overflow

[fendermallot]

so my cider is in overflow mode. The day I pitched yeast (5/21) I actually pulled out about 3 wine thiefs worth of juice to try and make room for the kreuzen, but apparently it wasn't enough. It's backed up into the air lock and down into the blow off tube. It's not "flowing" out of the tube but I was wondering whether it would be a good idea to siphon a bit more juice off to make room?

Anyway, I think I should just leave it as is and let the yeast do it's work. As long as there isn't a huge mess it's not a big deal I suppose.

Incase you're curious:

5gal apple cider
1cup dextrose
2lb lt. brown sugar
safale us-05
4 cloves
1T cinnamon



** I think I went a little nuts with the brown sugar. next time I might add it incrementally?

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Maybe this can help:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/krausen-control-247274/

 

[oldmate]

I think you should clean out the airlock and tube thoroughly and then replace. I've never seen a blow-off tube like that before!

 

[fendermallot]

well, it's this crappy carboy cap the guy at my LHBS sold me. I don't like them but have not made an effort to go back and get a rubber stopper. I assumed that's what the second pipe was for as it was the right size for the tubing I had. I've had to clean the airlock 4 times in the last 24 hrs. just a PITA right now.

As per another thread, I've been shaking the bottle a bit to try and get some of the krausen to keep from building up into the airlock. it seems to do the trick.

 

[arnoldk2]

The second hole is for racking the beer. Although just thank goodness you set that top on the way you did. If you didn't have that blowoff on chances are you would've been cleaning the walls from the fermentor explosion. If I were you I wouldn't mess with an airlock. Just go with a blowoff tube.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

As per another thread, I've been shaking the bottle a bit to try and get some of the krausen to keep from building up into the airlock. it seems to do the trick.

Just shake it until the krausen disappears completely. From then on (at least as far as I can tell), there wil be no more krausen to worry about.

 

[fendermallot]

it comes back within 10min...

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Hmmm...that's weird. Mine never came back, and it's fermenting like crazy.

 

[fendermallot]

i need to go buy some rubber stoppers instead of these carboy caps the LHBS sold me, that way I can get an actual blow off valve working...

 

[Vector]

Your not suppose to be using a airlock and a blow tube at the same time.
Your orange carboy cap should have come with 2 little white caps, plug the empty hole with one one of those.
Your cider is taking the route of least resistance through the airlock.
I use one of those orange caps every time I brew a batch of beer. They work well for me.

 

[arnoldk2]

If you use a blowoff you don't need a rubber stopper. They sell a hose that fits tight inside the carboy neck. It is air tight and there is no worries about a carboy explosion. The hose is pretty cheap. I use a 5-foot hose and never had a problem. The only time I use an airlock is if I do a secondary... but I hardly ever do a secondary

 

[fendermallot]

before I left today I did plug one of the cap holes and went with just the tube. I can hear it behind me bubbling away while I drink some of my PomApfelwein... god this is good stuff!