Help avoiding **MASSIVE** beer explosions!

[DieBartDie]

Last night I cooked up an English bitter and for the first time used a glass carboy for the primary (with the usual one way valve). I read in places that serious beer makers "brew primary in glass". I filled the 5 gallon carboy up to the point just before it starts to narrow and put on a fermentation lock (the plastic type with water in).

Next morning where the carboy was stored the laundry room is the scene of a bomb-strike. The fermentation lock had been blown off as high as the ceiling, spatter marks covered walls and (9' high) ceiling and 2 1/2 gallons of wort made a place for itself on the floor. It was like hurrican Katrina, just with beer instead of water. Took 2 hours to clean up the mess.

So advice please - how can I avoid this in the future? Did I really fill the carboy too high? How did such pressure build up when there was a one way valve on the thing? Should I return to plastic bucket primary fermenting.

Advice from brewing experts appreciated...

Die Bart Die

 

[david_the_greek]

This is why many use the bucket for primary fermentation. The bucket that many use for beer primary fermentation holds I believe 6.5 gallons or perhaps slightly more. This allows enough room for the krausen and then as an extra safe guard a blow off tube could be utilized. If you still would rather use glass, a 6.5 gallon (or maybe 6) carboy, the types often associated with wine making, can be used. These will give you extra space for krausen. A blow off tube might be a good idea for the first few days, especially if you are making a wheat beer. I have only used blow off tubes for my hefeweizen, otherwise I have been fine with just an airlock.

 

[EdWort]

Yep. I ferment in 7.9 gallon buckets as I like to do Bavarian Hefeweizens. Hefe's are notorious for violent fermentations. No blow offs yet with this size of bucket.

 

[PseudoChef]

Yeah, try to primary in 6 or even 6.5 gallon glass carboys. I use a 6 gallon with a blow-off tube.

 

[anthrobe]

Yeah, try to primary in 6 or even 6.5 gallon glass carboys. I use a 6 gallon with a blow-off tube.

\

You have it right. I use a 6/5gal glass carboy with a blow off tube. Since I have been running with this setup, I have not had a mess.

 

[malkore]

fermentation was so vigorous, it pluged the airlock, and that's why it launched like a rocket once there was enough pressure. its better than the carboy breaking though, which is why we use loosely fitted plugs/caps and not something clamped down.

i like buckets for primary. easy to clean, easy to replace, and then secondary in glass .

 

[DeathBrewer]

i use glass with blow-off tubes. i had a few airlocks get clogged up and that was it for me. I luckily never had an explosion

 

[woosterhoot]

Take a look at Better Bottle's website. I have bought a couple recently and have been very happy with them.

 

[DieBartDie]

So now I have 2 1/2 gallons left in the 5 gallon primary carboy (the source of the explosion). The inside top of the carboy is encrusted with dried hops/residue. The recipe says I shouldn't transfer to the secondary for 6 days. Do I:

a) Transfer to the secondary 5 gallon carboy now (only 1 day in) to avoid risking the dried stuff contaminating the beer

b) Leave the 2 1/2 gallons in the existing encrusted 5 gallon carboy for the remaining 5 days

c) Abandon the beer - it's probably ruined. In either case (a) and (b) there will be so much air above the 2 1/2 gallons of wort that it will be ruined. Also I had the top open for 2 good hours while I cleaned up.

Advice appreciated.

Die Bart Die

 

[paranode]

It's worth waiting it out to see... sometimes the resiliency of beer is surprising despite our great care to avoid contamination. The problem with transferring it now is that you will transfer it off of the yeast cake and that could result in a stuck fermentation where there's still a lot of fermentable sugar in your beer. That will not do a) because it will taste wrong and b) when you bottle it with priming sugar you're likely to have more explosions when the yeast reactivate and consume all that extra sugar. However, if you can manage to collect some of the yeast cake somehow I suppose you could try transferring that too and the recirculation should make sure the yeast are active.

On the other hand the simplest thing to do would be to just leave it there for a couple more days then transfer.

Don't be overly concerned with head space (air) because CO2 is heavier than air and will form a layer on top of the beer rather than rise out of the carboy.

 

[DieBartDie]

Excellent feedback, and greatly appeciated. The wort continues to bubble (a bubble comes out every second through the airlock). Think I'll wait the full 6 days and transfer.

Think there may be 3 gallons left so it's probably worth saving.

Die Bart DIe

 

[miatawnt2b]

here's an interesting blow-off tube I found. Very sturdy.
http://suburb.semo.net/jthornton/BlowOff.htm

-J

 

[CBBaron]

So now I have 2 1/2 gallons left in the 5 gallon primary carboy (the source of the explosion). The inside top of the carboy is encrusted with dried hops/residue. The recipe says I shouldn't transfer to the secondary for 6 days. Do I:

a) Transfer to the secondary 5 gallon carboy now (only 1 day in) to avoid risking the dried stuff contaminating the beer

b) Leave the 2 1/2 gallons in the existing encrusted 5 gallon carboy for the remaining 5 days

c) Abandon the beer - it's probably ruined. In either case (a) and (b) there will be so much air above the 2 1/2 gallons of wort that it will be ruined. Also I had the top open for 2 good hours while I cleaned up.

Advice appreciated.

Die Bart Die

Leave it in the primary for a week then transfer to the secondary. Between the very active yeast, the CO2 and alcohol there is little chance of infection. The dried stuff even if it was infected is not in contact with the beer so is unlikely to be a problem. I've only been on this forum for 9 months now but I have yet to here of an infection after a major blow off.

