Always use blow off tube or just with starters?

[biohaz7331]

I searched and didn't find my exact question so here it is. Should I always start my fermenting with a blow off tube, or just when I pitch a yeast starter? I did a NB Nut brown ale kit with a wyeast 1945 yeast starter and I oxygenated the wort with an oxygen tank. I did all this with a 6.5 gallon primary fermentor. I woke up this morning at around five to something that sounded like, a loud popgun I.E. my airlock hitting the shelf above it. I put my blow off tube, that I luckily decided to buy, but should I always start the first day or two with it? Thanks in advance!

 

[WharfRat]

Always.

 

[SpeedYellow]

I often don't need or use a blowoff tube when fermenting 5gal in a 6gal carboy. Never with lagers. Sometimes with ales, depending on many variables. I usually just use an airlock then attach a blowoff tube if needed. If in doubt, install the blowoff tube.

 

[beergolf]

Each fermentation is differrent. I have low gravity beers go crazy and. blow off and big beers just chug along.

I always start with a low off tube just in case. For some reason wives just don't appreciate a big blow off that hits the ceiling.

 

[Stauffbier]

I always use one just in case, but I find that I never get blow out with dry yeast. When I use liquid yeast with a starter I get blow out about half of the time...

 

[InLimbo]

There are certain yeast strains that are more prone to blowing off than others. Particularly with WLP001, and all of the English strains I will 100% of the time use a blow off tube. This is for 5 gallon batches in a 6 gallon carboy.

 

[biohaz7331]

Wow thats all good to know thanks for the quick replies. I guess it doesn't hurt to start off with one all the time and its good know that it is fine. The Nut Brown ale has an og of 1.044 so I decided to use the starter and oxygenate so I believe it was a combo of everything. There was krausen coming up and out of the blow off tube in fairly large amounts so wouldn't it be ill advised to use a small tube that goes in the airlock? I got the blow off tube that Northern Brewer sells that they say fits and it fit like a charm so that's a plus.

 

[DarthMalt]

I always use one, just in case. A lesson learned on my first brew that has proven to be good practice many times thereafter.

 

[WharfRat]

I use the large one if I can, but in a pinch I just cram the smaller tubing into the bung of a stopper and it's always worked fine.

 

[biohaz7331]

Yeah I figure it makes so much c02 at first and the blow off tube is in starsan so no problem there.

 

[SpeedYellow]

Yeah I figure it makes so much c02 at first and the blow off tube is in starsan so no problem there.

Yeah, you may wanna rethink that approach after reading this...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/starsan-finished-beer-256540/

 

[Stauffbier]

Another option...

I've actually tried this. It works.

 

[biohaz7331]

I see your point with the star San but I only mixed a small amount in about a half gallon or more of water in a pot. I also have the blow off tube going to the floor so it would be very hard for starsan to get sucked back in. Lastly when the very powerful fermentation (which is already over) was done I just put my cleaned and Sanitized air lock back on and all is well. That mayo jar mod does look like it would work very well so after a few more batches I may look Into that especially when brewing beer with high OG where more beer could be lost from blowoff. I learn more and more everyday I read this forum!

 

[Stauffbier]

That mayo jar mod does look like it would work very well so after a few more batches I may look Into that especially when brewing beer with high OG where more beer could be lost from blowoff.

That's when I use it. When I brew RIS it blows like a volcano..

 

[biohaz7331]

Do you also oxygenate and do a starter or just really a really powerful start?

 

[Stauffbier]

On high gravity I oxygenate before pitching and again 12 hours later. I also pitch a starter according to YeastCalc.com...

 

[biohaz7331]

So you oxygenate twice but do it before oxidation would occur? I cannot view yeast calc sadly because android quit being supported by adobe for flash. So what exactly is yeast calc? I assume it has to do with when or what type of yeast to put in? Lastly what do you consider high gravity 1.04 or closer to 1.08 I read somewhere that if og is over 1.4 then you should use a starter. I am unclear on what exactly is considered high gravity in gravity terms. ( sorry I also feel that I keep picking brains and that I should just try to search more but I'm loving all the feedback too!

