Beware Blowoff (even with slow starting beers)

ESPECIALLY in small bathrooms -- We were watching a movie tonight and heard a loud POP. My baby beer, that had been quietly and slowly chugging along all day, had blown the stopper off and basically covered the entire room in krausen. It is going to be one heck of a mess to clean up tomorrow, I tried to get the ceiling as best I could, but I have to break out the ladder to finish it.

Anyone have any tips for getting hop/malt gook off of white ceilings?

 

Leave more room in your primary or repaint.

I use a 7 gallon primary for a 5 gallon batch and haven't had to scrub anything yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though.....

 

This was my first one too, and I used to think I was immune.

 

I still have yet to have a blowoff that blew the cap off the carboy.

I did, however, have a first the other day as I expected my bee cave IPA to have some blowoff, but usually it happens in the first 48 hours or not at all. After two days I switched to an airlock, and a day later I was having blowoff.

 

What do you use the first two days if not an airlock? I have loads of foam coming through the airlock and constantly have to top up the airlock with water.
Any suggestions?

 

Use a blow off tube. A couple feet of 1" hose in a stopper on the carboy end and the other end in a jar half full of Starsan or water. The CO2 bubbles through the water and it works like a big airlock. If it blows a bunch of foam it goes into the water and doesnt mess up the standard airlock.

 

I started with a blowoff tube, then I thought I was no longer at risk for blowoff so I put the airlock on. Then I got blowoff.

 

I always use a blowoff when I ferment in a carboy. I switch to an airlock after a week. I ferment in my office, I can't imagine the mess I would be cleaning up if I had an explosion..

 

Warning to all, if you dry hop in primary you need a BIG blow off tube. The stains on my celling are a reminder to me that even blow off tubes can get blocked.

 

One of the guys in the local brew club had a carboy grenade in his early brewing days due to the neck getting plugged with whole hops. He awakened at 4am to a massive explosion and found 2 gallons of beer along with glass shrapnel all over the room. The remaining three gallons was still sitting in the bottom half of the carboy which was cracked but not completely shattered.

I consider this a big clue that dry hopping in the primary is a no-no...

 

If you can replicate that and get video, I'd donate! No, wait, don't-that's alcohol abuse... I still think it would have been cool to see:rockin:, in a sad sort of way.

 

I wish I could have seen it too - the noise was quite impressive. I am not sure how much pressure built up, but it was a lot.

I spent about an hour cleaning the bathroom ceiling and walls last night. Its not done, but I had to let everything dry to see where all is still dirty. I am guessing another 20-30 minutes of scrubbing tonight. Fortunately I don't think I will have to repaint.

 

Sounds like a job for Mythbusters. They like things that blowup.