HELP...before my house turns into a suds party

So I brewed a Paulener Hefe clone last night, in about 7 hours active fermentation....Most active I've seen, as of now the kreusan has infultrated my air lock and is shooting bubbles out the top. This is 6.5 gallon carboy, the only tubing I have for a blowoff would be what I usually autoshipon with. Will that work, or should I just ride it out?

Doubt this will help you but I too use a 6.5 gallon carboy for a primary. Usually it's good for me, however, I had one brew where I re-used some yeast (just took some from the bottom and pitched it in) and it went like gangbusters. It sprayed the ceiling, got stuff everywhere. I was able to get a blowoff tube in (it was still doing this when I found it), but was surprised I needed it with the large fermenter. Guess it just depends.

I would find some way to rig a tube if you can. It's probably only gonna get worse.

Good luck

GFD622

How about sanitized tin foil.

MikeinAK said:

How about sanitized tin foil.

Click to expand...

How would that help? Seems that it would just get pushed off by the foam with in 2 seconds. I mean this is turning into a geyser!!! Is there a risk for infection because of this? Also, has anyone used their tubing from the autoshipon to put down the stopper and serve as a mini-tube-blow off?

I Always get fermentation like that with Hefs- so I go for a blowoff tube. But failing that- you can take your three piece airlock apart, place the same tubing that you have for the autoshipon on the shaft from the main unit of the airlock, and have a smaller blow off tube. Will your airlock still be semi-clogged? Yes! but I bet you have several........

Take the large piece of the airlock, take the racking hose, run it under hot water (makes it more malleable), push it on to the airlock, take the other end of the hose, fill up a jug of water with sanitized water about .5-1 inch of water, and place hose in the water.

This has worked for me many times.

There is so much stuff Leaving your carboy right now- that I bet your Fine. Just in case, leave a spray bottle with some StarSan in it to spray things that your unsure about. I once found a carboy with the stopper off on the floor, so I sprayed the whole rim of the carboy- inside and out- just to ease my mind. (resanitized, and put airlock on too).

Use your autosiphon tube. Sanitize it with a bit of Starsan and rig the blow off tube however you can.

The popular solution, assuming you are using a 3-piece bubble lock, is to remove the "cap" piece and jam the blowoff tube right down onto the post. You may need some coaxing to make it work, depending on inner and outer diamters. Revvy has good pictures here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/bubbles-wort-getting-into-airlock-bubbler-117749/#post1304643

I have read of people on this list simply sticking the tube into the carboy and using some aluminum foil to close the top off.

Use the search function for "blow off tube" and you can find other solutions.

mikfire said:

Revvy has good pictures here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/bubbles-wort-getting-into-airlock-bubbler-117749/#post1304643

Use the search function for "blow off tube" and you can find other solutions.

Click to expand...

Well done.

Ok I've rigged something up, but before I undue the previous airlock and risk infection, should I give this more time and see if it will subside?

What is you fermentation temp? Can you cool it down? I brewed a double IPA and it started bubbling mad, clogged the airlock and was making a hissing sound when I discovered it. Probably would of been one heck of a mess if I hadn't caught it. I cleaned the airlock and pulled it as far out of the bucket as I could. Then I placed it downstairs in my basement where it is about 62 degrees pretty much all the time, summer or winter.

This slowed my yeasties down. It still is bubbling after a week. Took it upstairs today. I think I will let it set for a week or two more and then rack to secondary for the dry hopping.

Well so far it is working. In the picture you will see I took a racking cane and jammed the straight end down into the main airlock piece. I then filled the "cup" part of the airlock with sanatizer. There is a hose at the other end of the racking cane going into my bucket. This was all I had to work with, but so far it appears to be suffice. It is crazy the kreusen is rising straight up the cane. LOVE THOSE YEASTIES WORKING HARD!!!

My question, is I had to remove the stopper and get a new airlock so there was a period of time when the carboy was wide open...What is the chance of infection?

Chill RDWHAHB

Doubt it- I mean- so much was moving OUT of the carboy- not much had a good chance to get in. I think you could have put the tube right onto the airlock- and left the racking cane out of it......

oguss0311 said:

Doubt it- I mean- so much was moving OUT of the carboy- not much had a good chance to get in. I think you could have put the tube right onto the airlock- and left the racking cane out of it......

Click to expand...

Tried that, heated the tube and everything and could not get it to fit.

Everything will be fine. The risk of infection from removing the airlock for a small amount of time during the active fermentation is very low. The CO2 coming out of the carboy makes it tough for bacteria to get into the carboy.

I think it's and inch and a quarter OD tubing that will fit nice and snug in your carboy. Thats' my primary method- because the way you have it now Still does leave the potential for a gunked up airlock (No biggy- but still a pain).

Yeah, I've been "glass exclusive" now for about a year. Jam the tubing (cleaning it has become 'interesting') right into the mouth of the carboy---I wrap mine in plastic wrap to give an extra half a .mm or whatever--- and blowoff into a sanitized solution container.

Works like gangbusters. Only reason I would go back to plastic primary is for severly active yeasts (don't have a 6 gallon carboy), or if I actually want to make a <6% beer. I've been brewing about 19L and getting good results.

That will be a gooooooood beer - I can feel it!

With a little effort I find it possible to jam my racking tube into the stopper.

I'd look into the Outside Diameter tubing for your carboy neck if you're using that as a primary---easier to clean, and tends to "junk up" less because of the larger diameter if you have an active kreusen.

staffVAJoe said:

That will be a gooooooood beer - I can feel it!

Click to expand...

I've got that same feeling :rockin: