Always use a blowoff tube!

[dime1622]

I almost learned my lesson the hard way this weekend. I have thought about using a blow-off tube in the past as I've had airlocks fill with krausen, but this was just not good. If you think adding a blow-off tube is hard, it's not. The picture immediately below was posted by Revvy in 2009 and shows what I *should* have done. Instead I ended up with the scary picture even further down - this was a beer with only a 1.050 OG (though was using Weihenstephan yeast).

Always, always use a blow-off tube!

 

[unionrdr]

Yikes!:smack: Did you wind up mopping the sealing?!

 

[r0nin]

I've learned the hard way of not using a blow off tube. Fortunately I was smart enough to have left it in my shower, so it wasn't too big of a mess to clean up. Lesson learned for sure though.

 

[ODG34]

hmmm, I had an issue this weekend myself and yes my airlock aparently became a geyser. I woke up sunday morning to find beer on the ceiling and and wall and a table. I am on my brewed 8 batches before this and never had a problem. Batch nine.... not so good.

 

[dime1622]

Yikes!:smack: Did you wind up mopping the sealing?!

Nope, I narrowly avoided disaster. I'm surprised the airlock didn't explode out of the bucket or that the lid didn't blast off.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah man,it looked like it was ready to turn into the white whale! Die,die,Die,damn ye blasted krausen! Herman Melvill would have flashbacks...

 

[kh54s10]

I suggest putting the catch vessel on the floor next to the fermenter. You could get a siphon going, sucking the solution back into your fermenter. An air pressure change could start it.

 

[unionrdr]

He said the 1st pic was revvy's. 2nd was his.

 

[kh54s10]

He said the 1st pic was revvy's. 2nd was his.

Ah, yes.. But the suggestion still goes.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,I usually put the catch jug on the stand next to the fermenter so it's blowing up then down into the jug. Maybe he put it there just for pic clarity?...

 

[dime1622]

Yeah,I usually put the catch jug on the stand next to the fermenter so it's blowing up then down into the jug. Maybe he put it there just for pic clarity?...

Could be. I would not be too keen on glass sitting on a bucket, anyhow

 

[hoopdogg315]

my blow off tube looks like the second pic but in a glass carboy. any suggestions? i brewed Monday so its only day 2....

yellow foam is in the blow off tube and bubbles are on top of the cap. i need help!!!!

 

[unionrdr]

Just be sure it's not blocked & it should be ok. Bubbles on the cap? What cap do you mean?

 

[hoopdogg315]

i have exactly what the second pic shows. i don't have a tube persay i guess...but the little cap that you fill halfway with water and it releases co2. i'm not at home now or i would take a pic. but i woke up this morning and it went from water in the cap, to yellow beer looking foam that's causing some foam to rise out of the cover. its still bubbling so fermentation is taking place. the beer is at 5 gallons (in a 6.5 carboy) so its not going to spill out i don't think....

 

[unionrdr]

It's called an airlock. Replacing that with a blow off tube/jug will ease your worries. Otherwise,I hope cleaning is something you enjoy...

 

[hoopdogg315]

okay, sorry about the missuse of the word. so yes, my airlock has foam in it. what should I do?????

 

[unionrdr]

Install a blow off rig before you get a lesson in ceiling mopping!

 

[hoopdogg315]

oh my!!! i gotta do that asap then!!!! if I take off the airlock for a few mintues to set something up, will that ruin anything with the air getting into it?

 

[LovesIPA]

I've never even come close to needing a blow-off tube. My smallest fermenter is a 6 gallon better bottle. I pitch stirplate starters at high krausen and I've never had more than 1.5", maybe 2" of krausen on top of the beer. I literally have no idea how you guys are blowing airlocks off your carboys.

The only thing I can think of is that I use fermcap in the boil kettle.

 

[unionrdr]

Not as long as it's still blowing off co2 & krausen during initial fermentation. Just rig the tube up,then change over.

 

[hoopdogg315]

you got me there too! my first batch was perfect, this is my second and even though its a different style of beer I did it the same....

 

[hoopdogg315]

okay thanks union!!!

 

[Weizer]

I only use a blowoff tube on bigger beers. When you brew every weekend, you tend to figure out what beers are gonna go off and what ones wont. It also helps that I get a 5 gallon yield and have 6 gallon fermenters. Lots of head room!

 

[unionrdr]

You're welcome. And the fermcap s is used to negate a lot of boil overs as well as cutting down krausen activity in primary as I understand it. I just used fivestar super moss for the first time myself to clear up the protien haze in my PM beers a week ago last Sunday.
I just start with a blow off rig just in case it decides to go wild.

 

[hoopdogg315]

i checked the beer level this morning and it was where it started.....there wasn't any foam up in the neck of the carboy either. i'm not sure where this stuff is coming from.....

 

[unionrdr]

It sounds like the krausen dropped. Initial fermentation could well be done. It'll then slowly,uneventfully creep down to FG from there.

 

[hoopdogg315]

so is the krausen making a drop a bad thing?? sorry to hit you with so many questions. this is my second batch and i'm still in a toddler stage when it comes to brewing.

 

[justkev52]

I almost learned my lesson the hard way this weekend. I have thought about using a blow-off tube in the past as I've had airlocks fill with krausen, but this was just not good. If you think adding a blow-off tube is hard, it's not. The picture immediately below was posted by Revvy in 2009 and shows what I *should* have done. Instead I ended up with the scary picture even further down - this was a beer with only a 1.050 OG (though was using Weihenstephan yeast).

Always, always use a blow-off tube!

She's gunna blow!

 

[LovesIPA]

so is the krausen making a drop a bad thing?? sorry to hit you with so many questions. this is my second batch and i'm still in a toddler stage when it comes to brewing.

Nope, it's fine. The krausen drops back into the beer after a initial fermentation is done.

 

[dime1622]

I only use a blowoff tube on bigger beers. When you brew every weekend, you tend to figure out what beers are gonna go off and what ones wont. It also helps that I get a 5 gallon yield and have 6 gallon fermenters. Lots of head room!

I would be careful with doing it only on bigger beers - the type of yeast can be the factor that causes the blowout. The biggest beer I've ever fermented, the Chimay blue clone, didn't get close to blowing out. But all my hefes regularly have violent fermentations.