emoutal
Well-Known Member
I brewed a batch of stout yesterday. 5 gallons in a 6 gallon carboy. This morning, it was fermenting nicely. Krausen about an inch or two from the top. I came back from work and it was going a little crazier. Now the krausen has reached the top and coming out of the blowoff tube. No problem, i thought.
The problem is that my blowoff tube is only a small tube pushed into the bung. Another problem is that I used whole hops and was not able to strain them out.
So i'm sitting in the living room, everything is quiet. Then BOOM! I knew right away. I looked in the closet and the beer and hops are everywhere. Ceiling and all. The bung had been pushed right out.
My first thought was to rinse the tube to clear it out and put it back in. The bubbles start right up but then slow down and stop. So i get scared and pull the bung back out. Oops. I get a shot of krausen (complete with hops) right in the face. Now without a bung, the krausen is just coming out like crazy. My eventual solution was to take some cheesecloth (sanitized) and put it over the top with a rubber band. That shouldn't get blocked up and should keep any nasties out. I'll check it again in the morning (hopefully be able to put the airlock in by then).
At least i've learned some lessons. Strain the hops, and get a bigger blowoff tube. And the krausen looks nice and creamy, exactly how you'd want a stout (the recipe had some steeped wheat malt and carapils for a nice creamy head). Now it's time to relax and have a homebrew.
The problem is that my blowoff tube is only a small tube pushed into the bung. Another problem is that I used whole hops and was not able to strain them out.
So i'm sitting in the living room, everything is quiet. Then BOOM! I knew right away. I looked in the closet and the beer and hops are everywhere. Ceiling and all. The bung had been pushed right out.
My first thought was to rinse the tube to clear it out and put it back in. The bubbles start right up but then slow down and stop. So i get scared and pull the bung back out. Oops. I get a shot of krausen (complete with hops) right in the face. Now without a bung, the krausen is just coming out like crazy. My eventual solution was to take some cheesecloth (sanitized) and put it over the top with a rubber band. That shouldn't get blocked up and should keep any nasties out. I'll check it again in the morning (hopefully be able to put the airlock in by then).
At least i've learned some lessons. Strain the hops, and get a bigger blowoff tube. And the krausen looks nice and creamy, exactly how you'd want a stout (the recipe had some steeped wheat malt and carapils for a nice creamy head). Now it's time to relax and have a homebrew.
