Krausen in airlock; switched to blow-off tube

[RnQBrew]

Last weekend I started 2 new batches, an IPA on friday night, and a wheat on saturday morning

Both are fermenting in better bottle carboys.
On Sunday when I checked on them, the IPA had krausen in the airlock- so I took the rubber stopper out, cleaned it and the airlock, sanitized them, and put them back on. 5 minutes later and the airlock was full of krausen AGAIN!

So this time I took the stopper out, cleaned and sanitized, and attached my siphoning tube (which I also cleaned and sanitized) to the airlock and submerged the other end in a bucket of water for a blow-off tube.

a day later, the IPA had slowed down, but now my wheat's airlock was full of krausen!!! So I switched them: took off both rubber stoppers, cleaned and sanitized EVERYTHING, put the airlock back on to the IPA, and the blow-off onto the wheat.

2 days later, the IPA's airlock is filled with krausen AGAIN. so I cleaned and sanitized the stopper and airlock, AGAIN, and cut the blow-off tube in half, sanitized it, and attached it to the IPA's airlock to create a blow-off for that one.

Now both of my carboys have blow-off tubes running into the same bucket of water.

Adventures in brewing I guess. I think from now on I'm just going to use a blow-off tube right from the start.

With all the removing of, cleaning of, and replacing of the stoppers, is there much chance that any nasties could've gotten into my carboys? I did all the procedures as quickly and efficiently as possible... didn't really know what else to do under the circumstances.

 

[MalFet]

It is relatively unlikely that any other organism would have been able to get hold during such active fermentation. It's a common thing to have happen; a blow-off to start or fermcap-s are both effective solutions.

 

[JLW]

I would agree, start with the blow-off tube. Then I usually switch to an airlock at transfer... if I transfer.

 

[RnQBrew]

Definitely will be starting with the blow-off from now on. It's good to be re-assured that nothing probably made it's way in there, tho!

I will tell you it was a pretty hectic process when I first put the airlock onto the IPA:
1) See that krausen is bubbling into airlock
2) Wash, sanitize, re-attach airlock. :rockin:
3) Quickly inspect wheat beer, turn around and IPA airlock is full of krausen again
4) Wash, sanitize, and attach blow-off :rockin:
5) Start filling up bucket of water for blow-off tube
6) Krausen starts heading down blow-off tube, and ultimately onto carpet
7) Mad dash to get bucket of water over to blow-off tube before it makes a huge mess on the carpet!

 

[Golddiggie]

I put sanitizer solution in the blow-off bucket... It's what I was advised to use early on, when I used them for my batches of mead. I've continued with the same solution when using blow-off tubes for my brews.

I used fermcap-s for the first time this past weekend... So far, it's working great to keep everything in primary. I bet that if I had not used it, I would have had to install a blow-off tube on the corny keg I'm fermenting in. Instead, the airlock is burping happily, although it's already slowing down. Yesterday it was going about a couple of movements every second. Now, it's down to one every couple of seconds. Still, will let this ride for 2+ weeks before even checking on it. With an OG of 1.065, I suspect it will go for about 3 weeks on the yeast...

 

[JLW]

Back in january I brewed a black IIPA and for some reason didn't hook up a blow-off tube. I brewed on Sunday afternoon, went to work on Monday. I came home from work to find the lid to my primary bucket popped off. Fortunately I had wrapped a towel around the bucket and the lid to contain the mess. I popped it back on and flipped on the TV. About 5 minutes later I started hearing this hiss and then POW. It sounded like a gunshot outside. Turned out to be the lid blowing back off. That's when I knew it just made good sense to go with a blow off everytime!

 

[Golddiggie]

@JLW... WOW... I've not had anything that violent so far... I did have one make a foam sculpture in the airlock. At ~6 hours after pitching the yeast I heard hissing from the kitchen (doubles as the brewery)... Went in to find the airlock filled with foam. Pulled the bung and airlock out, and installed a blow-off tube. That was the first time I used a blow-off tube for a beer (had used them for my mead batches already)... The batches after that, if I wasn't sure how the yeast was going to behave, I installed blow-off tubes for the first 5-7 days of fermentation. Once things settled down, I would change over to an airlock. I do that so that I can use the blow-off tube in the next brew...

