Didn't leave enough headspace what to do???

[akthor]

So I got these 5 gallon buckets for free from the bakery. I know I couldn't do beer but people said I could make apfelwein in them since they didn't need as much headspace.

Well I put a 4.5 gallon batch (3 1/2 gallons apple juice, 46oz of pineapple juice, 1/2 gallon of cranrasp) in one two days ago and today I check and there was gunk in the air lock. Not sure what the fermenting gunk is called. So I cleaned it out and reinstalled it and check an hour later and had to do it again.

Is this all I can do? Should I do something else? Is the batch ruined?

 

[pericles]

The batch is definitely not ruined. I overfill my buckets all the time, and that's never caused an infection or impeded fermentation. After the first week the airlock will calm down a little - just keep cleaning it once a day until then.

 

[Krelja]

search for a "blowoff tube" that will keep you from haveing to clean it out regularly. When it settles down a bit put the airlock back in and you are good to go

 

[Andy_LV]

get your blow-off valve ready - put tube instead of your airlock in one end and other put into plastic bottle 1/3 filled with water and toss end of the tube into it - well, it will be "bigger" airlock and foam will end up in the bottle.

usual sanitation applies.

 

[Revvy]

Relax, then make a blowoff tube for it. take your bottling wand hose or other suitable one, put a small slit in it...Heat it for a few minutes in hot water to soften, then do this.

One thing that I do to all my airlocks is saw or break off the little criss/cross of plastic on the bottom of them.

 

[akthor]

Thanks guys I am on it!

 

[akthor]

I tried but I could not fit the hose over the airlock, the hose seemed to fit very snugly into the rubber washer/hole in the lide of the bucket so I did that.

 

[Revvy]

Whatever works for you is all that matters.