Explosion!

Aaaaaugh!

I just checked on the fermentation of my latest batch, a clone of Iron Rat Stout, and when I opened the door to my cooler I was shocked to find that the lid to my fermenter (plastic bucket) had partially blown off. It looked as though the krausen had expanded into the vapor lock and gummed it up, causing pressure to build until the lid popped.

A couple of questions:

1. Is the beer still good? It's been sitting inside the cooler exposed to air for up to two days.

2. What would cause this to happen? I've never experienced this before, and don't know what I did wrong - or how to prevent it again.

Incidentally, my cooler is a converted upright freezer with a temperature controller installed. I was fermenting the beer at 63+/- degrees. I brewed on Saturday, and checked the cooler a couple of times during the week to make sure the vapor lock was bubbling - it looked like everything was going as it should. Help!

 

First, relax. You're still good.

1. Yes, your beer is likely still good.
2. Very active fermentation. To prevent it, rig a blow-off tube. The crud will not be able to blow the lid off.

 

Is this a stout or RIS? And rig up a blow off tube that goes into a gallon jug filled with sanitized water. I'm surprised my RIS didn't have any blow off. Kinda made me sad after hearing all these blow off stories!

 

Also make sure to really strain your brews. Especially if you have really fine hop particles in it. This is what usually gums up the airlocks. Blow-off tubes are better.

 

Ghall, you mentioned straining my brew. I've read about this in the past, and honestly never got the sense that a majority of people thought it was a good idea. What would I strain it with, and when? How do you do it?

 

I have absolutely stopped using airlocks during the first week of fermentation. I've had big beers with 3 gallons of headspace end up needing blowoff tubes. Every beer, regardless of how much headspace it has gets a blowoff tube for the first 7 days, then swapped out with an airlock. I've come home from work to too many explosions - twice was enough. The only drag is the loss in beer.

 

I strain after I cool the wort as I am putting it into my primary. I don't see why you wouldn't do this, most do. Don't strain later after fermentation has started. This will oxidize your beer. Prior to fermentation and after cooling you want to shake it up as much as possible to get oxygen in the beer which yeast need to get a healthy start.

 

I don't strain my beer at all and I don't cold crash. My beer still turns out perfectly clear because I leave it in the fermenter for a month before bottling or aging.

 

If you use a carboy as a primary straining is the easiest thing in the world, just get a big funnel and drop a strainer in the funnel. If you use a plastic bucket, go to a kitchen gadget store or the hardware store and buy a big strainer/close nit mesh and put it over the bucket.

 

I just leave my lid loose for the first few days.

 

I honestly don't think there is really think there is a bad way to do it. Just find what works for you and have fun

 

Does straining when going into the primary affect taste or is it primarily for having clear beer and less to clog airlocks?

 

Personally I do it to give more oxygen to yeast, easier cleanup, clarity (if you let it age this is not really a concern), and I don't like to leave hops in my primary in case it is too active and clogs my airlock.

I haven't noticed any positive or negatives in terms of taste either way.

 

This is only half true. The yeast (especially a top fermenting ale yeast) can clog the airlock even in a clear, strained wort! It's always wise to use a blow off tube IMO..

 

I've only brewed 3 batches of beer and a batch of cider. So far I've had to use a blow-by hose for every batch but the first one. I use the 3/8'' hose that came with my kit, pushed it around the 3 piece airlock tube and ran the hose into a sanitized beer bottle full of star-san. Haven't had a problem since.

 

That is true. Especially if you don't have a lot of head space in your primary. But hops DO make it worse. I wasn't suggesting it can't ever happen.

 

This is what I do as well. My secondary fermentation gets the tight lid and airlock!

alexP

 

The Iron Rat Stout is delicious. I'm at TBBC from time to time, that's what I prefer when I'm there.

I've never brewed a brew bigger than 1065 so, three piece airlock has worked just fine for me on all my batches. As far as straining, another route you could go is to build yourself a hop spider. I use them in all my btaches, you can search on this site for the DIY instructions. Super easy and greta at catching just more than hop particles (coriander, orange peel, jalapenos, etc.).