and the bucket DIDN'T go BOOM!!!! but...

[retardedsloth]

So after my experience with the blown lid I got some good advice about installing a vent tube which I inserted into a gallon jug half filled with water.
On day two the tube was bubbling like an oxygen pump in an aquarium. Towards the end of the day it started pumping some liquid and particles. I thought "good, it's working". When I got up the next morning, the tube was blown out of the hole and there was wort all over the floor and the bucket. The lid was still on, so I guess this is better than blowing the lid. Still a mess to clean up, any other ideas how to prevent this? I do have to say that this only happened once before, both times I was using the Wyest 1007 German Ale yeast. It seems to me that this yeast is quite a bit more aggressive active than other.

 

[Mcbobs]

How big is your bucket fermentor?

 

[mcaple1]

Get a carboy....no seriously though just attach an airlock into the bung and then run a tube from the airlock to your water. The airlock should stay in there just fine.

 

[retardedsloth]

I just have the standard 6.5 gallon bucket filled to the 5 gallon mark. I really think that this is somehow related to the german yeast. I am new to brewing but I have made about 12 batches thus far and the only ones that ever blew/spilled where the two using german yeast.

 

[Mcbobs]

One problem I've noticed with using a bucket to ferment is that the ale pales have holes in the lid just large enough squeeze an airlock into it. Putting a blow off tube into the hole makes the diameter that much smaller and the krausen can plug the tube and then push it back out as well as blow it out.

My suggestion is to drill a 1" hole separate from the one that you use for you airlock and get a 1" outer diameter hose to fit into it. Once your fermenter is done blowing off the krausen, get an appropriately sized bung that is not drilled to plug up the hole.

Other than that, you could always get a carboy with a hose that wedges inside the neck without a bung....

 

[Wakadaka]

I had the same thing with a hefeweizen. Had to put on a blow off tube, but then it overflowed the jar I had the blowoff going into.

I found a pitcher works better for a blow off tube to go into. And you really don't need much liquid in it, just enough to ensure that the hose will stay submerged.

Anybody else ever notice how much cats love blow off tubes? My cats spent hours staring at it bubbling

 

[Stevo2569]

I've had similar experiences with the German Ale Yeast, specially after pitching on a fresh yeast cake. I agree it is very aggressive but , I've produced some great beers with it. I just hook my 1/2" tubing straight into the airlock(without the cap and capsule of course) and into a small bucket of starsan. Ever since my first explosion over 8 months ago, I always put my fermentor in the sink for the first day or two. As you know huge PITA to clean up.

 

[wyzazz]

Try some fermcap!

 

[badhabit]

If you are using the blow off and have a 6+ gal primary one of the best things you can do is watch the blow off close any time you see the wort/krausen comming up into the blow off. I clean mine at least daily any time I see it getting yeast/wort in it. When it plugs you will have a mess, as you have learned. I have not had the problem with 1007 specificly and I use that yeast often. You may also want to check your fermentation temprature. If you are running warm that could be part of your problem. 1007 temp max is 68 F. I ferment in my basement and do not brew the german ales in the summer, it is just too warm....causes too much ester flavor.

 

[loapathy]

Try some fermcap!

This. I ran out, forgot how important fermcap is, and brewed up a RIS this past weekend. Lost nearly a gallon of beer into the blowoff reservoir overnight. Needless to say I ordered more immediately.

Also--unrelated but--wow, WLP Dry English Ale ferments a whole like s-04 but faster. It's already down from 1.088 to 1.018 in three days @ 66 ferm/60 ambient, and the stuff is like a layer of plastic on the bottom of the carboy.