Blowout Help!

[BrewerBS]

I made a extract batch last night and pitched. I woke up to a bucket leaking and a clogged airlock. Cleaned up, put a towel around the rim of the bucket to help with anymore leaking and replaced the airlock with a clean one. I put the clean one on and in 20 seconds it looked like this.
It caused the Starsan in the airlock to foam up and blew it right out. Any suggestions on how to keep sanitizer in the airlock. It's a great fermentation going on, just can't keep if contained. Temp of wort is about 65°.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[fartinmartin]

My rule of thumb is 25% free volume head space! never had this blow out problem.
If you can reduce the temp it will slow down, cool as you like for the first 2 days or so, then it can be warmed up a little.
Remember that the wort will make at least six or seven degrees on the environment temperature.
I am sure that the impressive fermentation activity is NOT good for the process.

 

[BrewerBS]

My rule of thumb is 25% free volume head space! never had this blow out problem.
If you can reduce the temp it will slow down, cool as you like for the first 2 days or so, then it can be warmed up a little.
Remember that the wort will make at least six or seven degrees on the environment temperature.
I am sure that the impressive fermentation activity is NOT good for the process.

I think head space is my problem. You can see how far off the measurements were on my bucket when I checked them before this batch. 1/2 gallon off. So with this recipe I finally "really" had just over 5 gallons like the instructions call for. There wasn't much room left in the bucket. I did make a starter so that may be why it's so active. Can a fermentation be too impressive?


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[aiptasia]

Ditch the airlock and go with a blow off tube. Run the tube from the lid of your bucket to a small pail about 1/3 full of sanitizer and stick the other end of the hose in it. Problem solved.

Or,

Add a few drops of fermcap-S to the fermenter. Two drops per gallon. It's a food grade anti-foaming agent. All my high gravity beers get a few drops of fermcap.

 

[BrewerBS]

Went with the tube. Problem solved. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[fartinmartin]

Yes fermentation can be too impressive aggressive fun to watch, but yes, it produces some unwanted flavours, we need our yeasties to go the distance for better beer, like sex I suppose.
Temperature and head space is key, like sex I suppose LOL
Do it slow , still LOL

 

[BrewerBS]

It's been 24 hours and fermentation was super active all day yesterday. I'm a bit curious about having an over active fermentation. Here is a picture of what was left in my sanitizer catch that my blow off tube into. Seems that there is a bunch of yeast settled onto the bottom. Is that what I'm seeing and should I be worried about my fermentation?


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[kh54s10]

Went with the tube. Problem solved. Thanks!View attachment 180996


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

This is the solution!

Start EVERY fermentation with a blow off tube!

 

[SteveHeff]

Looks like yeast. No biggie. It's kind of like "top cropping" yeast without the work. Other than having (what might be) an over active fermentation, I don't think there's much to worry about.

I had a barleywine fermented with Nottingham at 72 degrees F. Way too warm for the yeast. I had a blowout, just like yours, and the beer ended up being crap. It was due to the fermentation temps being too high. Now, not all yeast will create nasty off flavors at warmish temps. Notty does.

I say, as long as you have it, don't dump it. Ride it out. Beer will be beer. Whether or not it's drinkable is up to you.

 

[kh54s10]

It's been 24 hours and fermentation was super active all day yesterday. I'm a bit curious about having an over active fermentation. Here is a picture of what was left in my sanitizer catch that my blow off tube into. Seems that there is a bunch of yeast settled onto the bottom. Is that what I'm seeing and should I be worried about my fermentation?View attachment 181260


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

Your fermentation was not "over active". Each fermentation will act differently.
That is yeast and other by products of the fermentation but there is nothing to worry about.

You have a very good (normal) fermentation happening.

 

[BrewerBS]

It's been 10 days since I brewed, I took a gravity reading today and I'm at 1.020. Recipe says 1.012-1.018 range so I'm close. When I opened the bucked over the weekend it had quite a krausen on it still so I decided to give it a few more days. Today when I opened it it had a layer across the top of the beer that almost looked like silly putty. Kind off a rubbery shiny thin layer on top. I pushed it to the side and took my sample. Should I be worried it's been contaminated or is that a normal find? It's a Ferocious extract kit from Midwest.