Blow Out Question

[PreTrub]

Even in the short time I have been reading these forums I have seen my fair share of pictures from fermenters blowing out but I don't know if I paid attention to time frames. I brewed a Belgian Tripel (my second batch ever) this weekend and being that the OG was 1.09 and that the airlock is screaming should I be worried about a blow out and when do they typically happen.

The brew is in my bucket that I can't see through so I can't tell if there is a massive krausen growth going on. The airlock is bubbling like crazy and the smell of active fermentation is permeating the room it is in. I brewed this Saturday and I have to leave town tonight and the wife would not appreciate a mess and I would rather be there in case to prevent exposure.

When do blowouts typically occur? If it helps I used two Packets of dry Danstar Abbaye yeast and the room temperature is about 72 degrees.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[kh54s10]

Yes you should be worried! Start every fermentation with a blow off tube installed. Blow off could start as soon as a few hours to a few days after pitching the yeast depending on many things.

Also the warmer, the quicker and possibly more violent. Warm temperatures are not always desired. Not sure of that yeast, but most ale yeasts are best fermented in the mid sixties (wort temperature).

Set up a blow off tube before you leave.

 

[microbusbrewery]

If it's going to happen, it seems it usually happens on mine within the first 48 hours. I'd hook up a blowoff just in case. No sense in making your wife deal with a potential mess. And it's insurance she won't get annoyed with your hobby

 

[jjw5015]

All depends how much headspace you have. The blowouts happen when the airlock gets clogged. If the krausen can't reach the lid, you're fine.

 

[GoHokiesGo]

I just brewed my second batch a few weeks back, and it also happened to be a Tripel! Fermentation seems to have finished last week since the gravity readings are holding constant, and I'm letting it sit a bit longer now for the flavors to mellow prior to bottling. It was quite a bit more active than my first brew, an Amber, and finished off around 9% ABV.

From my research on the forums and books your most active fermentation will occur in the first ~4 days or so, which you would likely be right in the middle of at this point. Mine was extremely active for the first week, then slowed quite a bit during week two. I improvised a blow-off using what was available in my starter kit since the airlock insert diameter was the same as the racking tubing; I removed my airlock and replaced it with the siphon racking hose inserted into the fermentation bucket, then coiled the open end into a mason jar full of star san. If you're going out of town then this would be a quick and easy precautionary measure to take in place of the airlock- just make sure not to disturb the wort too much and sanitize the lid, tubing and anything else in contact.

 

[kristiismean]

yes, you should use a blow off tube, I would
see if the tube from your auto-siphon (if you have one, assuming you do) fits properly in the grommet your airlock goes into, run that into a bottle of star-san. good to go.

 

[PADave]

Yes you should be worried! Start every fermentation with a blow off tube installed. Blow off could start as soon as a few hours to a few days after pitching the yeast depending on many things.

Set up a blow off tube before you leave.

This. Really no reason not to use a blow off tube.

 

[GPP33]

I'll just add to put your container of starsan/water in some type of larger container (I.e. A bucket) as I've had many overflow when things start really going with minimal head space.

100% agree....ALWAYS use a blow off tube. No reason not to.