Unexpected Problems

I was brewing a raspberry beer from Beer Master Bible.

Ingredients
7 lbs pale malt extract
1t Irish Moss
1 1/2oz Hallertau leaf hops for bittering
1/2oz hallertau leaf hops for finishing
Windsor Ale Yeast
6lbs of raspberry

When I put them all into the fermenter, I accidentally stepped on my air lock. So I placed the normal piece in then put a cup on top to try and prevent bacteria from entering. The yeast exploded over and I was able to buy a second air lock. I inserted the second air lock and used a clean spoon to scrape down the extra yeast back into the wort. I stirred the fermenter to help mix the mixture. Now I don't have any bubbling and am unsure of what has happened. Please comment on what has happened and how to fix it. Also, how can I tell when my beer is done fermenting because I do not see any bubbling.

What were your temps? Sounds like some happy yeast activity. When you say you stirred the mixture, did you mix it a ton or just a little? Let it go and see what happens to it.

One thing about infections is that they do not stop fermentation they go along side it or surpass it if given long enough. As long as the spoon you used was sanitized not just "clean" you should be fine. For future reference, many people skip airlocks and just go with some sanitized tinfoil or a dixie cup over the mouth of the carboy.

Yeast aren't ninjas with a mission to infect your beer, and even if they were there is enough CO2 (at least in the beginning of fermentation) pushing out of the fermenter to keep them mostly at bay.

That said, the only possible infection point, as long as proper sanitation was followed through the process, is the spoon but even then it sounds like the yeast were already working hard enough that it would take something really bad to infect your beer.

RDWHAHB!

I did use a sanitize spoon but I have have some other questions. Also, how can I tell when my beer is done fermenting because I do not see any bubbling?

Take a hydro reading.. If it is the same number for about three or four days in a row. It is done. As long as its near your target FG..

Hydro is the only way to know for sure. How long has it been in the fermenter and what temp has it been fermenting at?

One more thing, don't push the yeast crud back into the beer, there is no need to, there is plenty of yeast in there and you just risk bad sanitation issues when you do that.

EDIT: Look into using a blow off tube instead of an airlock until the yeast have hit high krausen (The thick foamy stuff during early fermentation).

I started on Tuesday. It is running about 78F with a 2 degree difference.

Wow 78f is way too hot should be in the mid 60s. At that temp your ferment could be done really fast,