blowoff/sanitation

[Machiavelli]

Well, I just made my first blowoff system.

Up until now, I had only used dry packaged yeast. Boy, what a difference. I made a Belgian Trappist Triple and pitched two smack packs. They recommended two for this beer. I'm used to a quick two day, mild ferementation with the dry yeast. This one started after about 30 hours and has gotten stronger every day. Its day 3.

Went downstairs to check my beer before work this morning and the airlock was all clogged up. The lid had been blown off the bucket, as well. Luckily I had a blanket wrapped around it and over the lid too, so it pretty much stayed in place over the bucket.

I tightened the lid back, took the middle piece of out the airlock and jammed some tubing into it; then ran the other end into a pitcher of water. The pitcher started to bubble within minutes!

I didnt have time to sanitize ANYTHING; not the airlock, not the tubing, not the pitcher/water. Hopefully everying will be fine....this time.

Question: In the future, should I put idopher or anyting in the blowoff water? I guess, I really should have sanitized the hose? How long will fermentation stay that violent, typically? Should I put the airlock back in place, as soon as possible?

Thanks

 

[llazy_llama]

I use a water/sanitizer mix in my blowoff container. I know the risk of suckback is slim, but it's >0, so I don't take the chance.

Typically the first 3 days of fermentation will be the most violent, then things will calm down. This isn't necessarily true for all beers, so YMMV.

And you don't have to put the airlock back in if you don't want to. Plenty of people just use blowoff tubes the whole time in primary. There's not really any reason not to, unless you just really like the bubbling of an airlock (like me ).