fast fermentation

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lnb001

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I did my first ever homebrew batch tonight from extract. I pitched the yeast at 8:30 p.m. Put the airlock on (3 piece kind), no blowoff tube because the tubing that came with my kit is just barely too small to fit on the airlock. Anyway, it is now almost 2 a.m. and my fiance and I were awoken by the hissing noises of gases escaping from the airlock. I check on it and there is foam coming out of the airlock and wort is starting to fill the airlock. Just wondering if this is normal, is there any chance of my glass carboy breaking from the pressure, and is it safe to remove the airlock and put on a blow off tube? Thanks!

-Lucas
 
Yeah, it's pretty normal. You should be ok to go ahead and put a blowoff tube on, just be sure to remember to sanitize!! What type of brew are you making?
 
I was just examining the airlock when poof! stopper and all shoot off the carboy and i get some volcano action. after throwing some towels down i head to the basement in search of a way to get the current tubing to fit on the airlock when i find some random black tubing that fits perfectly. I do my best to sanitize it and throw it on the carboy and it seems to be doing pretty well at the moment so that's a relief. From what I have read fast fermentation is good so I am not terribly upset! Oh yea, I brewed a Cerveza similar to Corona. Thanks for the quick replies! Back to bed now lol
 
The only downside I see is that you didn't get a chance to try out a nice, new ceiling mop :cross:

You're gonna be fine and your beer will be great.
 
Sounds fine to me by everything I've seen here on the forum. My first couple brews had no problem with krausening, after my first partial mash I had some major foaming head on my brew. Fortunately I'd read about seting up a carboy in a bin of water with a submerged blow-off tube and used it on that highly krausened brew.
 
How big of a carboy are you using? How big was your batch?

5 gallon carboy, 5 gallon batch. Stopped by LHBS and explained everything to the guy and he said you can't ferment 5 gallons of beer in a 5 gallon carboy. Why none of the instructions/books/websites I have read on brewing have not mentioned this I don't know. Seems like an important rule to me. I explained I had bought a kit and he was amazed that it only came with a bottling bucket and a glass carboy so I went ahead and bought a 6.5 gallon primary fermentor bucket.

On a side note I was thinking of using one of those 5 gallon water jugs as a secondary fermentor. Will these work? Thanks.

-Lucas
 
Yes the 5 Gallon water jugs will work. Just be sure to clean and sanitize well and there should be no problem. Though if you don't want to go the way of a blow off, you could always get bigger carboys. I have a few 7 gallon glass ones I use for primary and have not had a problem with them. I had a 6 gallon better bottle get close, but that was because I pitched too hot and ended up getting a lot of foam. Above all RDWHAHB!
 
If you're going to use a 5 gallon water jug, flip it over before you buy it and check the number in the little triangle. If it's a 1 or a 2, then it should be good (one being the best). If it's a 7, that just means "other" for the type of plastic and who knows if it's going to leach chemicals or allow O2 to pass. Everything I've found around here is a 7, so I stick with my Better Bottle just to be safe.

I primary in a 7 gallon pail and really like it that way. I feel that since it doesn't taper up to the top like a carboy, I'm not going to get as explosive of a blowoff. At least that's what I keep telling myself. The big drawback is I don't get to ogle my beer while it's fermenting.
 
I stuck 5 gallons in a 5 gallon carboy. It works.

On the batch I have now it's just around the spot wehre the carboy curves to meet the neck. Plenty of room.

Had to clean the airlock twice during the first 3 days but it worked just fine.

Now if you have a major explosion of activity I can see where a tube would be better than a airlock.
 
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