Don't Stick Your Head in your primary fermenter and take a deep breath!

[314alias]

So we popped the top of the 6 gallon bucket getting ready to transfer to a secondary fermenter after about a week and in doing so I thought I would take a smell.. BAD IDEA! it about knocked me down! but, it wasn't so bad cuz i got my buddy to do it! lmao at his reaction! Straight Carbon Dioxide has a very odd effect on your nose..

 

[Kaz]

You only do that once lol

 

[shuckit]

Ha, CO2 is not what the body needs. Remember chemistry class and how they taught you to use your hand to blow it towards your nose?

 

[rycov]

yeah it freaken burns! try it with a recently empty keg! I did that once (only once). I felt really stupid, I should have learned my lesson after sniffing my primaries.

 

[DoubleAught]

Dang Primary sniffers

 

[JoeyChopps]

Dude i have a cuz in prison that makes hootch and said that breathing the fumes from there stuff got them super high not going to try it but thought it way funny

 

[iaefebs]

The burn.....I remember it well..

 

[Ingvaroo]

Yeah it hurts a bit i had my "incedent" just few days ago.

It still haunts me...

 

[JWink]

Well I never did this but I guess i'll try and get my dad to try it.

 

[atomiclunchbox]

Never happened to me but now I know!

 

[dover157]

You only do that once (per batch) lol

There I FIFY

 

[jiggs_casey]

It burns your nose and throat too! not... that.... i've, ever.... done it or anything...

 

[onipar]

Ha! My brother and I did this at the same time with our second batch. We both looked at each other and were like, "What the hell?" My brother first said, "Whoa, that's some strong alcohol!" But he quickly realized what it really was. Oof, that burn! :rockin:

 

[iaefebs]

Well I never did this but I guess i'll try and get my dad to try it.

You have to have a camera ready and post the picture here.

 

[ThaiBrew]

This is good information to know for the newbie such as myself.

 

[GreggZ]

Everyone should do it... Its a good time.

 

[Nashbrewer]

When I went through Jack Daniels tour they opened up a fermenter and let you do this. Ouch.

 

[Thefirebuilds]

I did this with ammonia in middle school. that really sucked.

 

[impur]

Did this on my last batch. Almost knocked me down as well. Then just the other day i opened up my fermentation chamber, stuck my head in there and almost knocked me down again! I gotta pay more attention lol

 

[Rivenin]

i do it every batch... it's becoming a ritual..

 

[beer_wookie]

I checked on my first batch the other morning. It felt like snorting 7-up. Who needs coffee when you have an active fermenter to clear away the cobwebs? Funny thing is I should have known better. While working at a winery one harvest, we had to take turns climbing into the giant fermenters to clean them out. Anymore than 5 minutes and everything starts to get a little hazy. Good times!

 

[scotched]

Sticking your nose in a carboy can be bad...

But sticking your head into a keezer fermenter, the day after your yeast takes off, is deadly.

I got a burning whiff and nearly passed out into my keezer. I almost ended up being the adult CO2 version of the "danger of toddler drowning" warning label you see on the side of 5 gallon buckets.

I've inhaled quite a few gasses in my lifetime and CO2 gets the cigar for being the most painful of 'em all. Even if you hold your breath, carbon dioxide will cause a burning sensation through the moisture in your eyes, and nose.

EDIT: I can't help but wonder how many brewers are going to take a big huff of co2, simply because we told them not to. lol.

 

[Vance71975]

So we popped the top of the 6 gallon bucket getting ready to transfer to a secondary fermenter after about a week and in doing so I thought I would take a smell.. BAD IDEA! it about knocked me down! but, it wasn't so bad cuz i got my buddy to do it! lmao at his reaction! Straight Carbon Dioxide has a very odd effect on your nose..

I have done this as well dont feel bad. I think we have ALL done this at some point lol.

 

[StittsvilleJames]

Interesting tidbit: At slaughterhouses, they use an 80% CO2 mixture before slaughtering the pigs.

