Blow offs

[JohnnyHops]

My airlock keeps blowing off of my carboy so I switched to a blowoff tube, but with all of the blow offs my batch was exposed to air, is my batch worth saving? Or is it ruined?

 

[elimn8u]

You will most likely be fine.

 

[JohnnyHops]

Oh good, this is my first brew so I'm still quite jittery about it

 

[W0GWT]

My airlock keeps blowing off of my carboy so I switched to a blowoff tube, but with all of the blow offs my batch was exposed to air, is my batch worth saving? Or is it ruined?

No. 99% chance that it's totally fine.

With that sort of heavy fermentation, there is a lot of CO2 coming off of your wort, which keeps the oxygen away. Unless you sloshed the **** out of it, there's not much cause for concern.

 

[Pappers_]

^^^^^ what they said.

I always use a blow-off tube now, into a jar of water, until fermentation has died down. Then I throw on a bubbler-type airlock.

 

[Cyclman]

I always use a blowoff too, sick of cleaning blown airlocks.

 

[dobes]

+1 for the blow off tube

 

[JohnnyHops]

Thank for the tips on the blowoff tube everyone, just joint this forum today and already I find everyone's so helpful with advice

 

[JohnnyHops]

And is it ok that there is lots of kraeusen coming out of it?

 

[W0GWT]

And is it ok that there is lots of kraeusen coming out of it?

Yep, it happens.

I change the Starsan in the cup once it starts looking too gross, but that's mainly so I don't have to see a nasty cup.

 

[passedpawn]

I don't use blow-offs. I ferment on the cold side of the range and the yeast is subdued.

I live on the edge most of the time; the rest of the time I'm getting busy with the shop vac before my wife sees the mess.

 

[Pappers_]

I don't use blow-offs. I ferment on the cold side of the range and the yeast is subdued.

I live on the edge most of the time; the rest of the time I'm getting busy with the shop vac before my wife sees the mess.

How low do you ferment, PP? I ferment low, too, usually 60-62F for ale yeasts. But I still often get runaway krausen, especially on big beers.

 

[BarleyStanding]

Your beer will be fine. If you keep having to clean out a blown airlock, that means a ton of gas is coming off your wort. Rig the blow-off, sit back, and have a home brew.

 

[passedpawn]

How low do you ferment, PP? I ferment low, too, usually 60-62F for ale yeasts. But I still often get runaway krausen, especially on big beers.

I don't start with a blowoff because I rarely need them. I make mostly smaller beers, rarely > 1.060. 2 weeks for ales, 3 weeks for lagers (which I'm doing right now).

I do occasionally have beers blow off. It seems to happen in slow speed, so I check the feezer a day or two after pitching yeast and if one of them looks like it's getting close I'll put the blowoff on there. I have two blowoff assemblies ready to go, but I usually brew 20g batches (4 carboys), so if they all blow I have to do some scrambling.

Here's a shot from a troublesome fermentation I had in 2010. I can't tell you what I was brewing, but I don't have this issue anymore, thankfully.

[edit] I see the tags in the picture say german hefeweisens. That explains it. Wyeast 3068 is a prodigious krausen creator. I can't drink hefe's any more, can't stand them. It's the only style I will not drink now.

 

[DocDriza]

When you use a blow off, is the solution a just water, or is it a star san solution?

 

[passedpawn]

I have a pitcher of starsan solution

 

[bruteforce]

I always use star san from the brewing earlier in the day.

 

[DocDriza]

I have a pitcher of starsan solution

I always use star san from the brewing earlier in the day.

Why do you guys use star San and not just water? I'm somewhat new (6 batches since May) so I'm just wondering why some thing are the way they are.

Thanks guys.