Exploding carboy....with pics!

[chode720]

I had a mini disaster last night with my cranberry wheat beer.....

The airlock activity had slowed to less than 1 bubble per min and I decided to rack the beer on top of the 3lbs of cranberry I had. The cranberry was previously added to the blended and chopped, not pureed, and then frozen to extract the juices. Here is what it looked like after racking:

The beer looked nice and fermentation kicked up again after adding the fruit. The only problem was that since I didnt puree the fruit, just gave it a coarse chop, it didn't blend with the beer and just floated on top. When I first racked, I didnt think it would be an issue b/c I did leave some head space and had a blow off tube set up.

Well, I checked the beer a few hours later and it wasn't bubbling and when I looked, the cranberry chunks where right at the bottom of the airlock. When I went to get closer and check to see if the airlock was clogged, I put my hand on the next of the carboy and BOOM! Airlock shot a foot in the air and cranberry went everywhere, including all over my clothes and hair.

The chunks clogged the opening and the Co2 built up. Cranberry went everywhere and was like a fountain pouring out of the neck! My first thought was to clean it up, but then I remembered, the first step is to take a pic to share with HBT, THEN clean it up.... :rockin:

Anyway, thankfully the mess wasnt too bad, only spent an hour cleaning up and didnt loose any beer, just some cranberry. By my utility room/fermentation room is about 8x4 with my furnace, hot water tank, washer, and dryer in there. There was cranberry all over the walls behind the furnace and hot water tank and all over them as well.....

Oh well, lesson learned, puree fruit, not just chop. And possible add to primary when fermentation slows downs, just to take advantage of the head space.....

 

[Zen_Brew]

I am sorry for your mess you had to clean up, but I applaud the photos. That is the way to do it. Sounds like it will be a yummy brew.

 

[annasdadhockey]

I'm glad you thought of us first.

 

[bad67z]

Good to hear that it wasn't all that bad, thanks for thinking of you brethren here @ HBT.

 

[KhellendrosXS]

Very nice explosion you have there. It looks like something from a horror movie!

Wait...it is a horror....all that poor beer...

 

[MikeRLynch]

When these threads periodically show up, I feel the need to share my pain with those who have experianced the same.

I love the blast pattern

My roomate thought a gun went off in the closet. Immediately after the explosion there was a pool of purple liquid slowly oozing out from under the door. She thought one of my wines committed suicide (which I guess is exactly what happened).

 

[bad coffee]

Thanks for thinking to take the pics first, but you fail since you didn't post a picture of yourself covered in cranberry.



B

 

[zinger084]

Thought I would throw this in there too... just posted a few days ago in another thread... but well worth the sight...

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/downsized_0914091746.jpg

 

[weirdboy]

I thought you were talking about a real explosion. Not just beer but GLASS going everywhere.

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Thought I would throw this in there too... just posted a few days ago in another thread... but well worth the sight...

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/downsized_0914091746.jpg

Did that just blow the airlock out?? It would take a TON of pressure to blow the lid off my buckets....

 

[smizak]

This stuff cracks me up. Awesome.

Did you get it cleaned up before SWMBO saw it? (should you have a SWMBO)

The only near disaster *knocks on wood* I faced was on my third batch ever, an extract IPA on the stove. For some crazy reason I put a lid on the pot, I think to sanitize it, just for a second near the end of the boil. I turned toward the sink, heard bad things, and spun around to see the lid practically floating off the pot with the granddaddy of all boil-overs. Concentrated extract wort flying everywhere, hits the electric coil of the stove and bursts into flames. Needless to say, I didn't have time to grab a camera.

What made it a special moment was when my girlfriend heard me swearing, she ran into the kitchen to see me running towards the sink with a pot on fire, stove is on fire, gooey carmel-like substance burning itself permanently into the enamel of her stove (my apartments stove sucked), smoke billowing everywhere. What do you think the first thing she says to me?

"Is the beer ruined!?"

I really need to marry her. Soon.

 

[MikeRLynch]

What do you think the first thing she says to me?

"Is the beer ruined!?"

I really need to marry her. Soon.

You had better, or I will I can't even imagine the hell and damnation that my wife would bring down upon me if I did that in our place.

 

[jackson_d]

dont judge the progress of fermentation by bubbles in the airlock!

also, rock on!

:rockin:

 

[Jaysus]

This is why I am a fan of the "fatty" tube for primary blow off:

 

[Jenks829]

+1 on the "fatty" blow off tube. I use the same. I sometimes wonder if the tube is putting too much stress on the opening of the carboy but I haven't had any issues yet and inspect it for any microcracks or other visible faults after each batch.

By the way, very organized brew section!

 

[zinger084]

It blew the LID off.

From my other post... "Recipie is bouncing betty brown ale (extract)... Using nottingham, the krausen blocked the airlock, blew the lid off, broke the glass shelf, launched a clown figurine from the shelf into the beer, and soaked the walls, table, floor, ceiling, and kegerator."

I pooped myself when my Dad told me to come over and clean up the mess. He said the next batch of bouncing betty is going to be at my place...

 

[chode720]

Thanks for thinking to take the pics first, but you fail since you didn't post a picture of yourself covered in cranberry.



B

Hahah..... I wasnt covered so much, but just had a bunch in my hair. My first reaction then was not to take a pic but get of the cranberry they landed on the side of my head and im my ear!

 

[chode720]

This stuff cracks me up. Awesome.

Did you get it cleaned up before SWMBO saw it? (should you have a SWMBO)

.

Yes, I got it cleaned up before my wife saw it. It was 1015 at night and she was already in bed. However, she did notice that I put the rug in the washing machine, took the trash out, and put rags under the carboys.

I showed her the pics, but she was cool with it. I cleaned it up and no permanent damage

 

[smizak]

Noice.78910

 

[david_42]

It would take a TON of pressure to blow the lid off my buckets....

Not really. Having had a few lids pop, I can say it only takes a few psi. Every pound of pressure is around 100 pounds of force on the lid.

 

[captianoats]

better grab that spotbot in the corner

 

[SeamusMac]

At least you didn't nearly destroy your Better Bottle by pouring boiling hot water into it

 

[homebrewer_99]

Not as much damage as I originally thought...considering when we hear "carboy" we think glass.