1st fermentation blew the water out of airlock, filled it with beer. WTF?

This is my first time brewing. I’m making a Russian Imperial Stout.

I placed the whole five gallons into the brewing bucket, affixed the airlock with the appropriate amount of water on Friday afternoon. Saturday afternoon there didn’t seem to be much action going on, nor Sunday afternoon.

Sunday evening (tonight) I open the closet where the bucket is; the top of the lid was bowed upwards from pressure within and the brew had blown all of the water out of the airlock and filled it partly with beer, which was bubbling like crazy. It had also blown about a teaspoon or so of beer over the lid.

Is this normal or is there something amiss in my stout?

I took the airlock off, which expelled a lot of gas from the bucket and put on a new, clean and filled airlock. It is now bubbling away with rapidity and force like a dude farting in a bathtub.

Is all this normal or am I screwed with this batch?

Time to learn a new term: blow-off hose.

It doesn't always happen, but it is normal. Its good you caught it because blowing the lid off a bucket can put beer on your ceiling.

A quick and dirty one for a bucket is to sanitize your siphon hose and shove it into the hole for your airlock. It will be easier to take the rubber gromit off, fit it around the tube, and then put the gromit back into the bucket lid.

Put the other end of the hose into a jar of sanitized water.

It can be several days before the bubbling slows down enough to put the airlock back in.

Thanks for the tip, Jack. I think you just saved me from a mishap. Seems to be working like a charm.

I've only needed a blow off tube a few times, but they sure do save your closet! I remember a picture someone posted after their bucket top blew off. Beer covered the walls and ceiling (and the clothes in the closet). The clothes were ugly, anyway, though.

Since it's so active and it's summer, I'd keep an eye on the temperature. Active fermentations can rise inside in temperature and cause some off flavors in your beer. Try to keep it less than or around 72 degrees.

I had a 6.5 gallon carboy filled with a high-gravity (1.102) double IPA. I ended up using nottingham dry yeast to ensure proper attenuation, and i'm soooo glad i rigged a blow-off tube. I lost about a quart of beer into a 1.5L soda bottle.

It's not something i would do with every batch, but if you suspect that the fermentation may be more vigorous than usual, it's an important safety measure.

My recent dunkelweizen blew through the airlock and I wound up cutting the airlock (the squigly kind) leaving only the 2" straight piece. I then attached the siphon hose to the end of the remaining airlock tube and had a perfect blow off setup.

BTW, when initially pulling out the airlock I learned it is a bad idea to have your head right over the bucket. It did save the bathroom walls though.

This happened to me with a chocolate milk stout last weekend. I lost some beer. My question, should I replace the volume or just let it be.

Sapperaviator said:

This happened to me with a chocolate milk stout last weekend. I lost some beer. My question, should I replace the volume or just let it be.

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Let it be, just know how to fix it next time.

I usually use a blowoff tube every time. No real reason not to IMO.

Sapperaviator- Personally I'd just take it as a loss and let it be. No need in risking contamination trying to make up for it. I've lost quite a bit of beer from learning how to siphon when I first started. It sucks but no use in crying over spilled beer!

Its reading crazy stories like this on this forum that make me glad my local brew shop sells 8 Gallon buckets in their kits!
Also yes old post!

unionrdr said:

Holy necropost! 5 year old thread...

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That made me laugh so hard! The siphon tube you guys mention, that's not the racking tube that we use the autosiphon with when we bottle, right?

MistFM said:

That made me laugh so hard! The siphon tube you guys mention, that's not the racking tube that we use the autosiphon with when we bottle, right?

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Can be, all you need is tubing.

I haven't needed a blow off yet using 6.5 gallon carboys.

Happens and as long as your top stayed on you should be fine...

Even if the top "pops" you are OK if it does not go all over the place and it is stll active (it is outgassing so the pressure keeps the "little beasties" away...

For high ABV I cast the yeast at the lowest temps they will go so they eat a grow at a slower rate...