5/8" tube for blowoff big enough?

[ctufano]

I'm brewing my first batch tomorrow (the Cheesefood caramel cream ale).

I bought some 5/8" tubing at home depot to use for a blowoff, since the staff was no help in locating what I was wanting to use for a nice big 1.25" blowoff

Should this be big enough?

My fermentation setup is in a true brew bucket, with an airlock to hose off the airlock nipple, going down to a 1 gallon carboy -- ALL inside a minifridge with a temp control to keep it around 50 degrees

I suppose if it explodes, it'll at least be in a box...

Any ideas?

Also, if I have the fridge at ~50 (or whatever ideal temp), eventually the batch will aquire that temp. I've been thinking that it will raise it 10 degrees, but I feel the fridge would combat it and bring it down.

I'm going to keep it closer to 55 degrees.

 

[marsbike]

55 sounds a little low. Most ale yeasts like to be in the mid 60's. Also, the yeast doing their thing will raise the temp on your fermenting beer somewhere in the range of 5* give or take. Personally, I keep my house around 60 in the winter, and my brews are pretty happy right around 64 or 65

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Well you may not even need the blowoff tube... you just haven't let us know how big the batch is, what size the bucket is (thus allowing us to figure out headspace), what the OG of the beer is, what yeast you're using....

These are the things needed in order to help. My guess: it's a cream ale so it's not going to be strong, you're using a yeast that works well at cooler temperatures because it's a cream ale (so I think 55 should be alright), and you're using a bucket so you'll have ample headspace. I'd be extra surprised if you needed a blowoff.

Just keep an eye on it for the next couple days and if the krausen is getting dangerously close to the top of your bucket, then by all means swap out for a blowoff.

EDIT: I just use 3/8" tube (like the racking tubes the come with beginner kits.) It's on the bucket containing my tripel which is fermenting violently and full of foam and I didn't once worry about it clogging up or blowing the top off.

 

[iron_city_ap]

I second the 3/8in tubing. It fits perfectly into the hole in the bucket lid and onto the airlock.