lid blew off bucket!

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mikee

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Yesterday I brewed a batch and this morning i wend into the basement and the lid blew off! Ugh! so the question is - is the beer contaminated and should I throw it out? I'm gunna be bummed if it is ruined.

I skimmed of the top foam to try to remove any contaminants that may have fallen into the batch. I'm at a loss as far as doing anything else.

:(
 
This has happened to a lot of people. Re-sanitize the lid, and put it back on there. Let it ferment out and see what you have.

What temperature was the wort when you pitched your yeast? What was the ambient temp where you were fermenting?
 
keep your head up and think about the awesomeness of fermentation. im sure everything will be okay...granted your dog wasnt sniffing around it or a kid didnt drop a crayon in.
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much just yet. Since you caught it pretty soon after happening, the chance of something getting in there (if the room/environment is reasonably clean) is pretty small. IF the room as dirty, or there were things that could fall into it easily (from the ceiling) then you could have issues later. At this point, let it ride and see how it comes out. If it goes south, then at least you know why.

Next time, either use an airlock that has a wide open base/bottom, or install a blow-off tube for the first 4-7 days from when you pitch the yeast in. If you plan to use a top cropping yeast, you could use some fermcap-s to keep the foam under control and keep the lid on...
 
i wish i did take pictures. it was quite a mess. i can only imagine the pressure that could blow a lid 5 feet from the bucket!
 
mikee said:
i can only imagine the pressure that could blow a lid 5 feet from the bucket!
Click to expand...

First time it happened to me I thought the same thing.
Next time skip the skimming, your beer will be fine and remember a blow off tube is your friend
 
mikee,

With that much stuff coming "out", not much can get "in". Thus, your risk of infection is minimal. Put the airlock back on and plan for the best. Good luck.

NRS
 
i'm glad i used a blowoff tube with my most recent batch, it sounded like a high speed aquarium bubbler in the half gallon jug for 2 days. i tasted the water in the jug (no sanitizer in it) to see how carbonated the water was from the bubbling. it was like soda water. maybe i shouldn't tell people i tasted that water. hmmm.
 
The first batch that I did all by myself I made a HoneyWeizen. I fermented 5 gallons in my 5 gallon carboy normally used for secondaries! By the way this was before I found this forum! Now I know wheat and honey beers should always use a blow off tube and at least a 6 gallon primary! Needless to say I experienced two airlock/stopper explosions, my wife shaking her head at me, and cleaning up the messes. I lost over a gallon in the eruptions, I just re-sanitized everything and put it back together. This batch became everybody's favorite beer, I love it and so did everyone who tasted it! I'm sure it will all be OK for you too!
 
Hi! I registered to the forum specifically to ask about this..... My husband is out of town and his brew bucket blew it's lid - first time in the year and a half he has been at this that this happens, and it's on my watch. :p

So, what do I do to keep the lid from blowing off again? The foamy business was really close to the top when I replaced the lid (sanitized lid and bubble thing.... I'm sure that is the technical term for it. ha!)
It happened while I was in the basement, lid was sanitized and replaced within like 20 minutes of the blow up. I also put plastic wrap across the top,touching only the sides of the container (the foam ended up bubbling up and getting on the plastic wrap anyway though) to keep any errant yuck out while we sanitized. hope I did right....

So- how do I keep it from happening again- he is gone thru the week and it is only Monday!!

btw- it is a Belgian tripple? I think? if that matters?
 
AlfsWife said:
Hi! I registered to the forum specifically to ask about this..... My husband is out of town and his brew bucket blew it's lid - first time in the year and a half he has been at this that this happens, and it's on my watch. :p

So, what do I do to keep the lid from blowing off again? The foamy business was really close to the top when I replaced the lid (sanitized lid and bubble thing.... I'm sure that is the technical term for it. ha!)
It happened while I was in the basement, lid was sanitized and replaced within like 20 minutes of the blow up. I also put plastic wrap across the top,touching only the sides of the container (the foam ended up bubbling up and getting on the plastic wrap anyway though) to keep any errant yuck out while we sanitized. hope I did right....