 

[Stauffbier]

So you oxygenate twice but do it before oxidation would occur? I cannot view yeast calc sadly because android quit being supported by adobe for flash. So what exactly is yeast calc? I assume it has to do with when or what type of yeast to put in? Lastly what do you consider high gravity 1.04 or closer to 1.08 I read somewhere that if og is over 1.4 then you should use a starter. I am unclear on what exactly is considered high gravity in gravity terms. ( sorry I also feel that I keep picking brains and that I should just try to search more but I'm loving all the feedback too!

Yes, I oxygenate twice on high gravity beers. The first 12 hours is safe with high gravity. High gravity is maybe 1.080 and up. You wouldn't want to oxygenate after 12 hours on a gravity of 1.040 (or anything much lower than 1.080).. I make a starter for all beers regardless of gravity, unless I'm using dry yeast. YeatCalc.com is a yeast calculator that calculates the size of starter you need for the gravity you plan to brew. Another yeast calculator is MrMalty.com...

 

[sweetcell]

i find that it depends on the yeast. all belgian yeasts need a blowoff in my experience, US-05 does not.

 

[biohaz7331]

Oh I see I wasn't aware that you could oxygenate higher og twice. What makes them able to be oxygenated twice without adversely affecting them?

 

[Stauffbier]

Oh I see I wasn't aware that you could oxygenate higher og twice. What makes them able to be oxygenated twice without adversely affecting them?

The fact that there is a ton of sugar for the yeast to eat. It takes longer for the yeast to eat that much sugar, so it gives you a longer window of "safe" time when it comes to oxygen being in there. Since you need a lot of yeast when there is a lot of sugar, adding extra oxygen will promote more yeast propagation. This way you have plenty of yeast to handle the job of fermenting a high gravity beer.

 

[squeekybobo]

I always use a blow off tube for the first 5 days. Since I've started doing that, I've had no blow off type of activity at all, even pitching a 1.075 OG brew onto a yeast came from a previous batch. I know if I don't use one, that'll be the time there'll be a huge mess to clean up. I consider it better to use and not need it vs. not use and be sorry.

 

[biohaz7331]

The fact that there is a ton of sugar for the yeast to eat. It takes longer for the yeast to eat that much sugar, so it gives you a longer window of "safe" time when it comes to oxygen being in there. Since you need a lot of yeast when there is a lot of sugar, adding extra oxygen will promote more yeast propagation. This way you have plenty of yeast to handle the job of fermenting a high gravity beer.

Ah so if there is more sugar to consume the beer can be oxygenated twice and it is very helpful when doing high gravity. Good to know I will definitely try that on high gravity beers. Thanks for all the info it has been very informative!

 

[OG2620]

Always. Those who rarely need them either do not pitch enough yeast or do not aerate enough.

 

[biohaz7331]

Always. Those who rarely need them either do not pitch enough yeast or do not aerate enough.

I was starting to see that because people who just shake or they don't do a starter, never have to use a blow off tube

 

[afr0byte]

Always. Those who rarely need them either do not pitch enough yeast or do not aerate enough.

Or they pitch at lower temps and have good temp control. Or, they use foam control in the boil, etc.

 

[kh54s10]

Are you a gambler? Flip a coin to decide whether to use a blowoff tube.

Kind of like Russian Roulette. Just have your cleaning gear handy!

 

[SpeedYellow]

Or they pitch at lower temps and have good temp control. Or, they use foam control in the boil, etc.

Yup. Or they are fermenting 4.5 gal in a 6.5 gal fermenter, or they are making a lager, etc.

What a strange statement.

 

[Stauffbier]

Or they pitch at lower temps and have good temp control.

I've recently noticed this to be true. I decided to start fermenting my American ale strains at 59-60F and I never get blow-off now. I always make big starters. I also use pure oxygen, so I'm sure it has to do with the lower temps.

 

[OG2620]

Since my Oktoberfest pitched/fermented @ 51F (temp. controlled) in a carboy with 1 gallon of headspace required a blow off tube, I'm inclined to continue to use one each and every time. No guess = no mess works best for me.