Primary carboy explosion...what went wrong?

[eurc51]

Well, I think I know what went wrong, but I'm not sure how I could have prevented it. Also, this was not my first beer or my first big beer - I've dealt with blow-off before. The explosion occured 24 hours after starting the primary - it was an Imperial Stout.

So, got the stopper and airlock on and fortunately, put the primary in the basement (cement floor). I came back down before bed to check on it. It looked great, a nice creamy head was beginning to form. This morning, I came down to find foam seaping through the airlock. But, I also heard a whistling noise. I sanitized my blow-off tube and got a bucket ready. When I removed the airlock (which was nearly out anyway), I heard a bang and then watched half of my beer hit the ceiling in an Old Faithful-like eruption.

Before I started my 3 hour cleanup, I looked at the airlock and it appeared to be clogged with yeast, hops, etc.

So, I'm guessing the probem was the clogged airlock, but how could I have known - the whistling sound? And, I could have very well have been sleeping when this occurred. Could I have prevented the explosion - maybe by clearing the clock with the stopper still in?

Thoughts?

Eurc51 (p.s. I'm going to try to keep the beer - get it into a small secondary soon)

 

[barroomhero1234]

Blow off tube right away, why wait?
I always use them, except for my bigger carboys when i have a gallon and a half of head space.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

I use blowoff tubes even in my 6.5 gal carboys. And it has been utilized many times. I usually take them off after 4-5 days because a basic airlock is easier to use when moving the carboy etc.
I have even had a blow off tube get blocked with hop crud and stain my ceiling. Bigger the tube, the better.

 

[mthompson]

I'd say the cause was the clog, which lead to the carboy building up pressure. Eventually it would have blown the stopper, but with more stored pressure and a larger boom-boom. So, when you remover the airlock, it erupted releasing the pressure.

If you plan to do this beer again, I'd suggest getting a stopper with a larger hole in the center (say 1/2" to 3/4") and use a larger diameter tubing for the overflow. This will help prevent a clog and allow for more gas to escape at one time, meaning less built up pressure and no more boom-boom.

 

[david_42]

I've heard an airlock whistle before, it was also spraying wort all over. I just pulled the airlock & stopper out and placed a pint glass over the top. Sounds like you had enough pressure built up, though, that it probably would have launched the pint!

It's a good idea to rig blow-off tubes for big beers. You may not need it, but when you do ...

 

[RootsUltimate]

Same thing just happened to my brew. According to a soft sleeping roommate the explosion happened at about 4 in the morning. Plug was clogged and nothing could even get to the blowoff tube. I lost nearly a third of the beer and it was exposed to air for a few hours. I'm hoping leaving it in the primary longer will take care of any problems. How did your brew turn out?

 

[Pi Kapp Beer Guy]

I think the term you are looking for is eruption. I've heard of a carboy eploding due to weak spots in the glass from use over time.

A carboy eruption sucks. A carboy explosion.... That is, i'm sure, a horrible scenario.