I've never stuck my head into a fermenter, as I'm sure CO2 isn't very good for your lungs, heart, or brain.

 

[optimatored]

Sticking your nose in a carboy can be bad...

But sticking your head into a keezer fermenter, the day after your yeast takes off, is deadly.

I got a burning whiff and nearly passed out into my keezer. I almost ended up being the adult CO2 version of the "danger of toddler drowning" warning label you see on the side of 5 gallon buckets.

I've inhaled quite a few gasses in my lifetime and CO2 gets the cigar for being the most painful of 'em all. Even if you hold your breath, carbon dioxide will cause a burning sensation through the moisture in your eyes, and nose.

EDIT: I can't help but wonder how many brewers are going to take a big huff of co2, simply because we told them not to. lol.

+1 here... i had to two carboys actively fermenting in my keezer. when I went to check the gravity and reached down into the keezer to grab the carboy... well i took a breath and almost died I think. small price to pay for a gravity reading!

 

[mredge73]

I once walked into container used to transport food that was lined with dry ice.
I woke up the next day...

 

[Thefirebuilds]

Interesting tidbit: At slaughterhouses, they use an 80% CO2 mixture before slaughtering the pigs.

I've never stuck my head into a fermenter, as I'm sure CO2 isn't very good for your lungs, heart, or brain.

The issue is the molecule is larger than oxygen and your body can't take it in. I don't find that straight co2 has a smell. I suspect you're finding some other byproduct. (alcohol vapor?)

 

[rycov]

The issue is the molecule is larger than oxygen and your body can't take it in. I don't find that straight co2 has a smell. I suspect you're finding some other byproduct. (alcohol vapor?)

its not a smell. its a harsh burning

 

[BrewerinBR]

Carbon Monoxide is odorless and colorless.
Carbon dioxide is colorless. At low concentrations, the gas is odorless. At higher concentrations it has a sharp, acidic odor. It can cause asphyxiation and irritation.

This behavior is not a good idea. These gasses are very dangerous!

 

[slamback]

So is this dangerous other than my lungs/brain seizing up? Is it going to explode or something? Have quite the strong painful CO2 odor in my freezer/fermenter right now, just about blew my socks off, hoping my house won't explode.

 

[Bewbzout]

They should recommend doing this as a first time brewer. Once you do it, you wont do it again.

 

[Rev2010]

They should recommend doing this as a first time brewer. Once you do it, you wont do it again.

Not necessarily true. I learned this early on and yesterday when bottling my pumpkin I totally forgot and took a wiff after taking off the lid LOL, I guess twice is the charm


Rev.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I always give it a sniff after I rack just to make sure no funky odors before I toss a keg in the fridge. No burn this way as a lot of the CO2 has already disapated.

 

[Kosch]

Ah ha, glad I'm on the only one who almost passed out in his fermenter! I used a bucket my first batch, I think that's way more dangerous than a carboy, you can get your whole head down in there

 

[wheathead]

And to think, it only took me three time to realize to take smaller inhales.

 

[SwampassJ]

Nothing like dipping your head into the freezer with a flash light to check the krausen height on 2 carboys.

 

[rico567]

<snip>
EDIT: I can't help but wonder how many brewers are going to take a big huff of co2, simply because we told them not to. lol.

Personally, I like hitting myself in the head with a hammer, because it feels so good when I stop.........

 

[ChrisRC1985]

So glad I came across this thread.
I have a 'Blow Siphon'(I believe is the name) So right before I take a massive exhale, my mouth is already on the blow-hole, and I take a massive inhale, to acquire the needed breathe...HOLY ****...Right the lungs it went, suffice to say clearly knocked me on my ass lol.
Glad to see I am not the only one!

 

[SwampassJ]

my mouth is already on the blow-hole

 

[ChrisRC1985]

Dont knock it till you try it!

And I agree. Swamp Ass is this worst!