Beer filled airlock...Need answer ASAP

Hey Guys,
So I just brewed up my third batch yesterday, it is Oatmeal Stout. I used the extract kit from Austin Homebrew Supply.
Last night the airlock was active and I thought everything was okay, but I woke up today to find that the beer had filled the airlock. The airlock was still active, however. How big of a problem is this?
I used bleach to sanitize (2 oz. per 5 gallons). Also, I didn't have a muslin (sp.) bag to soak the grains so I just dumped the grains in the water to soak. I then just strained them out later. A pretty fair amount of fine grains went into the fermenter, though. I was hoping they would sink to the bottom during the primary and secondary fermentation. Maybe this is what is causing the beer to fill the airlock.

See pic below...

Same thing happened to me. I just took a racking cane and put it through the stopper and attached a hose to the other end. then put the hose in a bucket of water. After a day or so it all when back to normal. Becarful when you pull out the airlock, it will start to foam all over ther place.

By beer turned out fine....

Take your air-lock off and wash it out and sanitize it again and stick it back in.
As long as stuff is coming out, nothing can get back in. Look into a blow off tube, for future use. Also Starsan for sanitizer.

Yeah man, No big deal. Just rig up a blow off tube. There is nothing wrong you just have a very active fermentation going.

It's all good. My last stout fermented really hard as well. Blew the lid right off the ferment bucket. I had stout 6 feet up my wall.

buckeyebrewer said:

It's all good. My last stout fermented really hard as well. Blew the lid right off the ferment bucket. I had stout 6 feet up my wall.

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Could the airlock not keep up or what? Did it get clogged?

I think it is just LOTs of Foaming

If it gets clogged, it will blow the whole lid off. That's why you need a blow off tube, less restriction on the gas escaping out, needs to go somewhere. It will calm down in a day or so.

I am 4 days into my primary fermentation with my "Dark Love" stout.. and the action in the first 3 days was massive.. I really thought the top was going to blow off of it.. and my temp was at 68.... it was incredible... no beer through the air lock but it was getting scary! Now on the 4th day the bubbles have gone to nothing.. I am wondering now if it may be clogged... what do you guys think?
sorry to take up the post with my stuff..
cheers
Gary

This is normal and has happened on two of my batches. I switched to blow-off and issue resolved.

garyhood said:

I am 4 days into my primary fermentation with my "Dark Love" stout.. and the action in the first 3 days was massive.. I really thought the top was going to blow off of it.. and my temp was at 68.... it was incredible... no beer through the air lock but it was getting scary! Now on the 4th day the bubbles have gone to nothing.. I am wondering now if it may be clogged... what do you guys think?
sorry to take up the post with my stuff..
cheers
Gary

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Is your primary a bucket? Push on the lid, gas wil escape if it's not plugged. If you are in a carboy, take off the air lock and check it. The yeast is already at work. No need to be paranoid about infections. Just wash it out and sanitize again.