Blow off suck back after 2 weeks primary, RIS - no crash cooling.

[Gadjobrinus]

Just heard the ungodly sound of my blowoff quart of star-san solution sucked dry. For 2 weeks primary fermentation has moved from explosive to still over the last several days, with no observing changes in the level in the quart jar, until just now. No changes in ambient temp, constant. No idea what's happened, but it's certain that over a pint of star-san has now just joined what promised to be a beautiful 1.120 OG RIS. Never happened before, puzzling. The only thing I can guess is that the yeast slowing down to dormant lowered the temp enough to cause suckback, but that seems implausible to me - that's a lot of star-san.

 

[VikeMan]

The only thing I can guess is that the yeast slowing down to dormant lowered the temp enough to cause suckback, but that seems implausible to me - that's a lot of star-san.

So how much was the internal temperature change? I've seen internal temps at more than 10F higher than ambient in some big beer fermentations. It would take a while for that temp to come back down, but without temp control, it will.

 

[PCABrewing]

No idea what's happened, but it's certain that over a pint of star-san has now just joined what promised to be a beautiful 1.120 OG RIS. .

RIS = Radiology Information System?
Acronyms seem to be growing...

 

[VikeMan]

RIS = Radiology Information System?
Acronyms seem to be growing...

I assume that means Russian Imperial Stout (a not so new acronym).

 

[MaxStout]

Acronyms seem to be growing...

Username checks out.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

I assume that means Russian Imperial Stout (a not so new acronym).

Yep. AFAIK, RIS is OG.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

So how much was the internal temperature change? I've seen internal temps at more than 10F higher than ambient in some big beer fermentations. It would take a while for that temp to come back down, but without temp control, it will.

This one I just let free rise in our apt. ambient, so it's internal temp peaked at 72 for the first few days and maintained a steady state for a long while around 70F, then tailed off to 68 last I checked. Just looked now, and it is 66F. I'm guessing that was enough. I'd jury rigged the blow off because peak fermentation was so explosive that the airlock was overflowing with krausen, though this is a 5 gallon batch in an 8 gallon bucket. So rather than rack off into a large carboy, I pulled the airlock apart and stuck a piece of silicone tubing over the airlock stem, the other end into the qt jar of Star-San. I should have used a longer piece and put the jar on the floor. As it was, the tubing was short and the jar was on the bucket lid - perfect for easy vacuum, I'm guessing. Bummer.

 

[mac_1103]

"Your abbreviation search returned 59 meanings"

Hard to pick a favorite, but Romulan Imperial Ship is up there. Or maybe you'd go with Roosevelt Intermediate School if you happen to be from Westfield, NJ? And Recreation and Intramural Sports brings back memories.

 

[hotbeer]

When using blow off tubes, I don't stick the end far enough down to allow the liquid to complete it's journey into the FV. And it helps to keep the bubbler jar lower than the FV when possible. Or to route the tube higher above the FV before turning down.

 

[mac_1103]

I don't stick the end far enough down to allow the liquid to complete it's journey into the FV.

Hmm... could the rising and falling of the krausen have started a siphon?

 

[hotbeer]

Hmm... could the rising and falling of the krausen have started a siphon?

Only if the bubbler bottles liquid level was higher than the end of the hose and fitting going into the FV.

Could pump a little bit every cycle with repeated pressure changes and drain the bubbler jar down.

 

[PCABrewing]

I assume that means Russian Imperial Stout (a not so new acronym).

Ahhh, that fits, thx

 

[doug293cz]

Only if the bubbler bottles liquid level was higher than the end of the hose and fitting going into the FV.

Could pump a little bit every cycle with repeated pressure changes and drain the bubbler jar down.

The bubbler bottle was sitting on top of a bucket fermenter, so yes the liquid level in the jar was higher than the other end of the blow off tube. Highly likely a siphon was started by temp and/or air pressure changes.

Brew on

 

[hotbeer]

The bubbler bottle was sitting on top of a bucket fermenter, so yes the liquid level in the jar was higher than the other end of the blow off tube. Highly likely a siphon was started by temp and/or air pressure changes.

Brew on

It's those tiny details made in additional posts that I fail to read that get me many times.

I've seen pic's in posts of others that have done similar with the bubbler jar higher than the FV and wondered if there'd ever be enough suck back to do that.

 

[Rish]

pint of star-san

Would that amount in 5 gallons affect the taste much especially in a RIS and/or make the beer unsafe to drink?

 

[day_trippr]

I've read of worse than a pint of suck backed Star San solution (say that three times quickly!)
Obviously the authors survived

Cheers!