Fermenter explosion

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jdlev

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Not really an explosion per se, but a real mess. While I was away on business my wife calls me up and is frantic saying the bubbler was hissing like crazy and bubbled over onto the lid...no doubt the added honey and molasses sent the fermentation into over drive...anything I should worry about?

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Not really. Just use some sanitizer when you get home and clean up the outside of the fermenter. As long as the airlock isn't clogged, just frothing over isn't going to hurt anything.

If the airlock totally clogs, you might come home to beer on the ceiling and a displaced airlock somewhere in the room. Probably nothing to worry about.
 
No problem, just rig a blow off tube. Once this happens again (2nd time) you will probably just automatically use a blow off tube till secondary. Saves a fair amount of time you'd otherwise spend cleaning up the mess!
 
Not really. Just use some sanitizer when you get home and clean up the outside of the fermenter. As long as the airlock isn't clogged, just frothing over isn't going to hurt anything.

Hate to disagree, but the fact that there's organic matter in the airlock means there's a nice home for an infection to set in. I'd swap out the airlock ASAP with a sanitized bung, thoroughly clean & sanitize the airlock, refill with vodka or sanitized water, and replace the airlock. If it sits like that for too long, you'll be looking at fuzzy blobs in your brew in no time.
 
Just use a blow off tube. Is that a 6.5 gallon bucket?

I pitched an Irish Stout right on top of the whole yeast cake from a Nut Brown ale recently and OMG I had explosive fermentation. AND I had a blow off tube and it was a 5 gallon batch in a 6.5 gallon bucket. I had to go down every couple of hours and clean and replace the bow off tube and bottle because so much matter was shooting up the tube. I was afraid of the tube clogging and having a big mess. I had to do it for about 8 hrs till it stopped shooting stuff up the tube.

Hate to disagree, but the fact that there's organic matter in the airlock means there's a nice home for an infection to set in. I'd swap out the airlock ASAP with a sanitized bung, thoroughly clean & sanitize the airlock, refill with vodka or sanitized water, and replace the airlock. If it sits like that for too long, you'll be looking at fuzzy blobs in your brew in no time.
 
Hate to disagree, but the fact that there's organic matter in the airlock means there's a nice home for an infection to set in. I'd swap out the airlock ASAP with a sanitized bung, thoroughly clean & sanitize the airlock, refill with vodka or sanitized water, and replace the airlock. If it sits like that for too long, you'll be looking at fuzzy blobs in your brew in no time.

Geez guy, I thought it was obvious to change and clean the airlock. I was just stating that as long as the airlock isn't totally clogged, it should be ok until he returns home to deal with the problem. I assumed he had that part figured out when I said clean and sanitize things.

The reason I said don't panic is because he stated that he wasn't home to take care of the problem and chances are it will be OK when he gets home. You certainly wouldn't want to leave it like that if you were home but he wasn't at the time.
 
Also, if you don't want to rig a blow-off tube, the 3-part fermentation locks are much easier to clean if the krausen gets into the lock. The s-bend locks look cooler, but are in fact a pain in the ass to keep clean.
 
I saw somewhere a pic of a guy who used a three piece airlock to rig a blow off tube. Kind of cool actually and something good to try.
 
Also, if you don't want to rig a blow-off tube, the 3-part fermentation locks are much easier to clean if the krausen gets into the lock. The s-bend locks look cooler, but are in fact a pain in the ass to keep clean.

Totally agree. I can't stand the S shape airlocks.
 
Blow off tubes for ALL primaries, airlocks for after the krausen falls or secondaries.

If there was a 10 commandments of brewing this would be 2nd after sanitize anything that touches your wort/beer post boil IMO.

I have NEVER had to clean up a giant mess, I have had to empty blowoff buckets.
 
looks easy enough to make...similar to a bubbler you see on hho car systems...
 
I just use a hose that fits snugly in the airlock grommet and put the hose into a half full jug/bottle whatever of water with star san in it. I have some airlocks cuz I bought them when I started but I use blow off tubes on everything pretty much and when I get a new fermenter I don't buy an airlock for it.
 
I generally use the same 5/16th? vinyl tubing used on everything. I jam 1 end into the bung or grommet. The other end gets submerged and makes a 1/2 loop into a bucket with starsan inside. So simple, it should be a Geico commercial.