It is possible to ferment 5 gals in a 5gal fermenter but it requires a blow off and preferably a type of Burton Union to return the liquid to the fermenter. BYO 9/06 had a good article on this subject. However the easier way is to use a large primary. I use a 6.5gal bucket and usually start out with a blow off tube. I've had 3 of my 8 beers blow off so far. Probably because I usually start with between 5.5 and 6gal.

Craig

 

[TheJadedDog]

Get a bigger carboy and use a blow-off. I primary in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy and use a blow-off for the first few days before things settle down, then i switch to an airlock. No blow-outs so far...

 

[Wrey]

Can you use 6.5 gallon carboys for secondarys?

 

[bigben]

DO NOT throw it out. Just wait it out....follow your recipe normally. And let us know how good it turns out.

 

[TheJadedDog]

Can you use 6.5 gallon carboys for secondarys?

You can but a 5 gallon is recommended in order to reduce the headspace, limiting the potential of oxidation.

 

[BrewDey]

If you're using a 5 gal.-I'd hook up a blow-off tube. I use a 6.5 gallon for primary, and 5 gal. for secondary. I'd think if you've got at least a 6 gallon one, you're safe with just a regular airlock.

 

[Willy Boner]

Are you bottling or kegging? With only 3 gals. of beer, I don't think I would use 3/4 cup of priming sugar. Might make another mess

 

[DieBartDie]

I'm going with leaving it in the primary (5 gal carboy) for the week. It's $30 for a larger carboy and I think I'll pass on that for now. Then I plan to follow the recipe (2ndary for 3 weeks, bottle for ~30 days, if I can wait that long before starting drinking it).

WB - excellent suggestion to cut back on the priming sugar to avoid a brewing version of Nagasaki after the original Hiroshima.

I'm planning to start another batch of Oktoberfest Amber at the weekend as an insurance policy in case the exploding bitter doesn't turn out.

 

[CBBaron]

I'd think if you've got at least a 6 gallon one, you're safe with just a regular airlock.

It depends on the beer. With a good starter a high gravity or wheat beer will often blow off in a 6.5gal bucket. I tend to always put a blow off tube for the first few days just incase. It easy to do and can potentially save a huge mess.
Craig

 

[bassplayrr]

It depends on the beer. With a good starter a high gravity or wheat beer will often blow off in a 6.5gal bucket. I tend to always put a blow off tube for the first few days just incase. It easy to do and can potentially save a huge mess.
Craig

I recently learned this the hard way with my first hef. I use a 6+ gallon bucket as a primary and I still woke up to a decent sized mess the next morning. I'll certainly be using a blow off tube the next time around, even with the bucket.

 

[BrewDey]

I recently learned this the hard way with my first hef. I use a 6+ gallon bucket as a primary and I still woke up to a decent sized mess the next morning. I'll certainly be using a blow off tube the next time around, even with the bucket.

I had previously always used a blowoff tube for the 1st couple of days at least on my 6.5 gallon carboy. I realized that the kreusen was never getting close enough to the top to really be a problem, so on a recent batch I just used the airlock. 2 packs of Muntons, about a 3-4 inch kreusen and the bubbler was almost bouncing up and down-still not close to the top though.

I wonder if there's a difference between carboys and buckets of the same volume?

 

[CBBaron]

I wonder if there's a difference between carboys and buckets of the same volume?

No, the difference is in the yeast and recipe. I've done 6gal batches in my 6.5gal fermenter with no problem. And I've done 5gal batches that have added a pint or two to the blowoff container. I do know my wheat beers have all had a blow off as well as a couple of others.

Craig

 

[z987k]

I had to put a blow off tube on my 6.5 gallon plastic primary this morning. It blew off the top of the bucket. It's bubbling like every .1seconds, crazy fermentation.

 

[Helmy]

O man, i just did this exact thing with my newest batch. after reading this (mind you im at work) i raced home to make sure it hadnt exploded and put it in the shower stall in case it does...hope the beer gods are looking down on me lol

 

[Bills Brew]

So, did SWMBO banish you, and your beer making activities, from ever using the laundry room as you fermentation room?

 

[DieBartDie]

It is possible to ferment 5 gals in a 5gal fermenter but it requires a blow off and preferably a type of Burton Union to return the liquid to the fermenter. BYO 9/06 had a good article on this subject.
Craig

You just said two magic words - Burton Union in the context of home brew. My favorite beer of all is Marstons Pedigree which is brewed using the Burton Union method (involving complex condensing surely?)- are you suggesting a home brewer can pull off a Burton Union Beer, or does this require prohibitively expensive equipment & time.

Please elaborate...also please do include relevant recipes.

Tx,

DieBartDie

 

[DieBartDie]

So, did SWMBO banish you, and your beer making activities, from ever using the laundry room as you fermentation room?

The laundry room is back in action as a fermentation room. There's no other alternative besides a garage that has major temperature swings between day and night-time. I think it's bucket fermentation for me for a while.

I bought a beer kit weeks ago and assumed this contained 2 x 5 gallon carboys, however opened the second carboy box today and discovered it's a 6.5 gallon carboy - so I may be able to return to glass (however methinks a blowoff tube would be wise). If only I had discovered this bigger carboy before the explosion - doh!

I transferred the remaining ~2 1/2 gallons of the exploding beer (an English bitter) to secondary today - during manual siphoning got a gulp and discovered it's actually turning out well!

Die Bart Die

 

[z987k]

yeah use the 6.5 gallon for a primary and the 5 gallon as a secondary. You likely won't have problems with blow off then.