Last time I used a blow-off tube, it got really cruddy inside it... So, I finally tossed that section of tube out (it's so cheap there's no reason to save it if you can't get it clean). Just cut a new piece to use with the hard lemonade I have fermenting. Not sure when that will have settled down enough to switch over to an airlock. Hopefully within another week or so... It's going to be at least 12% ABV there...

 

[ASantiago]

I used fermcap-s for the first time this past weekend...

I've never used fermcap-s. Does it affect head retention? How does it work?

Regarding blow-off tubes, I *always* use one and replace it with a regular airlock once fermentation dies down. It's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Golddiggie]

I've never used fermcap-s. Does it affect head retention? How does it work?

Regarding blow-off tubes, I *always* use one and replace it with a regular airlock once fermentation dies down. It's better to be safe than sorry.

I won't know until this batch has finished... Since it's only been a few days, it will be another 5-6 weeks before I sample one. I suspect that head retention, and formation, will be just fine. Otherwise, I don't think people would use it at all. We did use some carafoam in the brew, so that should help with head formation/retention...

 

[MalFet]

I've never used fermcap-s. Does it affect head retention? How does it work?

it is a food grade silicon emulsion that prevents foam from latticing up your fermentor. When the CO2 agitation brought on by active fermentation cuts out, the silicon drops out of suspension and lands in your trub. It does not interfere with head formation (different mechanism completely), and I have even heard speculation that it might help (because it doesn't allow as much head forming protein to foam up in the first place). I have no real evidence to back that last bit, but generally it's good stuff in my experience. Cheap, easy, and no problems.

 

[RnQBrew]

at what point in the process do you use the fermcaps?

 

[MalFet]

at what point in the process do you use the fermcaps?

The instructions are to add it when krausen starts kicking up, but I've always just added it right when I pitch the yeast and have never really had trouble with it.

 

[RallyFanatic]

I've just experienced my airlock filling with krausen tonight. I've never had it happen, should I use my siphon tube to a small bucket filled with sanitizing solution, or just not worry about it for now and clean out/re-sanitize the airlock after?

Making an IPA, OG was about 1.065, fermented in plastic bucket with White Labs California Ale yeast. Has been rock solid at 68 degrees for 3 days now, just filled with krausen today.

 

[RnQBrew]

That almost EXACTLY mirrors what happened with me.
Brewing an IPA, OG was 1.066, though I used Wyeast American Ale yeast.
I tried cleaning and re-sanitizing my airlock; but after doing that 3 times in the course of about an hour, I said to hell with it and put the blow-off tube on. no problems since...

 

[kegtapper]

I recently started using fermcap in my BB carboys, this stuff is awesome.

 

[cappy]

Had to use a blowoff for the first time yesterday on a Two Hearted clone. I'm surprised it didn't blow, there was a lot of pressure built up.

 

[redhook42]

After reading this thread I have a question I am brewing an IPA I had a blowoff on a 5 gal carboy. The active fermentation seemed to stop after 2 days (where krausen was coming out of the tube). So I decided to put an airlock on. As soon as I put it on krausen started to get into the airlock, so I quickly changed it back to the blow off tube after sanitizing. Now there is no CO2 bubbles in my cup off sanitized water, but there are plenty of bubbles going on in the carboy. Should I be worried?

 

[RnQBrew]

Doesn't sound like you have too much to be worried about... Everyone on here will tell you that bubbling is not a reliable sign of anything. Some fermentations bubble for a day, some for 2 weeks, some not at all...

You mentioned your "cup of sanitized water"- is that what your blow-off tube is going into?

 

[redhook42]

yes the blowoff tube is in a cup of water with starsans in it. I took off the blowoff tube and put an airlock on and now it is bubbling, so everything must be ok.

 

[cmw6300]

I'm looking at doing a blowoff tube on my next brew but I'm not sure how to do it. Do I just use something like my siphon tube? How do I affix it to the carboy? I don't think the hole in the carboy is big enough. Is there a certain carboy stopper I need to get? Thanks guys!

 

[redhook42]

I am an expert by any means, but if you can buy a 1" 3ft long peice of tubing. That will fit in the carboy neck. If you don't have that a piece of 1/4" tubing and a carboy bung will work, atleast it did for me once, but I went and got 1" tubing after that.

