Blow off tube not in water

[Bryanwilly]

Put my second all grain batch in the fermenter last night. Woke up this morning and realized that my blow off tube was coiled such that it was not submerged inside the bottle, I put it under immediately. Did I ruin my batch?

 

[marksp56]

Doubt it you should be fine.

 

[arnobg]

I'm not near the experience level of some others that will chime in, but I'd say it is probably okay especially for that short amount of time. Had fermentation started? Is it in a fermentation chamber or in a clean area? The C02 output would likely keep the headspace free of air coming back in... Not to mention open fermentation doesn't use an airlock at all.

 

[Bryanwilly]

End of the tube is inside a Growler 1/2ish full water/star san solution. Fermenting in my office at my house. We'll see what happens. there was some sediment inside the tube about 1/2 way to the Growler so I think that would be a sign the CO2 output was protecting it.

Thanks!

 

[DevilNuts]

I once had a fermentation so vigorous that the bubbles would routinely blow the tube out of the water every twelve hours or so. I'd just wake up/come home and put it back in.

Batch came out of one my best ever.

 

[Aristotelian]

I fermented my first five batches this way before realizing the tube is supposed to be submerged. You will be fine.

 

[brewshki]

I've had way worse happen. I brewed a hefe recently and it blew the airlock off multiple times, spewed yeast and other stuff everywhere and then still filled a gallon jug with about a half gallon of sediment after I put a blow off tube on. It also turned out to be one of the best hefes I've done and has placed in two local competitions. As long as you get a stopper back on or the blow off into star San before that really active fermentation is over, you'll be fine. When your beer is pushing that much stuff out, nothing is getting in.

 

[bobby4]

I was touring a brewery in Belgium this summer, and looked at the large, open tanks they fermented in. I asked if they ever got infections, and the Brewer looked at me like I was crazy. Odds are good that you are fine.