Krausen Explosion w/ Pictures

[NWHopHead]

Hi there,

Background: I am brewing a stout and the krausen has gone nuts. I was prepared (so no sticky ceilings!) and put together a blow off tube into a gallon jug of sanitizer solution. Only problem is that the gallon jug overflowed down into the bottom of the chest freezer, and last I checked I was now at just shy of 4 gallons of fermenting beer. I replaced the sanitizer jug with a fresh jug having poured out a gallon of blackish beer/sanitizer mix and probably a healthy dose of yeast?

Question: Will the new volume change the amount of yeast that needs to be in the beer? I think I lost a fair bit of yeast since it I'm brewing an ale and I understand the yeast to be "top fermenting". Should I add additional yeast? Leave it all alone? Stay calm and have a homebrew?

Is there a better technique for the blow off tube? Should I run the tube into a bucket and not a jug? Does it matter how far down the tube goes into the fermenter and blow off jug/bucket?

Finally...am I fooling myself into believing there isn't a fire hazard running the brew belt inside a fridge? I thought it would give me much finer/more pinpoint control but I'm starting to second guess my decision.



Key Stats:
Steeping Grains: British Black malts
Malt: Light DME
Yeast: Wyeast 1056 American Ale (created starter)
OG: 1.091
Volume: 19.4L/5.125 Gal
Ferm Temp: 18.5C / 65F - using a heat belt in conjunction with a STC-100 controller and a 5 cubic foot chest freezer
Aeration: Pure O2 through air stone

 

[Hoosierbrewer]

It should be fine. I lost about 2/3rds of a gallon on my stout last week. I could still see the yeast working in my carboy. I had large carboy with 1inch id blow off.

 

[9mmruger]

I've had a couple of blow ups as well. Never used a blow off tube, instead I went to AIH (Adventures in Home-brewing) and ordered their 8 gallon fermenter. Has plenty of room for the Krausen now. Haven't had a blow up since on any 5 gallon batch that I brew.

 

[BGBC]

It looks like your blowoff tube is all the way down into the beer itself. That's probably a big part of the reason you're losing so much beer. Just like an airlock doesn't touch the beer, neither does the blowoff. Just shove it into the neck of the carboy, not down into the beer. The off-gassing CO2 is what you want to be traveling in the blowoff mostly, not the beer itself.

 

[JonM]

How far does that blowoff go into the fermenter? If it's in the liquid, then it's just a big dip tube.

 

[Rootski]

Yep, it looks like the blowoff is in the beer. So, forming CO2 will push the beer surface down and out the blowoff just like a siphon! Anyways, Fermcap-S is your friend. I just did a 1.084 beer with a big starter and 10 drops of Fermcap-S and only got about 1 inch of krausen.

 

[flars]

Not having that temperature probe tight to, and insulated from ambient air inside the freezer, the carboy will most likely be over heated.

 

[NWHopHead]

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I'll shorten up my blow off tube. Not sure I'll have room for an 8 gallon fermenter but I'm going to take measurements tonight to see if it fits. Any thoughts on how to insulate the probe properly? I haven't figured out how a thermal well could be configured to work with a blow off tube. I Appreciate the insights.

 

[Rivenin]

your krausen isn't very high. Like the posters said above, you want to have your blowoff tube out of the beer itself. You want it like this, just snug at the top of the fermenter, just incase it does get out of control, it's all controlled at the top. No reason to have it sticking that far in there.

As for the brewbelt, i'd be more worried about using them on glass carboys... i have no expierence with them, but even the instructions say to not put them on glass car boys... but i've read many reviews stating that they're fine.

What temperature is the beer currently?

 

[flars]

I insulate with about 8 layers of the brown paper shippers use inside boxes. The pad of paper is held in place with clear packaging tape.

 

[BGBC]

I insulate with about 8 layers of the brown paper shippers use inside boxes. The pad of paper is held in place with clear packaging tape.

Insulate what? The temp sensor or the brew belt?

Edit: Nevermind - see it's the probe you're referring to.

 

[NWHopHead]

Just read fermcap reviews...wow. I'm going to be getting some that!

 

[NWHopHead]

Beer is ranging between 18.5 and 19.5C or about 65 to 68 degrees...ambient. I taped the probe to the carboy last night after first feedback to see if that was more accurate.

 

[jdauria]

Besides the tube being way too far down as others have mentioned. You should not have a gap between the tube and the neck of the carboy. That would allow bugs/infections to get in the beer before fermentation starts. Easiest solution is just wrap tinfoil around the opening. Otherwise, use a stopper or carboy bung that has a hole in it to run a smaller tube through.

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

its a blow off tube not a drinking straw

 

[flars]

Insulate what? The temp sensor or the brew belt?

Edit: Nevermind - see it's the probe you're referring to.

Oops, the temp sensor.

 

[kev211]

I have a question to settle my own curiosity... When the great geyser of 2014 happened in your chest freezer did all of the liquid stay in the freezer? Or was it enough to blow the lid open far enough to let liquid out? I use a chest freezer as well and would like to know if I need to worry about showering my garage down with delicious beer thats meant for me, not my tools.

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

I have a question to settle my own curiosity... When the great geyser of 2014 happened in your chest freezer did all of the liquid stay in the freezer? Or was it enough to blow the lid open far enough to let liquid out? I use a chest freezer as well and would like to know if I need to worry about showering my garage down with delicious beer thats meant for me, not my tools.

I know you're not talking to me but no it will not blow the chest freezer door open unless you a grenade in there

 

[kev211]

I know you're not talking to me but no it will not blow the chest freezer door open unless you a grenade in there

Nah, but if you know the answer Ill take it . I figured it wouldnt, but since its never happened to me AND people constantly talk about the huge geysers they had I thought for a second that "hey, it could happen". I also use a 3/8" blow off which I know is "smaller" compared to the 1" ones but it allows me to use a carboy bung.

And now to get back on topic, OP, to insulate mine i tape it about half way down the carboy and over that I tape one of the giant air bubbles that Amazon uses in the boxes they send. Seems to do the trick, thermostat is reading the same as the stick on thermometer on my carboy.

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

Nah, but if you know the answer Ill take it . I figured it wouldnt, but since its never happened to me AND people constantly talk about the huge geysers they had I thought for a second that "hey, it could happen". I also use a 3/8" blow off which I know is "smaller" compared to the 1" ones but it allows me to use a carboy bung.

And now to get back on topic, OP, to insulate mine i tape it about half way down the carboy and over that I tape one of the giant air bubbles that Amazon uses in the boxes they send. Seems to do the trick, thermostat is reading the same as the stick on thermometer on my carboy.

I do the same thing except i use the disposible cooler bag folded up..its pretty damn accurate

 

[NWHopHead]

Thanks for the pics/examples/responses! Much appreciated.