 

[redhook42]

That was meant to say not an expert by the way

 

[CherryStScallywag]

I need some advice.

we're brewing an imperial stout, shooting for super-high gravity. and i was advised to do a blow-off tube into water. (this is my second batch ever, mind you) I'm using a plastic 7gal carboy, stuck the tube into the bung-hole and then into a jug of sani-water.

here's the problem... i wasn't getting ANY bubbles whatsoever coming out of the jug.

So, i switched to a regular air-lock, which is now bubbling like crazy.

thoughts?

 

[CykoAGR]

I need some advice.

we're brewing an imperial stout, shooting for super-high gravity. and i was advised to do a blow-off tube into water. (this is my second batch ever, mind you) I'm using a plastic 7gal carboy, stuck the tube into the bung-hole and then into a jug of sani-water.

here's the problem... i wasn't getting ANY bubbles whatsoever coming out of the jug.

So, i switched to a regular air-lock, which is now bubbling like crazy.

thoughts?

I'm a n00b so take this with a grain of salt. Airlocks are pretty small and have a relatively small capacity for air to build up before it causes a bubble. if you have 2-3 feet of tubing there is a lot more space for C02 to build up before it forces bubbles into the solution. I could be WAAAYYYY off but something to consider.

 

[tom_gamer]

I'm a n00b so take this with a grain of salt. Airlocks are pretty small and have a relatively small capacity for air to build up before it causes a bubble. if you have 2-3 feet of tubing there is a lot more space for C02 to build up before it forces bubbles into the solution. I could be WAAAYYYY off but something to consider.

Think about this, is the tube "empty" or is something (air) in it? Therefore you still get bubble at about the same rate.

Interesting thing happened to me yesterday. I used a blow off tube for my stout, bubbled as I described above but the lid of the bucket domed up. I ended up pushing it down. I guess it has something to do with the pressure not being strong enough to push all the krausen through the tube.

 

[akervin]

The most likely cause of this is that the CO2 is escaping else where. The pressure that it requires to displace however much water is in the larger blow off tube is much greater then the amount needed to displace the small amount from the airlock.

If your fine with using the airlock, sounds like you have 2 gallons of head space, the airlock might not get clogged.

You can do too things here. Watch it like a hawk for the next 72 -96 hrs and put it in a container of some kind (large plastic bin) so if you make a mess its easier to clean up or put the tube back in and make sure there is an air tight seal around the mouth of the carboy.

 

[MarkIafrate]

Don't mean to drag up a dead thread, but I Googled this tonight and it came up. I did an IPA with a rough OG of 1.067 and I noticed before I went to bed there was a ton of krausen in the airlock. So I cleaned, sanitized and re-fixed it. Then 10 minutes later it was back. Not wanting an explosion while I'm at work tomorrow (which I will now be exhausted for) I found a different lid with a pre-made hole for the airlock. It was big enough to fit only one of my old hoses into. The problem? I stopped using that hose because of a few very small dark spots inside the tubing (my guess being mold).

I figured it was that or risk the lid blowing off in the middle of the night. So I sanitized best I could, including the new lid, and fixed to the carboy. I then filled a bowl with water and sanitizing solution and stuck the other end of the hose in. Seems to be bubbling fine now.

My question is simply, should I be concerned the spots inside the tubing will contaminate my batch?

My guess is no considering all the active fermentation and its expelling the CO2 and not taking it in. I'm hoping to get a proper blowoff connected this week, so hopefully it will become a non-issue. Just curious as to what others thought. Thanks so much in advance!

Best,
Mark

 

[chessking]

Don't worry until you have to. Chances are, your good. Before I got a blow off tube and the air lock (3 piece) would fill up and clog, I would just remove the top cap, remove the inner floaty bit, and the cover the whole airlock with a zip lock bag and zip it up as much as I could. this would let the crap come out, but not let anything get in. I always placed my carboy on a old towel on concrete floor, so the mess was contained. When things calmed down I would sanitize the airlock and replace. Cleaning and replacing too soon just made it blow out again. Of course this made a mess of the fermenter so I soon got a blow off hose (1" 3 ft long). Now I use the blow off on every batch and have the airlock in a mason jar filled with sanitizer. I don't remove the blow off unless I brew another batch and need it. Then I place on the air lock. Otherwise, the blow off stays on until kegging. After all, its just a big airlock.