Urgent advice needed

[sublevel007]

I brewed a IPA Saturday I just got home and the foam is coming up out of my airlock, it's a 6.5 gallon bucket with like. 4.75 gallons that went in, I'm afraid it's gonna blow, is it alright if I pull the airlock out and out a different one in, the top of the bucket is very stiff like its ready to go


Kevin in Cleveland, addicted to brewing

 

[mrkrausen]

Yes you can, just make sure you sanitize the airlock you're putting on there. Also, you may want to rig a blow off tube because if fermentation continues to be that vigorous then you may end up having to replace the airlock again.

 

[masskrug]

Yeah. Pull the airlock, clean it, refill it and put it back on. There is enough pressure in there to keep the nasties out while you clean.

 

[ScottG58]

You will need to set up a blow-off hose. If your airlock clogs, it could blow the lid off of the fermenter.

 

[sublevel007]

Well that was a close I swear I though the kid was coming with the air lock!!! I have never had a fermentation like this before. Wish I had it in my Carboy to watch. Quick question is the flurry of thing when I got the new airlock is a few drops of water and sanitizer went down the tube into the bucket, will that hurt the fermentation? Also how would I hook up a blow off on your standard 6.5 gallon plastic bucket when the hole in the lid is small like that


Kevin in Cleveland, addicted to brewing

 

[smccarter]

Go to your LHBS... buy one of these, and about a 4' line to go along with it...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064OED86/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Get a bowl or bucket and put some sanitized solution it it to terminate the line in.

You'll be O... K... A... Y....

 

[duboman]

Go get a 3 piece airlock, remove the cap and center float, jam a piece of tubing over the hole in the middle and run the other end into a jar of star San/water mix=blow off tube

For primary fermentation bye you are better off with a 3 piece in general, my opinion. The "s" type are better for secondary or long term bulk conditioning


Sent from the Commune

 

[sublevel007]

Ok I have the three piece in now. I have some extra tubing I'm gonna check to see if it's the right size. Thanks for all the info guys.

By the way what would cause a crazy fermentation like that. This was my first all grain batch and first time using liquid yeast compared to the dry packets?


Kevin in Cleveland, addicted to brewing

 

[vraftsman]

The fresher the yeast the better, with liquid especially. You may have just lucked out with your purchase and gotten something brand new.

 

[sublevel007]

Any idea what size tubing is needed to make a blow off with a standard 3 piece is not gonna work it's already spewing out of that. My tubing is to small


Kevin in Cleveland, addicted to brewing

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I just use the tubing from my siphon and jam it into the grommet in the lid and stick the other end in a gallon jug half full of sanitizer.


Sent from somewhere to someone

 

[Hoppity]

Dip the end of "too narrow" tube in boiling water. Force/finesse it on. Resanitize and you're good to go. Don't use 'S ' types on primary fermentation. Had one clog once and it sheared a glass Carboy in two. I really missed the other half of that 11 gal IPA batch, and the Carboy. I never missed that S shaped airlock. I threw every one of them away that I had.

 

[BiggieB400]

What is your fermentation temp? Too warm and the yeast go crazy. It seems cool but they will produce excessive esters that will create off flavors...


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[mrboz]

3/8 inside diameter tubing is just about right for standard 3-piece airlock.

 

[sublevel007]

The fern temp is at 66, the 3/8 is what I ended up using. I had to get it done quick so I used a lighter to heat it up and used some needle nose pliers to stretch it dipped it back in the San solution for a min and got it on.

Is 66 on the ferm temp too warm?


Kevin in Cleveland, addicted to brewing