blowoff tube instead of airlock inside fermentation chamber?

[IDoBleedBrew]

I was hoping to use my old wine fridge as a fermentation chamber. My Speidel fermenter will only fit in there if I don't use the airlock. The fermenter comes to about a half an inch away from the top of the fridge even without an airlock. So I was wondering... what could I do to make it work without having to get a taller fridge? Would a blowoff tube work for the entire fermentation? Do I have any other options?

-Brock

 

[unviewtiful]

The only problem you might encounter by using a blowoff for the whole process is suck-back during a cold crash. An extra long hose might help alleviate this.

 

[BeardedBrews]

Blow off tube is fine for the whole fermentation.

If it makes you feel better, you could put an air-lock on the end of your blow off tube

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

Blow off tube is fine for the whole fermentation.

If it makes you feel better, you could put an air-lock on the end of your blow off tube

Now that you mention that... I think I remember seeing someone do something similar where they rubber-banded a blowoff tube to the side and then attached an airlock to it. That seems like it would work.

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

Here we go. Anyone see any problems with doing something like this?

 

[RM-MN]

Airlocks are for keeping out unwanted things like fruit flies. I quite often just tape a piece of plastic over the hole.

 

[brewbama]

I use a blowoff in the ferm chamber the whole fermentation. I cold crash in a lager chamber (different freezer) so I can ferment another batch in the ferm chamber to keep the pipeline going.

 

[Braumeise]

I was hoping to use my old wine fridge as a fermentation chamber. My Speidel fermenter will only fit in there if I don't use the airlock. The fermenter comes to about a half an inch away from the top of the fridge even without an airlock. So I was wondering... what could I do to make it work without having to get a taller fridge? Would a blowoff tube work for the entire fermentation? Do I have any other options?

-Brock

I had 4 batches fermenting with a blowoff tube I never changed because I simply forgot. Nothing horrible happened to my beer.

From my very sparse experience I would say you will be fine but recommend you better listen to people with more experience here

 

[BeardedBrews]

Here we go. Anyone see any problems with doing something like this?

Looks like a winner

 

[hlmbrwng]

I use a blow-off tube for the entire fermentation. At least for primary.

 

[kev211]

I use a blow off for the entirety of fermentation. Actually haven't used an air lock since my first batch. I prefer the blowoff AND my carboy won't fit in my chest freezer with an airlock, so I guess theres that. I also don't cold crash, but when/if I do I always used the sanitized foil method

 

[BobBailey]

Just cover the top of your carboy with a piece of sanitized aluminum foil. If it's good enough for making a starter it's fine for a fermenter.

 

[jddevinn]

The only problem you might encounter by using a blowoff for the whole process is suck-back during a cold crash. An extra long hose might help alleviate this.

Look for some other threads on cold crashing recently. There are good suggestions for hooking up CO2 to the fermenter. Using an airlock for cold crash just means that there WILL be air leaking around the airlock/bung.

Just cover the top of your carboy with a piece of sanitized aluminum foil. If it's good enough for making a starter it's fine for a fermenter.

NO. For the starter we decant the beer from the yeast and no not care for the oxygen levels. Using this method for a beer to drink will ensure that the beer is oxidized completely.

 

[BobBailey]

NO. For the starter we decant the beer from the yeast and no not care for the oxygen levels. Using this method for a beer to drink will ensure that the beer is oxidized completely.[/QUOTE]

And what method do you use while cold crashing that doesn't allow ambient air to be drawn into the fermeter?

 

[kev211]

NO. For the starter we decant the beer from the yeast and no not care for the oxygen levels. Using this method for a beer to drink will ensure that the beer is oxidized completely.

NO. While using just foil with no counter pressure from co2 could result in oxidation it surely will not result in complete oxidation. I don't cold crash in the fermenter anymore since I keg and just rely on the temperature from my kegerator but when I did cold crash I had no issues with oxidation.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Here we go. Anyone see any problems with doing something like this?

I'd consider doubling up on the rubber band; otherwise it'll oxidize, weaken, and give way at the worst possible moment. Whatever that turns out to be.

Aside from that, you should be good. Also, I'm a little chagrinned I didn't think of that.

Just cover the top of your carboy with a piece of sanitized aluminum foil. If it's good enough for making a starter it's fine for a fermenter.

Starters aren't intended to ferment for as long and aren't intended to be shielded to any extent from oxygen.

The handful of one-gallon batches (intended to give me a better sense of the flavor contributions of different specialty and premium-base malts) I just fermented, outside of my fridge and with rubber bands and saran wrap over the mouths of the jugs, don't seem any worse for wear, though.

 

[RM-MN]

NO. While using just foil with no counter pressure from co2 could result in oxidation it surely will not result in complete oxidation. I don't cold crash in the fermenter anymore since I keg and just rely on the temperature from my kegerator but when I did cold crash I had no issues with oxidation.

Someone should tell Sierra Nevada that they are oxidizing their beer too. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xClXKMhcFr0[/ame]

 

[jddevinn]

Someone should tell Sierra Nevada that they are oxidizing their beer too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xClXKMhcFr0

An active fermentation is not the same as a cold crash.

 

[Redlantern]

Like the hose/airlock idea.

For cold crash - rubber glove and rubber band. Suck -back not a problem

 

[broadbill]

I've cold crashed many a beer in my ale pail with the lid just covering the opening (not snapped down). Never a problem with oxidation.

 

[whoaru99]

It's fine, as long as you don't actually have a blowoff that clogs the small diameter line and spews a resulting mess.