carboy about to blow

5 gallons of a high gravity beer on its 2nd day of fermentation in a 6.5 gallon carboy.. the krausen is VERY close to the air lock.. I'm afraid it will clog it and then who knows what will happen...

any suggestions before this thing blows up? never used a blow-off tube.. is it literally just a tube that goes from the cork to a jug of water? Can I pop off the airlock and put one of these in now or is it too late?

You can put a blow-off tube in anytime. Simplest is to connecty the tube to the straight part of the center of the airlock. Siphon tubing should fit.

Need to make sure the plastic X on the bottom of the airlock is removed (snaps off).

That can still plug if you have enough junk in the beer. The best option is to get a tube the same diameter as the hole in the carboy (about 5 feet) and use that in place of an airlock.

An alternate (messy option). Place carboy in a plastic container, and cover top with loose foil. You will loose kraeusen and beer down the sides of the fermenter that you will need to clean up, but the carboy and beer will be safe.

blow off tube for the first couple of days then a airlock

Calder said:

The best option is to get a tube the same diameter as the hole in the carboy (about 5 feet) and use that in place of an airlock.

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Huh? 5 foot diameter tubing? Where do you get that?

homebeerbrewer said:

Huh? 5 foot diameter tubing? Where do you get that?

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Nevermind. I am assuming sarcasm

clopez0 said:

Nevermind. I am assuming sarcasm

Click to expand...

I've learned on here to not assume anything baha

clopez0 said:

Nevermind. I am assuming sarcasm

Click to expand...

Sarcasm is my middle name.

I doubt you could get enough krausen in a 5 gallon batch to ever clog a 5 foot diameter tube but I think the 5 foot was intended to be the length of the tube, plenty long to go from the top of the carboy into a container of water.

Get some food grade silicone defoamer like fermcap-s. No more boil-overs, no more blow-off tubes, no more worries.

hey west hartford! im there too!!

greetings fellow west hartford'ian

all is well, no explosion.. crisis averted. Blow-off tube saved the day.

you get your brewing stuff from the guys in east hartford?