Fermentation lock took off like a rocket!

[spelunker]

Hi everyone! I'm new to homebrewing and this is my very first batch. It's going to be a wheat beer, from a "kit" you can buy from a local brewshop that has all the ingredients picked out for you.

Anyway, I didn't think I needed a blow-off tube because my carboy is a 6 1/2 gallon, and my reading material says a fermentation lock should be fine because of all the headspace in the carboy from making a 5-gal batch. Well, low and behold at some point last night (after about a day into fermentation) the lock apparently took a trip to the ceiling, and yeast, bubbles, and all kinds of business got all over my poor hall closet.

Anyway, after cleaning up the mess off my ceiling, I put the lock back on and it looks like everything is fermenting again. My question is, should I mess with it? Like add more yeast? I imagine the best course of action would be to just give it another week or something, so whatever yeast is left can reproduce back up to full strength, but I'd figure I'd ask since this is my first time.

Frankly, I also don't know how long the carboy was open and exposed to the elements, but I've already read here not to throw out a batch unless you're sure it tastes "like Satan's Anus", so I figure I'll let it keep cookin'.

I guess it's also time to invest in a blow-off tube

 

[woollybugger2]

what? no pictures?

don't worry about the open carboy... it was venting plenty of co2 to keep any bad guys out...

 

[Hoppus_Poppatopolis]

Wheat beers are known for their vigorous fermentations. You now have graphic evidence of this. I'll second the "don't worry" advice. You had plenty of CO2 pushing out of your fermenter to keep the bad guys out.

 

[duskb]

Hi everyone! I'm new to homebrewing and this is my very first batch. It's going to be a wheat beer, from a "kit" you can buy from a local brewshop that has all the ingredients picked out for you.

Anyway, I didn't think I needed a blow-off tube because my carboy is a 6 1/2 gallon, and my reading material says a fermentation lock should be fine because of all the headspace in the carboy from making a 5-gal batch. Well, low and behold at some point last night (after about a day into fermentation) the lock apparently took a trip to the ceiling, and yeast, bubbles, and all kinds of business got all over my poor hall closet.

Anyway, after cleaning up the mess off my ceiling, I put the lock back on and it looks like everything is fermenting again. My question is, should I mess with it? Like add more yeast? I imagine the best course of action would be to just give it another week or something, so whatever yeast is left can reproduce back up to full strength, but I'd figure I'd ask since this is my first time.

Frankly, I also don't know how long the carboy was open and exposed to the elements, but I've already read here not to throw out a batch unless you're sure it tastes "like Satan's Anus", so I figure I'll let it keep cookin'.

I guess it's also time to invest in a blow-off tube

Yeah it happens to me on pretty much every batch...I've gotten used to it. Still not one with problems.

 

[KYB]

Yeah it happens to me on pretty much every batch...I've gotten used to it. Still not one with problems.

Why don't you just use a blowoff tube?

 

[spelunker]

what? no pictures?

don't worry about the open carboy... it was venting plenty of co2 to keep any bad guys out...

Pictures... dang, would've been a good idea.

Wheat beers are known for their vigorous fermentations. You now have graphic evidence of this. I'll second the "don't worry" advice. You had plenty of CO2 pushing out of your fermenter to keep the bad guys out.

Huh, I didn't know wheat beers were more prone to it. Good to know!

I also didn't consider all that CO2 coming out too, awesome!

 

[corvax13]

I use a 6.5 g primary too, but I always, ALWAYS use a blow off, regardless of style. Its just a nice safety measure, considering all my clothes are right above my carboy, its best not to risk it!

 

[dantose]

Think of it this way, if your yeast is strong enough to take out your airlock, they can kick a bacteria's ass.

That and something about CO2 production preventing dust from falling in.

 

[springer]

The only time I had a problem with blowoff was when SWMBO turned on the pellet stove in my otherwise 60° basement . When I came home from work she said"Your beer is doing some weird ****" get to the top of the stairs and I feel the heat. Brown ale all over the wall, floor and ceiling and its flowing out the top of the conical. Because it was cool I didn't put it in the fridge and the ambient was now 85°+ and the conical was 3 feet away from the stove the side was very warm. I shoved it in the fridge downstairs and cleaned up . Beer turned out ok.

Best way to control blowoff is temp control I rarely use a blowoff tube anymore even with Wheat beers

 

[Clayton]

add more yeast? why would you need to do that, any more than you would need to add more water hops or malt?
you have had a yeast growth exsplotion, that why the aire lock blewoff
you dont need more yeast and after the fermentation is over you will see that there will be a solid inch or more of yeast on the bottom of the carboy

 

[duskb]

Why don't you just use a blowoff tube?

because I am still under the mistaken impression that I won't need it everytime because it doesnt happen everytime. You think I'd learn by now.

You know the old definition of an idiot "doing things the same way expecting different results"...we'll apparently I fit that description. : )

 

[mithion]

I second what most people say that you shouldn't worry. There is probably so much gas pressure and stuff coming out of the airlock hole to prevent anything from getting in your beer. But I would recommend to try to cool your fermentor a bit. That should slow the yeast metabolism a bit so your krausen won't get all the way to the top and clog the airlock. It won't hurt your beer to do so, and it will avoid you the trouble of cleaning sticky wort out of carpet/floor, walls and ceilings (yes, it's happened to me).

 

[spelunker]

I second what most people say that you shouldn't worry. There is probably so much gas pressure and stuff coming out of the airlock hole to prevent anything from getting in your beer. But I would recommend to try to cool your fermentor a bit. That should slow the yeast metabolism a bit so your krausen won't get all the way to the top and clog the airlock. It won't hurt your beer to do so, and it will avoid you the trouble of cleaning sticky wort out of carpet/floor, walls and ceilings (yes, it's happened to me).

That could be tricky... I guess I could try to find a cooler place. It's getting cooler outside and I do have an uninsulated storage closet, but I don't know if I wanna risk it getting warmer overnight or something.

 

[duskb]

That could be tricky... I guess I could try to find a cooler place. It's getting cooler outside and I do have an uninsulated storage closet, but I don't know if I wanna risk it getting warmer overnight or something.

It's not tricky at all...my LHBS showed me how to do it. Get a keg bucket at a store like Smart and Final, they run about $10. Fill it 1/2 way with water and put your fermenter in it. Then take some old 2 liter bottles frozen solid with ice and trade them out every 12 hours. I've gotten my fermenter down from 75 degrees to 65 just by doing this.

It also helped the beers flavor too...I had several batches go bad because the yeast got too warm.