So- how do I keep it from happening again- he is gone thru the week and it is only Monday!!

btw- it is a Belgian tripple? I think? if that matters?
Click to expand...

The fermentation is too much for the airlock, therefore you have to put a blowoff hose on, which is not nearly as bad as it sounds. If you have any clear pvc tubing, sanitize a length, remove the airlock(bubble thing), and place one end in the gasket on the lid. Place the other end in a bucket filled with sanitizer solution. You'll see and hear the CO2 bubble into the bucket. By the way, it sounds like you are the ultimate SWMBO!:mug:
 
bucfanmike said:
more importantly.. Pictures. we need to see it or it didnt happen :)
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. I guess grabbing the camera is not one's first instinct, but I would like to see more photos of these kinds of things. Too bad there wasn't a 'fermentation cam' to catch it.
 
I know it has been ages since I posted this, but I figured if anyone else had this problem it would be nice to know that the beer was fabulous! The lid was probably off for several hours. So if this happens to you - don't sweat it. My house was built in 1920 and the basement is stone foundation - not optimum sanitary conditions. :mug:
 
we've all had complete bucket blowoffs, and our beers survive. Your beer is protected by a layer, but it's co2.

Watch these videos of one of my beers...that came out fine. ANd clean up your mess and rig up a blowoff tube.






 
Last edited by a moderator:
The biggest thing you did wrong, was to skim the foam off. That is "super yeast" in the foam. If you've got a vigorous fermentation like that, mid krausen, the yeast have already taken hold. A little air our e debris won't cause you a problem as you found out. Congrats on the tasty brew!
 
Did you have fruit, dry hop leafs or something else chuncky in there? Usually seems to take something big to completely clog. An be hoppy it wasn't in a glass carboy when it happened. Hope all turns out well.
 
Just recently happened to me too. I the lid didn't come completely off so I didn't bother cleaning off or getting another lid. I just pushed it back on and changed out the air lock. Of course, then I was changing out the airlock every 10 hours as it kept becoming clogged.

The resulting beer is fine. I'm sure yours is as well.
 
After reading a good portion of these boards over the past few months, I've been convinced into using a blow off for each and every batch for at least the first week. The first batch I applied this to had some blow off, so thanks hbt! disaster averted.

Krausen is weird though. My last batch has had a crazy churning fermentation with less than an inch of krausen. Yeast is weird. I like them.
 
This is not the first time this has happened to me so I started using a blow off tube.

I checked it this morning and the lid was on the floor. I put it back on and the bubbles were flyin. There was no obstruction, just lots of pressure and foam.

Smells so good.

2012-07-30_10-51-54_18.jpg
 
Are you guys fermenting warm, or something?

I get some pretty vigorous fermentation, but never have any come up and clog my airlock.. Perhaps the yeast I'm generally using doesn't go wild... Usually 1056 or 1272.
 
I had this happen recently too and one thing I'm not seeing directly in these replies is what caused mine to blow. If the stem of the airlock (the part that goes inside the bucket; has crossed plastic over the end of it cut it off. U just used side snips to cut that little cage on the end of the airlock. That is just a bad design begging for a chunk of trub to clog it up.
 
FATC1TY said:
Are you guys fermenting warm, or something?

I get some pretty vigorous fermentation, but never have any come up and clog my airlock.. Perhaps the yeast I'm generally using doesn't go wild... Usually 1056 or 1272.
Click to expand...

no, I had a bubbler that had tiny holes in it and it was an IIPA. Ended at about 9% abv. First days of fermentation at 65
 
+1 on what gray487 says...my "lid kaboom" was when I had the plastic 3 piece bubbler and the cage thingy was at the bottom..I since filed it off and filed some materiel off it to make the hole bigger....my other bubbler dosent have this....just fyi
 

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