I got my buckets from a deli for free, I just had to ask for some that had lids. I then cut a small hole in the lid for the tube.

post #8 has a nice pic here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/blow-off-tube-question-153104/
 
What keeps a big enough pressure change from sucking water up into your beer?

CO2 is escaping pretty much constantly applying positive pressure until it slows to a trickle/none. So there never is negative pressure.

HOWEVER

Temp changes CAN create "suck back". I personally have NEVER had a violent enough temp/barometer swing to cause one, but I use glass carboys to ferment in.

The most common cause of "suck back" is useing a plastic bucket/ale pail with the lid. When the bucket is lifted, the bottom sags just a little bit causing the suck back. This is SUPER easy to avoid, just simply take off the tube or airlock prior to lifting it.

When I use the airlock I fill mine with whiskey because if a little whiskey gets in my brew...who cares? It will simulate aging in a whiskey barrel if you can taste it at all...
 
MustangJ - Are you getting suckback from temp changes since you put it so high over the top of the bucket?
 
MustangJ - Are you getting suckback from temp changes since you put it so high over the top of the bucket?

That's just a picture I grabbed off the net. I alway put my overflow on the floor.

This is what mine looks like(I forgot I had this pic).

DSC_00681.JPG
 
MustangJ - Are you getting suckback from temp changes since you put it so high over the top of the bucket?

Not directed at me but I also did put my buckets on top of my Ale Pails and they sit on top or high up near the top of my carboys.

The temp change comment is just to be accurate. It would require the fermentor to get COLDER while everything else got hotter. Can it happen? Yes. Is it probable? Not really...

Suck back happens easier with an airlock than with a tube BECAUSE of the distance the fluid has to travel. The blowoff tube is NOT full of liquid normally.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

Take an empty Ale Pail and fill it 1/2 way with some tap water. Put an air lock on it like you normally would. Fill the air lock with water like normal. Then press down on the center of the bucket lid (creating positive pressure + bubbles in the airlock) then release the lid (creating negative pressure + suck back) then do the same with a blow off tube and report back if you were able to get any water from the blow off bucket to go into the Ale Pale.
 
A) The s type airlocks do indeed suck. It was hard as heck to clean. So I took the opportunity to swap my 3 piece lock and my s between the carboy and fermenter
B) I've never heard of using vodka in the air locks. Seems like a pretty smart idear so I did it this time around. I've always just used tap water with a few sprays of star san. I've only done a few batches, and haven't had any issues with that way, but the vodka seems like it would work a little better with an airlock...thoughts?
 
A) The s type airlocks do indeed suck. It was hard as heck to clean. So I took the opportunity to swap my 3 piece lock and my s between the carboy and fermenter
B) I've never heard of using vodka in the air locks. Seems like a pretty smart idear so I did it this time around. I've always just used tap water with a few sprays of star san. I've only done a few batches, and haven't had any issues with that way, but the vodka seems like it would work a little better with an airlock...thoughts?

Yes, vodka is just fine. Whiskey IMO is better but that is just me.
(I have whiskey on hand and not a drop of vodka in the house.) There are even a few people that will drink the "airlock shot" after the fermentation is complete, claiming it "picks up flavors". I have done this, It did not kill me but was a little scary, I did note the flavors did change a tiny bit.
 
That's just a picture I grabbed off the net. I alway put my overflow on the floor.

This is what mine looks like(I forgot I had this pic).

DSC_00681.JPG

Off topic but where did you get that fermenter? I like the looks of that thing.
 
As to the OP situation: If he is gone too long (as in weeks) then with a pause in fermentation, the Krausen in the airlock COULD, note I said COULD, become a dried out hard blockage. Then a temp rise might cause fermentation to pick back up and cause a blowout.

I would recommend removing it within a week at the latest and run some hot water through the S type airlock to remove the excess. Refill and replace. Then keep an eye on it.
 
In regards to the airlock/blow off discussion, i use the same kind of blow off setup as pictured before (with the 3 piece airlock with a hose shoved onto it), it has worked perfect for quite a few beers, but this weekend i brewed a barleywine and overnight the fermenter blew its top! I guess the fermentation of a beer that will be 12% ABV was just too much for the blow off tube to handle.
 
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