynamics, energy must be conserved. Carboy heat transfer through glass is amazingly efficient.

4) to tape a probe to a carboy, my best suggestion is electrical tape to which in itself is semi insulating.

Do the legwork! Check it out for yourself, and KISS!
 
cannman said:
I'm interpreting REAL DATA! Lol. Not just talking out of my @$$ Let me be just a bit more specific

1) I put the legwork into the experiments to get first hand accounts of field fact to end topics like this regarding probe placement

2) the environment in my experiments was 6gal carboy sitting in a freezer chest controlled by stc1000 at ale ferm temps. This is ops setup.

3) if you have your carboy inside a freezer chest, the stc1000 will regulate ferm temps regardless if you tape the probe to the wall of the carboy or use a thermowell based. It's the first law of thermodynamics, energy must be conserved. Carboy heat transfer through glass is amazingly efficient.

4) to tape a probe to a carboy, my best suggestion is electrical tape to which in itself is semi insulating.

Do the legwork! Check it out for yourself, and KISS!
Click to expand...

I guess a little electrical tape will insulate a lot better than I thought it would....
 
cannman said:
The actual temp you set your fermenter at is based on what strain of yeast you use and style of beer you are trying to make.
Click to expand...

Head space in the primary matters too. If you are putting 5 gallons into a 7 gallon carboy you rarely ever need a blow off in reality. I agree it's a good idea. I usually do it for 2-3 days too...

I've never needed one or used on on a cold fermented ale or lager though.
 
I'm also the oddball that takes the NTC thermistor on the STC-1000+.. cleans it well, and Star Sans it..and it goes right into the wort/beer wire stuck under the stopper. No issues yet. I get that I have a slight risk of infection. If that ever happens (it hasn't) I have three spare thermistors that I paid $6 total for. I'll chuck the one I have and recalibrate the unit with the new probe. No biggie...
 
Why wouldn't you use a blow off tube? Simple and functions the same as an air lock.
 
I have a lager going at 50 right not that has a blow off tube and is definitely using it. if you have healthy yeast and a reasonable size vessel chances are its needed. No reason not to.
 
I almost always use a blow off... but I havent really found it necessary since i started using fermcap. The one overflow I had was enough...
 
I use a blow-off every time. I also use fermcap. Blow-off is rarely needed, but when it is I am really thankful I used it.

It can be a mess - ues one!
 
FVillatoro said:
I always use a blow off tube now vs. an airlock.

Ever since I started making yeast starters and adding yeast nutrients I always get pretty vigorous fermentation and krausen gets ejected almost every time- even though I use a fermentation chamber.
Click to expand...



cannman said:
I ALWAYS install a blowoff tube for the first couple of days of active fermentation right into a big jar of starsan (I do 10 gal too, and both carboys feed into the same jar). When the yeast layer drops and gas activity is clearly slowed (day 3?), I switch out the blowoff tube for a 3-piece lock.

It's better to be safe than to ruin a batch of beer. It doesn't cost but 2 feet of tube and some sanitizer...
Click to expand...


What these two Brewers said...ever since I made the switch to liquid yeast and starters my fermentations get off to great starts and blowoff tubes are a must! I control my ferm temps too but always use a blowoff tube for the first few days then switch to an airlock

:mug: :ban:
 
I'm a n00b brewer, and have only done four beers so far. I haven't used a blowoff tube on any of them. That said, it's been winter in Maine, so all of my brews so far have been at low temp with lager or kolsch yeast, relatively slow-starters. I'm planning to experiment with saisons this summer, and I feel like I'm walking into a game of Russian Roulette if I don't start using a blowoff.
 
I agree! My STC-1000 probe hangs in the air about 8 inches over the tops of the fermenting buckets. The buckets also have the stick on thermometers and they track each other quite well.


cannman said:
I'm interpreting REAL DATA! Lol. Not just talking out of my @$$ Let me be just a bit more specific

1) I put the legwork into the experiments to get first hand accounts of field fact to end topics like this regarding probe placement

2) the environment in my experiments was 6gal carboy sitting in a freezer chest controlled by stc1000 at ale ferm temps. This is ops setup.

3) if you have your carboy inside a freezer chest, the stc1000 will regulate ferm temps regardless if you tape the probe to the wall of the carboy or use a thermowell based. It's the first law of thermodynamics, energy must be conserved. Carboy heat transfer through glass is amazingly efficient.

4) to tape a probe to a carboy, my best suggestion is electrical tape to which in itself is semi insulating.

Do the legwork! Check it out for yourself, and KISS!
Click to expand...
 

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