Explosive Fermentation

[BeerLogic]

I brewed a barleywine a couple days ago with OG @ 1.100 and pitched one package of Wyeast Scottish Ale and one package of Wyeast London ESB (the first for attenuation, the latter because I like the flavor profile) at 70 degrees with 68 degrees ambient temp. The fermentation looked normal yesterday, but today it's so vigorous that it blew my 0.5 inch blow-off tube and the stopper right off the carboy and volcanoed all over the place! I checked and verified there were no blockages in the tube. Any suggestions for what to do about a ferment so vigorous that it can't even be contained by a blow-off tube?

 

[bucketnative]

larger fermenter with more headspace?

open fermentation?

 

[laredo7mm]

Larger diameter blow off tube

 

[oujens]

Sounds like you need to remove the stopper and insert a bigger blow off tube next time.

 

[BeerLogic]

I thought I had plenty of headspace - it's a 5 gallon batch in a 6 gallon Better Bottle. I've never seen a stopper for a Better Bottle that accommodates a blow-off tube larger than 0.5 inches. Any idea how to rig one up?

 

[petrolSpice]

The krausen foam in the blowoff tube, despite no actual blockage, is enough to create some positive pressure in the fermenter.

You can try to find a large hose whose OD is the same as the ID of the carboy, then you just shove it in without any bung/stopper and it seals well. For the glass carboys a 1" tube was perfect. Not sire about the Better Bottles.

 

[MagicMatt]

No one else said it so I'll be "that guy", but: Temperature control.

That's the only way to be sure you keep your fermentations in check. I had this problem with almost every beer I brewed until I got a ferm chamber, and since then I have not needed the blow-off tube once. Remember that an ambient temp of 68°F will yield fermentation temps around 78°F at high krausen. That's pretty warm as far as ferm temps go for ale yeasts.

If you can't get the temps under control, I definitely recommend getting some 1" ID tubing as it fits right into the mouth of carboys and will completely eliminate any chances of blockage or eruptions.

 

[Drk93TT]

No one else said it so I'll be "that guy", but: Temperature control.

That's the only way to be sure you keep your fermentations in check. I had this problem with almost every beer I brewed until I got a ferm chamber, and since then I have not needed the blow-off tube once. Remember that an ambient temp of 68°F will yield fermentation temps around 78°F at high krausen. That's pretty warm as far as ferm temps go for ale yeasts.

If you can't get the temps under control, I definitely recommend getting some 1" ID tubing as it fits right into the mouth of carboys and will completely eliminate any chances of blockage or eruptions.

This !

 

[GHBWNY]

No one else said it so I'll be "that guy", but: Temperature control.

That's the only way to be sure you keep your fermentations in check. I had this problem with almost every beer I brewed until I got a ferm chamber, and since then I have not needed the blow-off tube once. Remember that an ambient temp of 68°F will yield fermentation temps around 78°F at high krausen. That's pretty warm as far as ferm temps go for ale yeasts.

If you can't get the temps under control, I definitely recommend getting some 1" ID tubing as it fits right into the mouth of carboys and will completely eliminate any chances of blockage or eruptions.

Second this ^. Until such time that ferm temp control is established --- at least a swamp cooler --- you can, like others have said use a larger diameter tube in your carboy. It should accept a 1" I.D. tube stuck directly into the mouth of the carboy, no stopper. Still... ferm temp control will give you an all-around better beer.

 

[FVillatoro]

I agree with Temperature Control, and specially on really high OG beers with an English strain that's known to ferment vigorously.

Personally I use a Speidel and it has a 7.5 gallon capacity so that gives me ample room for krausen in a fermentation chamber. And I use FermCap in the boil which helps tame hotbreak and fermentation.

Another HUGE benefit to controlling temperature is to keep unwanted esters out.