Foam in Airlock

[aerod1]

Have you ever had foam enter the airlock on top of you fermenter?
I put gin in the airlock when I started. It has been bubbling good but I can see foam getting in there and it is turning the gin a yellow color.
Does this hurt anything? Should I empty the airlock and recharge with clean gin or vodka?
Thanks,

Jim

 

[rcreveli]

Fermentation is forcing Krausen into the airlock. Hook up a blowoff tube to be safe. Just attach a piece of tubing to the inside part of the airlock and the other end into a mason jar of sanitized water. Make sure the jar has space for the "stuff" that is leaving the fermentor.

FYI
What kind of beer?
What temp is it at?
What temp did you pitch the yeast at?
How big is the batch?
How big is the fermentor?

 

[Got Trub?]

Doesn't hurt anything. Just do as rcreveli said, put a blow-off tube on for now, after the krausen falls replace your airlock.

GT

 

[dummkauf]

What they said. And for future reference, ALWAYS use a blowoff tube for primary fermentation. Doesn't hurt anything if you don't get any blow off, but if you do get blow off you'll want it in place.

 

[bmckee56]

++1 On the blow off. I have had several explosions when the airlock clogged and the lid of my primary bucket finally let go. It ain't pretty.

I now use plastic primary buckets that initially held grape juice from Chile. The lids have a spout on them that allows me to insert the blow off tube tightly sealing it. I then follow the procedures other have noted above.

Salute!

 

[azscoob]

I have a pile of airlocks that I rarely use anymore, I put a blowoff tube on all my beers until crash cooling time, then I switch back to an s-type airlock that will bubble backwards instead of sucking the vodka back into the beer.

 

[Gator1]

I’m going to use a blow off from now on. Had a Belgium Triple that went nuts yesterday and the lid on my bucket had a big dome. It’s amazing that the lid held. Made a quick blow off tube with some siphon tube, it fit the air lock perfectly.