First Blow Off!! -ahhhhh!!!

[MyCarHasAbs]

Did I set it up right??!! Pretty foamy. Temp control had it at 68 degrees. Wheat beer. The yeast directions said to put it between 65 and 72 degrees. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422320060.547183.jpg

 

[Hang Glider]

Congratulations!


no worries, mate - you're making beer!

 

[soccerdad]

Hard working yeasties ! Looks good - it's a bigger water jug than I use but it's working !

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

So I presume once it settles down to just put everything back the way it was and maybe set the temp to 65 instead? Or keep it at 68 once it settles? The ambient temp in my basement is 58 so that should help cool it down. I guess the internal temp got a little too high.

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

Also, should i try to reassemble the hood, airlock and temp control probe tomorrow night or wait till the krausen dies down just a bit? (like a couple days)

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I look at blowoffs as a good thing (especially if prepared like you are) as it means the yeast is healthy and working overtime. I would keep the temperature where it is and let the yeast do it's magic.

Once the activity slows down, then sanitize and replace the airlock as before.

Good job!

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

I look at blowoffs as a good thing (especially if prepared like you are) as it means the yeast is healthy and working overtime. I would keep the temperature where it is and let the yeast do it's magic.

Once the activity slows down, then sanitize and replace the airlock as before.

Good job!

I give ALL credit to folks on this site for the 'bring prepared' part. Had I not seen a few threads covering this over the year I would have absolutely panicked and had no idea what to do.

*pats self on the back*

 

[FamilyTradition]

Had my first blow off when I was on a business trip. I had my wife check on it and she got all worried when she found it, pretty funny I guess she wasn't laughing though. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422324698.561126.jpg

 

[Calder]

Get that blow-off tube out of that big tub and use a small jar, with barely enough liquid to cover the end.

You are fermenting at 70 F, and your basement is 58 F. Once fermentation slows and the beer cools, it will start sucking the sanitizer into the fermenter.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Yes Calder is right. The temperature difference will do that, which is why it is important to go back to your original setup (temp probe + airlock) when it starts to slowdown (maybe after 48-72 hours).

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

Get that blow-off tube out of that big tub and use a small jar, with barely enough liquid to cover the end.

You are fermenting at 70 F, and your basement is 58 F. Once fermentation slows and the beer cools, it will start sucking the sanitizer into the fermenter.

Ok, so small jar, fill it up with water and sanitizer mix just enough to cover the end of the hose and let it sit for a day or so and then go back to the original setup. Is the tub okay for the next 24 hours?

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

The chances are pretty high I'll be working remotely tomorrow with snow outside but I'll be heading to bed soon. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422330916.669311.jpgThis is what I'm currently getting..still need a jar and sanitizer ASAP?? Or can it wait?

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I always just use a Pyrex cup (500ml)

 

[Hang Glider]

During the first three days - that blow off should be under water - last pic looks like the end is floating open, on the scum. After first three days, get an airlock on that puppy.

Keep an eye on ferm temps. The insides of that carboy are 10°F (or more!) higher than the room temp during the first several days of activity.

 

[bja]

I look at blowoffs as a good thing (especially if prepared like you are) as it means the yeast is healthy and working overtime. I would keep the temperature where it is and let the yeast do it's magic.

Once the activity slows down, then sanitize and replace the airlock as before.

Good job!

I certainly wouldn't call it a good thing. It usually means that the temp is too high. You need to ferment at the lower limit for the yeast, sometimes lower. I try to keep them in the low 60's for the first couple days.

 

[jjw5015]

I certainly wouldn't call it a good thing. It usually means that the temp is too high.

Not necessarily. He said it's a wheat beer which means more proteins = bigger krausen.

 

[bja]

Not necessarily. He said it's a wheat beer which means more proteins = bigger krausen.

IMO, 68 is way too warm.

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

It's def slowed down and I've replaced it with a small Tupperware container filled with water and starsan mix. There is some co2 activity but not much. Thinking about putting it back the way it was mid day today. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1422367296.343508.jpg

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

also, does anyone else think it's a good idea to switch that tube out with something a bit cleaner?? I mean..it is technically still pushing out co2 so maybe that's okay and it is blowing bubbles a little bit in the tupperware. Still considering sticking the hood, probe and airlock back on in a few hours.

