Lid about to blow off ! lol

just finished my imperial Ipa and first partial mash experience. just had a quick question about the fermentation activity.
I have a blowoff tube already equipped but there is so much pressure it is pushing the lid up so there are little bubbles coming out the side of the lid seal.(if that makes sense)
I was wondering if anyone has had this happen (which i am sure) and what did you do?

Thanks fellow homebrewers

A picture would help, but it sounds like your blowoff tube is either clogged, or much too small.

GuldTuborg said:

A picture would help, but it sounds like your blowoff tube is either clogged, or much too small.

Click to expand...

pretty sure your right, i think the blowoff is way too small, i may have to purchase a lid and make a bigger opening and get a bigger tube
picture in a minute

pic

I had the same thing happen to me...My APA had a blow off on the bottom piece of a three piece airlock, and the lid was still bowed up in the middle...

Edit: Like above. BTW, the map is not as helpful as the second pic.

seph said:

I had the same thing happen to me...My APA had a blow off on the bottom piece of a three piece airlock, and the lid was still bowed up in the middle...

Edit: Like above. BTW, the map is not as helpful as the second pic.

Click to expand...

yeah, Im going to look around for another lid and ideas on making a bigger blowoff tube

Did you cut off the bottom of that airlock? That would help, too.

Just be careful. As soon as you start to open that lid, it will want to pop off. I got sprayed in the eye with a Russian Imperial Stout that was blowing the air lock off.

This is also the reason I switched to carboys. Instead of attaching the tube to the air lock, you can get a larger tube (I forget what size, but do a search and you'll find it) that fits perfectly inside the neck of the carboy, creating an air-tight seal, and allowing for much more blow off. Never had any issues with this method, it works beautifully.

TheZymurgist said:

Just be careful. As soon as you start to open that lid, it will want to pop off. I got sprayed in the eye with a Russian Imperial Stout that was blowing the air lock off.

This is also the reason I switched to carboys. Instead of attaching the tube to the air lock, you can get a larger tube (I forget what size, but do a search and you'll find it) that fits perfectly inside the neck of the carboy, creating an air-tight seal, and allowing for much more blow off. Never had any issues with this method, it works beautifully.

Click to expand...

i have seen that method in videos, unfortunately i dont have another spare carboy for that so that may be in my next plan.
does the plastic carboy work the same as glass, doesnt impart any off flavors?

Since BB's are PET plastic as are ale pails,I don't think they will impart any off flavors. I have a 6G BB I'm going to oak my next batch of Whiskely in a couple months from now. I stored 5 gallons of local spring water in it after sanitizing it for a couple weeks waiting on a cool front. Water was fine at that point,so beer should still be ok,even if it is a bit acidic by nature.

pretty sure your right, i think the blowoff is way too small, i may have to purchase a lid and make a bigger opening and get a bigger tube
picture in a minute


Ditch the airlock and gasket and connect a hose directly to your lid. I think it is half inch inside diameter. It's what I do now no problems since I switched to this method.

Ditch the airlock and gasket and connect a hose directly to your lid. I think it is quarter inch inside diameter. It's what I do now no problems since I switched to this method.[/QUOTE]

thank you, how sure are you that it is a 1/4 inch tubing?

xjames14x said:

Ditch the airlock and gasket and connect a hose directly to your lid. I think it is quarter inch inside diameter. It's what I do now no problems since I switched to this method.

Click to expand...

thank you, how sure are you that it is a 1/4 inch tubing?[/QUOTE]

No matter how sure he is of his lid, it would be better for you to take a measuring tape to yours. Better yet, take the lid directly to the store, and try different sized hoses until you find the one that works.

TheZymurgist said:

Just be careful. As soon as you start to open that lid, it will want to pop off. I got sprayed in the eye with a Russian Imperial Stout that was blowing the air lock off.

Click to expand...

The trick to RDWHAHB is finding the silver lining. In this case; Close eyes, open mouth!

What you need, really.....is a bucket without a ****ty lid.

I noticed around the interwebs that a whole bunch of companies are selling buckets with lids that don't contain a rubber seal....

This is your problem....the pressure spits out the top of the lid because your bucket isn't totally sealed.

Had the same thing happen to me with a caribou slobber kit from Northern Brewer. I wanted to re-up on some equipment so I ordered the basic kit with a new capper and auto-siphon and more stuff....

Well, needless to say I was infuriated with the results......so from what I gather from common sense....if beer is getting pushed out of the top of the lid on the sides....idk, call me ****in crazy but it's not totally sealed right?

I happen to have one bucket with a lid that has a rubber gasket, and for the past 5 years it has been such a good fermenter.

When I experience a blowoff in said bucket, my beer ONLY spits out of the airlock, a perfect indication that your bucket is COMPLETELY sealed, not like these other BS buckets I see floating everywhere.

I was disappointed in Northern Brewer for that....but I'm seeing it all too often now with the crappy lids on the buckets, carboys are the BEST.....

So when I do have a blowoff, it gets messy but only comes out of the airlock, stick a tube in that 3-piece airlock and I never had to worry about beer coming out of the sides.

Shame on the companies that sell these buckets with lids without gaskets....SHAME

I thought we were are suppose to be as professional as we can....if my fermenter is not sealed, then what good is it to me?

LOL sorry for the huge rant, I just see these buckets everywhere without a good lid and it PISSES me off so much.....what's so hard about putting a rubber gasket inside the lid portion that recedes.....don't understand.

If there is a reason for that I'd like to know, otherwise I call BS on these lids.....

Brandon9045 said:

What you need, really.....is a bucket without a ****ty lid.

I noticed around the interwebs that a whole bunch of companies are selling buckets with lids that don't contain a rubber seal....

This is your problem....the pressure spits out the top of the lid because your bucket isn't totally sealed.

Click to expand...

I think it's the opposite problem. It's sealing too well. I'd much rather have a krausen that leaks out over the edges than a lid that seals really well until there's enough pressure built up in there to send the lid slamming against the ceiling and spraying krausen six feet in every direction.

But yeah, if you have a blowoff tube installed that isn't running through a 1/8" hole that can easily get gunked up (the old "stick a tube onto the inside of a 3-piece airlock" trick), then a tightly sealing lid is a good idea.