:) learned the lesson regarding blowoff tubes..

working on my second batch checked the beer 24 hours later and WOW! the picture does not show the worst, just what i discovered. as i scrambled to clean and get my blowoff tube set up it got much worse and turned into a volcano.

I love this hobby

Looks like your "Airlock" got too excited.

Premature blowoff... happens to the best if us!

Deuce said:

Premature blowoff... happens to the best if us!

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The little creatures just wanted out of the tube

I brewed three batches on new years eve-eve, and then had some friends over for the festivities the next day. This was this past year, welcoming in 2011. I moved both carboys from my bathroom under the storage location for the towels and such and into the shower. They were mega-active and I wound run down and check on them every half hour or so because they were starting to get clogged. I ended up passing out at about 2am. When I woke up on the 1st I had an American Amber and a Robust Porter ALL over the popcorn ceiling of my shower. It blew the rubber stoppers out and all. I cleaned it up and immediately walked upstairs and ordered enough tubing for two blow-offs. I've been brewing for 3 years and I feel embarrassed that I didn't get them sooner.

just me or pics not showing?

I've had a few of these, I now primary ferment a 5 gallon batch in 6.5 gallon carboys, haven't had another blow-off yet.

Ha! I keep the fermenters in my home office closet, I think I discovered this at the start, it was not much of a mess when j snapped the pic. However while I grabbed my tubing and mixed up some sanitizer it got exponentially worse every minute. By the time I was ready to switch the plugs out for the airlock it had turned into a volcano and blew the airlock out. I have built in shelving in my closet and the bottom was covered in partially fermented wort.

AussieBrewerInColorado said:

I've had a few of these, I now primary ferment a 5 gallon batch in 6.5 gallon carboys, haven't had another blow-off yet.

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My LHBS was out of 6.5, so this is a 6. Not sure the extra 1/2 gallon would of saved it. But moving forward I will only use 6.5 carboys and start with a blowoff for the first week.

straycat said:

just me or pics not showing?

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Just you i can see the pics

Had this happen to my batch of IIPA a couple of weeks ago, in a 6.5 gallon carboy. So Sun when I brewed my blonde I used a blow-off tube, yesterday morning it was active but nothing special, then yesterday afternoon when I checked it it went crazy. Good thing I kept the blow-off tube in.

I play it safe and use a blow-off tube for the first 3 days no matter what. Especially since i've begun using starters.

Did you have over 5 gallons in there? You should have been OK with the 6 gallon carboy.
I poured 5 gallons of water in my 6.5 carboy and taped that line with some tape to make sure I don't go over. Then just lined up the rest of the carboys and taped at the same spot. Haven't had an explosion yet. It can get messy! But hey, at least it is fermenting

I've had beers fill the headspace and send krausen out the tube from a 6.5 gallon carboy.

AussieBrewerInColorado said:

Did you have over 5 gallons in there? You should have been OK with the 6 gallon carboy.
I poured 5 gallons of water in my 6.5 carboy and taped that line with some tape to make sure I don't go over. Then just lined up the rest of the carboys and taped at the same spot. Haven't had an explosion yet. It can get messy! But hey, at least it is fermenting

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yes, this is a 5 gal batch in a 6 gal carboy, my LHBS said i should be fine...any ideas on what could of caused this? this is a XX stout extract kit from home brewers outpost. I did mark my carboy with a 5 gal mark before filling, i did pitch in a bucket and then pour into the carboy, could this of caused it?

straycat said:

just me or pics not showing?

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Didn't show for me either in Firefox. Switched to IE and now I see 'um.

Deuce said:

Premature blowoff... happens to the best if us!

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I hear there are pills you can take for that sort of thing.

NWAleDad said:

yes, this is a 5 gal batch in a 6 gal carboy, my LHBS said i should be fine...any ideas on what could of caused this? this is a XX stout extract kit from home brewers outpost. I did mark my carboy with a 5 gal mark before filling, i did pitch in a bucket and then pour into the carboy, could this of caused it?

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you had happy explosive yeasties. it happens to everyone now and then. you didn't do anything wrong. Just remember that some yeasts ferment differently than others. Some are showoffs and like to make tons of krausen and flex their muscles for the world to see. Others work slowly and quietly barely breaking a sweat. But they are all doing their jobs when given the right environment.

I once had a 10% bourbon barrel porter do something like that in a 6.5 gal carboy. luckily I caught it in time and was able to place a blowoff tube. Good beer though