 

[bja]

also, does anyone else think it's a good idea to switch that tube out with something a bit cleaner?? I mean..it is technically still pushing out co2 so maybe that's okay and it is blowing bubbles a little bit in the tupperware. Still considering sticking the hood, probe and airlock back on in a few hours.

If it's not pushing krausen out the tube, go ahead and put the airlock back on.

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

If it's not pushing krausen out the tube, go ahead and put the airlock back on.

cool deal, the hood and the airlock are currently sitting in hot sanitizer. I'll replace around noon and reset the temp controller to about 64 with differentials of 2 so it only ranges from 62-66.

 

[IslandLizard]

Fermenting on carpet...not...good.

 

[bja]

cool deal, the hood and the airlock are currently sitting in hot sanitizer. I'll replace around noon and reset the temp controller to about 64 with differentials of 2 so it only ranges from 62-66.

What I've been doing for the last couple years is pitching the yeast at 58-60 and letting the temp rise to 62-63 overnight, then holding it there for 2 days. Third day I let it rise to 65 and keep it there for a week.

 

[bbohanon]

Be glad you were prepared..its the ones you dont put a blowoff tube in and it inadvertently blows the bung out that are the funny but messy ones.
So far, I have about 5 of those under my belt. 2 in my back hall room/mud room, 2 in the converted freezer/fermentation chamber and one in my bedroom closet.

The one in the closet(where all my wifes clothes were hanging) was the one my wife decided very quickly to let me build a 12x24 man/beer cave OUTSIDE of the house for my hobby.
That one still grinds her gears when its mentioned. I think she had to wash all of her clothes 3 times to get the smell out of em and she swears I did it on purpose.
All 5 batches turned out well though..lol

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

Fermenting on carpet...not...good.

meh, it's just foam.

 

[ejf063]

I had this happen this morning. Brewed in APA with a second generation Omega West Coast Ale. I made a starter the day before and by the time I pitched, a little head of krausen began to form on my starter. Pitched the starter at about 5pm and by 9am on Sunday, I have activity. Didn’t look again until about 7am today (Tuesday). I opened the basement door and could smell the fruity esters had saturated my basement. Who else loves that? What’s great is my fermenter is on the other side of the basement, so the whole place smelled great.

I took a look at the carboy and for the first time ever, foam had overtaken my air lock, foam started to push itself out of the neck of the carboy and the bung, foam was coming out of the cap on the air lock. Is there any chance that stuff gets sucked back in? i only had tap in the airlock.

ANyway, I guess I cleaned that yeast pretty well and that starter sure worked. I checked the temp and it was 68* in the basement. Just a tad higher than I wanted. I closed the vent closest to my fermenter, ripped off the air lock, got a little blow back from the pressure beneath… threw on a blow off and went upstairs to clean the airlock. I realized about 2 minutes later that I didn’t sanitize the bung or tube after having just washed it.

Ran downstairs, took note on how good things smelled again… Unplugged it, sprayed it, and fit it back on. I am a little nervous about the tap water and that I didn’t sanitize the bottom of that bung, b/c when I took it off there was deep boom as the pressure had built up alreay. I sprayed it down, (and all the krausen which had already fixed itself onto the bung started to drip)….

I should be fine, as everything was clean to begin with. I guess I won’t know anything for another 6 weeks….. Anyway, the tube is beneath the fermenter in a glass half way filled with sanitizer. Beautiful work.

 

[TheZymurgist]

meh, it's just foam.

Until it soaks in, then it's sticky, crusty, stainy nastiness that will never come out. I still have slight discoloration on the wall and ceiling of my extra bathroom from an over-zealous fermentation.

 

[ArrogantDusty]

My advice with beer is to always use a blow off tube no matter what. Almost all of my brews have some blow off. It's a very good thing. When there is none, that's when you should worry.

I thought this thread was going to be about an actual blow off, as in your bung exploding off and beer going everywhere.

This happened to me on my first partial mash. I even had a blowoff tube. It was a bit short though so it came out of the water and then something must have dried in the tube and then I wake up to a gun shot type sound and I run into the next room to find my the side of my wall, floor and ceiling covered. I ended up actually having to paint the ceiling. It was an Indian Brown Ale.

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

Just wanted to give a quick update. I've got the hood back on with the probe and airlock all back together. The temp is set to 65 and there's some slow but steady action in the airlock.

 

[JoeBlank]

Just had my first blow off last night too. Must be something in the air. This is my second batch, an oatmeal stout. I also credit the advice I have seen on this board with making me feel prepared and calm.