Fermentation too fast??

[darkmatter14B]

Hi all. Just brewed my first batch (extract, 5 gallon partial boil with dry yeast, IPA) two days ago on Memorial day. Here's what happened. After 12 hours, the airlock was bubbling like crazy with brown stuff coming out the top and onto the bucket lid. I was afraid the airlock would get clogged, so I took it off and cleaned + sanitized it. When I put the airlock back on, it began bubbling at a rapid pace. Since then, the bubbling has slowed to about once every 12 seconds or so. (See attachments) Is the normal behavior??

 

[RJS]

Everything is fine.

 

[onipar]

It's a good thing you caught it, because if the airlock clogged more completely, you could have had a "blow out." (Lid popping off and wort everywhere).

What size bucket is that? You may want to use a blow off tube in the future, especially if that bucket is less than 6.5 gallons.

Don't worry. Your beer will be fine. It's almost certainly still fermenting. You can't count on the airlock to tell you if it is or isn't. Only consecutive hydrometer readings to indicate a final gravity has been reached can tell you when fermentation is over.

 

[darkmatter14B]

It's a 5 gallon bucket.....didn't know anything about blow off tubes when I started, but I can see the need for one so I'll take your advice and do it next time.

>>What size bucket is that? You may want to use a blow off tube in the >>future, especially if that bucket is less than 6.5 gallons.