My fermenter overfloweth. Quick help!

[Mellow52]

I brew a lager last night and pitched the yeast form my very first starter into 5 gal of well aerated wort. There is now some crazy action to the point that it pops the lid off my 6.5 gal primary fermenter (bucket). I did take some photos that I will upload next.

Questions:

What now!? Obviously I am very concerned since there is no seal / airlock.

 

[Trokair]

Install a blow-off tube. That is your safest bet.

Otherwise for buckets I've read that as long as the lid can sit on top the ammount of CO2 being produced during the first fermentation should keep the beer safe until it calms down and you can snap the lid back in place and replace the airlock. I'd still go with the blow-off personally.

 

[MrOrange]

create a blow off tube from your airlock to a jug of water/sanatizer

 

[GusWatab]

Install a blow off tube...like this...

 

[Mellow52]

To create a blow off I would have to go to 5gal glass carboy. I have tubing but not a bung plug other than the one with the small hole for a airlock.

I think I will pace a light weight on the lid to kinda close the gap between the lid and the bucket and replace the airlock with a clean one when things start to settle.

Looks like I will have to create a bucket lid with blow off tube feature.

 

[GusWatab]

I just used an old airlock and removed the upside down thimble looking part and then installed the hose.

 

[Trokair]

I just used an old airlock and removed the upside down thimble looking part and then installed the hose.

If you do that on a serious blow-off I've read that you need to remove the plastic cross bit on the bottom of the airlock stem or that will quickly clog with krausen.

 

[GusWatab]

You are correct. Could just saw the bottom part off and use that airlock strictly for blow off tubes. Good point!

 

[akervin]

I brew a lager last night and pitched the yeast form my very first starter into 5 gal of well aerated wort. There is now some crazy action to the point that it pops the lid off my 6.5 gal primary fermenter (bucket). I did take some photos that I will upload next.

Questions:

What now!? Obviously I am very concerned since there is no seal / airlock.

I'm interested to see these pictures.

 

[MikeWI]

My first blow-off tube I improvised with the racking wand that came with the kit. It fit perfectly in the carboy plug. Don't know if that's an option for you.

Worst case sanitize some aluminum foil and cover the hole until you can replace the airlock. You just want to prevent anything from going INTO the fermenter, but as long as the the kraussen is coming out it's probably fine.

Mike

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I bought a double brasss stab from lowes that fits my airlock grommet and then picked up a length of vinyl tubing that fits the other end. Now it sits quietly coiled in my ferm chamber, ready to spring into action on a moment's notice.

 

[buzzbean]

I use this into a bucket of sanitizer for bigger beers, (had same problem as you when making a 14%abv batch except it literally blew off the airlock).

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...off-tubing/blowoff-hose-3-5-foot-section.html

Is great pushes out all the crap leaving a cleaner beer for the 2ndary.

 

[Mellow52]

OK here are a few photos.

It looks like it is simmering down some now. I was able to snap the lid close and install a new airlock. I lost a lot of krausen and hope that will not be a negative on the end result. I also hope no 'badies' made it in there. The metal stapler on the lid was there just to keep a bit of down pressure on the lid. Our basement now has a lovely beer fragrance so not all negative. Also if I go by the smell this is going to be one fantastic lager if it survives.

I would like some thoughts on why this happened.

The brew is a larger with a 5% abv. target (So it is not a big beer in the sense of abv)- Castle Lager. My LHBS supplied me with the White Labs: Pilsner Lager Yeast WLP800 (liquid) but the expiration date had passed (Jan-28-12) so they threw in at no cost two extra vials of the same yeast with the same expiration date.

I used Mrmalty.com: http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html and made my very first starter that was huge. My 2000ml flask cracked on the gas stove so I had to use a carboy as a stand in.

I did decant.

I could not use the starter within 2 days due to a leaking spigot (Fermentap Weldless ) on my brew kettle that is now welded on. I had the starter out at room temperature for two days and then in my freezer at 35F to 42F for a week before taking it out earlier yesterday to get to room temp for last nights brew.

I also used a paint stirrer at the end of my cordless drill (before pitching) and it did a magnificent job to aerate. It looks like this only red:

So too much yeast and too much aeration? Larger does have bigger starters so can I expect to have this problem again? Should I be looking at 6gal carboy for primary with blow off tubes? It will be more fun to see the beer anyway.

 

[Mellow52]

Bump -

So too much yeast and too much aeration? Larger does have bigger starters so can I expect to have this problem again? Should I be looking at 6gal carboy for primary with blow off tubes? It will be more fun to see the beer anyway.

 

[RUNningonbrew]

When I do a bigger beer and know this is going to be a problem I take out the little black gasket in the lid an shove a tube in and the other end into sanitizer, I also put some keg lube around the tube so it seals, worked great for my IIPA I just did.

 

[BrewerinBR]

Whats the temp where you have it ? I did a Oktoberfest and the temp was to warm and it did the exact same thing. You used 3 vials in a starter in a carboy? So there is a good chance you may have over pitched?

 

[Mellow52]

When I do a bigger beer and know this is going to be a problem I take out the little black gasket in the lid an shove a tube in and the other end into sanitizer, I also put some keg lube around the tube so it seals, worked great for my IIPA I just did.

Thanks I will prepare a setup like this to have available when needed.

 

[Mellow52]

Whats the temp where you have it ? I did a Oktoberfest and the temp was to warm and it did the exact same thing. You used 3 vials in a starter in a carboy? So there is a good chance you may have over pitched?

Basement temp is 63F, fermenter is 66F. I was gong to leave it in the primary for 2 weeks before secondary in temperature controlled freezer 35 to 42F for 4 weeks / consistent FG reading.

Yes I think the 3 vials even though expired by more than a month was too much. I am now building a stir plate and will work on proper size starters.