Just Luuuuuuuuuvv those blow outs!

[andylegate]

LOL! This is the second time I came home from work to find a blow out!
First time was with my 2nd batch of Cherry Wheat ale. I hadn't added the pureed cherries yet, so it was just the wheat ale fermenting. That was a case of me filling my fermentation bucket up too much. Heck of a mess to clean up.
This time however it was with my Merlin's Ale. I put it in a carboy to ferment, and I made sure to leave plenty of room for the foam. Last night the brew was REALLY active, swirling around like a mini tornado. But the foam was not rising.
Got home today from work, and I've got dried foam all in the air lock and all over the stopper! Har!
I quickly grabbed one of my spare stoppers and air locks, and after getting sanitized, I pulled the foam filled one off.
B O O M!
Lucky me, it was just gas escaping, no more foam. But it did get me to jump back really quick!LOL! I wish someone had being video taping me, they would have gotten a good laugh.
Evidently the activity died down enough for the foam to dry and form a plug, then picked back up and started pressurising the carboy. I bet if I had waited another hour, it would have popped like a champaign cork! Now it's back to really making the air lock gurggle a lot. So I'm keeping a close eye on it.
This is the first time I've used liquid yeast, so that might have had a lot to do with it. It's a 5 gallon carboy, but I've only got about 4 gallons in it, so I had a LOT of head room. I did that on purpose, just in case. The grain bill for this batch was small, only a few ounces, and only 5 lbs of malt.
Just goes to show you, no mater how many batches you do, you'll still get surprised once in a while! Ha!

 

[knewshound]

I speak from experiance when I say a blown carboy will easily cover 250 square feet in beer.

You got lucky !

Cheers,

knewshound

 

[Torchiest]

I speak from experiance when I say a blown carboy will easily cover 250 square feet in beer.

Ugh, what a horrifying thought. I hope that never happens to me.

 

[anthrobe]

try using a blow off tube. Since I have been using starters, I will not even attempt to use a airlock. I bought a small glass sleeve that fits tightly in a 1.4" inside diameter hose and to the bung. Then run the hose into a jar or growler (what I use) filled with sanitizing solution. It released the pressure much easier and if the krausen does get in the hose, it will not clog it and cause the bung to blow. Once the fermentation slows, I will replace the tube with a airlock.

 

[Ol' Grog]

That's some good points. I was wondering, and this almost happened to me and I guess it's pretty common if doing wheat brews, which I like the best, is there anything you can do to the standard small air lock hole that comes with the standard primary buckets? Get a blow off hose and just drill a bigger hole in the lid? I know it sounds simple, but I'm just checking.

 

[Reverend JC]

it will not clog it and cause the bung to blow. .

You never want your bung to blow, thats for sure!!!!:cross:

 

[Evan!]

The only true blowoff I had was with a starter I made in a 1L growler. Luckily it was in the spare shower, and when the bung popped out, it just splattered the inside of the shower.

I was anticipating a blowoff on the hefe I made over the weekend, given that hefe's are notorious for blowoffs, and I was using an existing cake. So I went to Lowe's and got 1.25" OD clear vinyl tubing for $1.39/ft. It fits snugly into the carboy necks, and I run the other end into a bucket of sanitized water, ah, like-a-so.

And still, no blowoff. But it worked as an airlock regardless, so it can't hurt. :fro:

 

[Reverend JC]

So, i make the bung comment earlier and it comes back to bite me in my ass.

SWMBO just called my and my tribute to CHEESE'S Carmel creame ale, first attempt at an AG, had blown its top. She found the bung and airlock laying on the blanket that i was using to cover up the carboy. So tyring to be thoughtful she placed it back into the top of the carboy>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

Damn it. Her heart was in the right place though.

So i will sit back and RDWHAB.

Note: Venecian Blinds (sp) are a bastard to clean after they recieve a healthy dose of blow off!!