Drop some tube knowledge on me...

[spie0092]

How do you know which brews are going to require a blow off tube?

I have never used one, so how do you make sure oxygen is not getting in, and when do you apply the regular airlock?

Any other blow-off knowledge is appreciated...

 

[Orfy]

Do your brew, if the krausen is not looking like it's going to over flow you don't need a blow off tube. CO2 going out means no air is getting in. Fit the airlock after the krasen has fallen or wait till secondary.

 

[Wolf]

How do you know which brews are going to require a blow off tube?

I have never used one, so how do you make sure oxygen is not getting in, and when do you apply the regular airlock?

Any other blow-off knowledge is appreciated...

You keep the air from getting in by putting the other end of the tube in a small bucket or pail of water.
As for how to know you just have to watch your fermentation the first day. If the krausen is at the top of the carboy, get the tube ready!

 

[Evan!]

You want some "tube knowledge"? Oh, I have tube knowledge, alright. All I ever needed to know about tubes, I learned from these clips. Watch and learn:

1. (Scroll forward to Clinton and Dole getting abducted by Kang and Kodos):
   
   "What the hell is this, some kind of tube?"
   -- Bob Dole
   
   (referring to the "internets"):
   
   "It...It's a series of tubes"
   --Sen. Ted Stevens

Ahhh, tubes. Where would we be without them?

Hope this helps.

 

[spie0092]

Thanks Evan!, your informational videoas have proved invaluable and I will forever be changed.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

How do you know which brews are going to require a blow off tube?

I have never used one, so how do you make sure oxygen is not getting in, and when do you apply the regular airlock?

Any other blow-off knowledge is appreciated...

Most of my beers dont need a blow off tube, I use one if its a big beer, or a yeast strain where ive had excessive kreusen before or if Im not sure and am not gonna be around to check it Ill use one for the first 24 hrs or so untill I know its not gonna be a problem.

 

[Torchiest]

Out of ten batches, I've had two that required a blow-off tube. They both had starting gravities over 1.075. I'd say most beers don't require it, as long as you leave a good amount of room in the primary.

 

[Prez]

I've needed a blow-off the last three batches straight. If I wasn't so busy, I might actually try to come up with a system that doesn't look quite so nasty and ruin my rubber tubing and airlocks with dark, foamy wort nastiness.

 

[boo boo]

I start off with a blow off tube anyway. Cheap insurance.

 

[MariaAZ]

My porter spat a little krausen up the airlock (using a 6.5 gal bucket) but I didn't have a problem otherwise. The hefeweizen, however, would have definitely blown the airlock if I hadn't provided for the blowoff. I've heard this isn't unusual for hefes though, which is why I was forearmed

 

[EvilTOJ]

Bah blowoff tubes are for chumps!

When you switch from using a blowoff tube to airlock, you don't have to worry about oxygen getting it. If the fermentation is still going there's positive CO2 pressure that's pushing the negligible amount of O2 back out.

So relax! Don't worry, something something...

 

[SpamDog]

Don't forget that CO2 is heavier than O2 so that helps keep the O2 out as well

Spamdog

 

[D*Bo]

Large beers with warmer fermentation temps and rapidly fermenting yeast.

Most of the stouts I've done with dry yeast (usually Nottingham) have pushed krausen thru my airlocks, even popped the lid of one (thankfully the bucket handle was up, preventing the lid from flying, containing most of the blast)

 

[twocylndr]

I've never had or needed a blow-off tube. I brew 5 gallon or less batches. My primary is atleast a 6 gallon bucket. Plenty of head room and no blow-off problems.