Explosive fermentation

[beerdragon]

This isn't a query but more of a funny story. On Sunday, I made a 10 gallon single malt IPA to showcase a blend of hops, and pitches two different yeasts; London ale and pacific ale. This was the first time I used an aeration wand, the kind that you hook to a drill and it will stir the heck out of the wort. (Pretty sure it's not called a wand though).

Monday, fermentation was quick and over. I was confused, I heard of faster fermentations when you improve your aeration methods, but I didn't think it would be that fast. I told myself I would check it in Tuesday.

This morning, a very healthy thick layer of krausen existed. At no point I felt concerned....

Well, my wife paged me later in the day and told me that the pacific ale batch exploded. I visualized the actual 6.5 gallon glass carboy as shattered and my poor beer saturating the floor.

Apparently, fermentation was so vigorous that the airlock became a projectile and got stuck in the ceiling...... And my wife spent a good hour cleaning up the krausen and attaching a blowoff tube.

I love my swmbo.

 

[olotti]

Sorry dont have any help but how does fermentation break a carboy??? That seems almost impossible unless maybe your carboy had a crack that weakened it.

I also think that, and take this for what it's worth as I'm a newb to AG, but isn't putting on an attachement to a drill overkill for aerating?

Last question what was your OG? Did you use an airlock when maybe a blowoff tube would've been the better way to go. I've heard that pacific ale or super yeast I think it's called is pretty violent so to speak.

 

[Hermit]

Apparently, fermentation was so vigorous that the airlock became a projectile and got stuck in the ceiling.....

Please tell us you have a picture of that. :rockin:

 

[beerdragon]

The carboy didn't break. It was more like a volcanic explosion with an eruption. OG 1.068 and I pitched an appropriate yeast starter, from the yeast calculator site. But yeah, 2 minutes of aeration, definitely overkill for pacific yeast. But I have done pacman in that 6.5 gallon carboy with an airlock, no problems.

No pictures of the airlock stuck in the ceiling. The SWMBO didn't think to take pictures, only to get a blow off tube hooked up and clean the mess

 

[Hermit]

No pictures of the airlock stuck in the ceiling.

Boo.

 

[worlddivides]

Your swmbo really does rule to do that for you.

Sorry dont have any help but how does fermentation break a carboy??? That seems almost impossible unless maybe your carboy had a crack that weakened it.

I know it's not impossible because I've seen it happen in videos on YouTube and in pictures on this forum.

As for "how"... enough pressure building up inside a small space with nowhere to go will eventually cause an explosion, crack, or rupture. Think of how much CO2 yeast can make from a high-gravity beer. Think of it having nowhere to escape and continuing to grow and grow and grow and grow. Eventually... KABOOM! (or BANG! or CRACK! or whatever).