Foaming Gas Lock

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Pseudonymous

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A friend and I are starting our first batch of home brewed beer. I pitched the yeast into the wort last night. We're using a 6.5 gallon plastic primary fermenter with a three piece gas lock. At about 10 AM EST this morning the gas lock started filling with foam, which is escaping from the top. The water in the gas lock has turned the same color as the wort (dark amber/light brown). Is this normal?
 
Yes quite normal and you may want to rig a blow-off tube before it erupts. Blow-off tube: Stick a tube in the airlock hole and the other end in a jar of water.
 
COLObrewer said:
Yes quite normal and you may want to rig a blow-off tube before it erupts. Blow-off tube: Stick a tube in the airlock hole and the other end in a jar of water.
Click to expand...

How long do I leave it in? Or, really, is it okay to leave the blow-off tube in after it's blown off? I'm a grad student, and I'll be away for class for a large chunk of the middle of the day.
 
Leave it in till the krausen has started to drop probably a couple of days, then you can replace the airlock. It's fine to leave in forever though.
 
Hm. It's a five gallon batch in a 6.5 gallon primary fermenter. The Complete Joy of Home Brewing says that a blow-off tube shouldn't be necessary for such a batch in such a fermenter. How bad do you think the risk of it erupting is if I don't attach a blow-off tube?
 
Pseudonymous said:
. . . . The Complete Joy of Home Brewing says that a blow-off tube shouldn't be necessary for such a batch in such a fermenter. How bad do you think the risk of it erupting is if I don't attach a blow-off tube?
Click to expand...

Like my youngest says, "the shoulda's dont matter" There are factors too numerous to track that affect the fermentation of beer, all fermentations are different.

The risk: Depends on your brew and how big of chunks there are, if they plug up the hole, you will eventually have krausen all over your domicile, even with a small blow-off, some people rig a 1" tube for this reason. Yeast are violent and uncaring warriors.
 
COLObrewer said:
Like my youngest says, "the shoulda's dont matter" There are factors too numerous to track that affect the fermentation of beer, all fermentations are different.

The risk: Depends on your brew and how big of chunks there are, if they plug up the hole, you will eventually have krausen all over your domicile, even with a small blow-off, some people rig a 1" tube for this reason. Yeast are violent and uncaring warriors.
Click to expand...

Point taken. I'll attach a blow-off before I head to campus.
 
I agree with COLObrewer, if the yeast in a bottle of conditioning beer can produce enough pressure to blow a glass bottle to bits, a plastic container or a rubber stopper in a carboy full of actively fermenting yeast have no chance!

btw: not all brews will require a blow off tube but you do have to keep an eye on them!
 
WARNING
Once the foam hits the airlock it needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. Minor temp changes can reduce the outflow of Co2 to nothing and give this sticky foam time to dry. Once dries it can be VERY hard and plug up the holes.

I picked glass shards out of sheetrock walls 20+ feet away once because of this. Do NOT forget to provide an escape for the Co2 gasses. (Sure glad we were not home!)
 
Beer_Guy said:
WARNING
Once the foam hits the airlock it needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. Minor temp changes can reduce the outflow of Co2 to nothing and give this sticky foam time to dry. Once dries it can be VERY hard and plug up the holes.

I picked glass shards out of sheetrock walls 20+ feet away once because of this. Do NOT forget to provide an escape for the Co2 gasses. (Sure glad we were not home!)
Click to expand...

Your glass carboy blew up before the bung blew out the top of the fermentor? Holy crap. I have had a bung blow out and hit the ceiling along with a bit of fermenting wort but would never imagine the seal of the bung into the carboy opening to be stronger than the glass of the carboy itself.
 
I think many folks do vodka or sanitizer in the blow off setup in case some gets sucked into your brew.
 
akthor said:
What temp are you fermenting at?
Click to expand...

Room temperature, so currently right around 70 degrees F. Using this recipe with a White Labs English Ale liquid yeast.

WARNING
Once the foam hits the airlock it needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. Minor temp changes can reduce the outflow of Co2 to nothing and give this sticky foam time to dry. Once dries it can be VERY hard and plug up the holes.
Click to expand...

I took my three piece gas lock apart and dropped it in some cleaning solution right after I affixed the blow-out tube.
 
Sammy75 said:
I think many folks do vodka or sanitizer in the blow off setup in case some gets sucked into your brew.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea if you leave it on long after fermentation or if you put it on prior to fermentation start, I usually have a long enough tube on so that the blowoff container in on the floor or well below the fermentor, never had suckback with it.:mug:
 
chriswilkes33 said:
Your glass carboy blew up …
Click to expand...
I was using one gallon wine jugs with the metal lid screwed on just a little. I switched to a baggy and rubber band after that.

But still, I cleanup any blow off ASAP.

[The reason for the post was I would hate to see someone get hurt because I did not mention the possibility. Some people use what they can and a glass jug with a LOOSE metal cap is a BAD idea.]
 

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