Frustrated with Overflow & carboy debate

[MrMitchell]

Frustrated question - -
I have airlock overflow EVERYTIME I brew! What’s the deal? I have the bung-hose into bucket contraption for the first day or so… but I don’t get it!? I’m fermenting in a BetterBottle at 5 gallon batches, but I pitch my yeast check on it in 10 hours and there she goes – OVERFLOW for almost 2 days and then I switch the hose out for a Classic S-airlock… and then it’s all good with no worries. I know this isn’t a bad thing and shouldn’t be worried but it smells and just flat out sucks. Are you all getting this as much as I? Am I just getting kick-butt fermentation? Should I get a bigger fermentation vessel? Or should I just stop complaining?

Also…

Can we objectively discuess the sales pitch on why I need a Glass carboy vs. my current plastic Better Bottle? Pros vs Cons

 

[Revvy]

What size better bottle are you using the 6 gallon?

One thing that works is to get fermcap-s foam control drops and use the recommended amount in your beer. It will keep the krausen to a minimum.

The glass versus plastic debate is a dead horse on here, it's been done to death. Bottom line, beer will ferment just fine regardless what container it is in, so it doesn't matter whatsoever.

And for any of those questions that can be asked with a -vs- in the tittle, the info can be found in THIS thread- This Vs. That - A Pro/Con Analysis

If the question can be broken down to an argument, then the answer is usually, "It doesn't matter, there's no better or best in brewing, just what works for you.

 

[29thfloor]

How big is your better bottle? If you're doing 5 gallon batches in a 5 gallon primary you're probably gonna get some overflow every time. You probably just need more headspace. I don't think it matters as much if its a better bottle or a glass carboy.

 

[midfielder5]

Should I get a bigger fermentation vessel?

Yes, or make a smaller batch. I love my buckets [glass is too heavy for me and anyways there is the risk of breakage + stitches]. I also use a blow off tube out for the first few days.
BTW, a 6G better bottle is 6 gallons up to the neck. A 5G BB is 5 gallons up to the neck, so there is not a lot of play there.

 

[ayoungrad]

I aim to get 5.5 gallons into the fermenter and even using the 6.5 gallon ale pail, I occasionally get overflow with bigger beers.

 

[IffyG]

One thing that works is to get fermcap-s foam control drops and use the recommended amount in your beer. It will keep the krausen to a minimum.

I agree with this. I have a 3 gallon carboy that I use for smaller batches and since I started adding fermcap to the carboy, I keep increasing the amount of wort I put in there before pitching the yeast. Works great, I've gotten almost no krausen on those batches.

 

[Hammy71]

I use a blow off everytime. Some brews blow, some don't . Besides the size of your fermenter....what temperature are you fermenting at? Back before I controlled my fermentation temperatures, the blow offs were more frequent when I was in the high range for the yeast. High 70s would do it everytime.

 

[day_trippr]

I use 6.5 gallon carboys and shoot for 5.5 gallons in them for primary. Even with temperature control I almost always get some blow-off, probably because even my lightest brews are close to 60 points. Hence the 1" ID hoses are always in place at the beginning and stay there until the boisterous primary phase is done.

No big deal. Indeed I'd almost be disappointed if a brew didn't burp up some krausen into the catch vessel...

Cheers!

 

[AmandaK]

+2 to Revvy. Fermcap-S is a winner. It keeps my keezer clean when I use it for temp control.

 

[Surly]

I expect blow off and prepare for it.

 

[BeerMe21]

Put the blow off tube into a sanitized vessel and use it to harvest the yeast! Or brew a batch of two days in a row and put the blow off tube into the second batch

 

[StMarcos]

Could just put some foil over the top until the foaming recedes.

 

[kh54s10]

Could just put some foil over the top until the foaming recedes.

Ugh! what a mess that would be!