MY Primary Bucket of brew keeps foaming through my air lock..HELP

[LiquidLunch5211]

New brewer here only on my second batch. I am about 12 hours into my brew and the brew keeps foaming up into the airlock and over flowing. Is this going to ruin my batch and what should I do to fix this problem? Thanks Cheers

 

[msa8967]

Your beer will be fine. You need to rig up what is called a blow off tube. This will be a plastic tube that will go from your air-lock to a gallon of water with sanitzer in it.

Are you using a 2 piece or 3 piece air-lock?

 

[LiquidLunch5211]

Your beer will be fine. You need to rig up what is called a blow off tube. This will be a plastic tube that will go from your air-lock to a gallon of water with sanitzer in it.

Are you using a 2 piece or 3 piece air-lock?

I think it is a 3 piece, is it too late at this point to add that blow off tubeing?

 

[bad67z]

You need a blow off tube. 2-3 feet of 3/8 hose (I think) from Lowe or HD. Put the other end in a container of sanitizer.

 

[Revvy]

Quickly pull it out and clean and re sanitize it, then rig up an airlock blowoff tube...take your bottling wand, put a small slit in it...Heat it for a few minutes in hot water to soften, then do this.

then you'll be fine.

 

[LiquidLunch5211]

Thank you so much for your help and your picture... do I take the tubing off after violent fermenting is complete.

 

[rack04]

Just to add to what's already been said. 1/2" ID vinyl tubing from any of the big box stores will fit on the three-piece airlock without any modifications. I highly recommend that you store the container with sanitize solution at a lower elevation than the fermenter. I wouldn't risk an accidental siphon.

I also fill the three-piece airlock with sanitized solution to just past the seam of the tubing so that air can't enter through the seam.

 

[birvine]

In a few days when the fermenting subsides, you can set up your airlock like you had it before. All will likely be fine.

B

 

[msa8967]

You can but there is no need to try to do this right away. You might want to buy a second air-lock to replace the one you are using for the blow off tube. The plastic tubing I used fit too snug on the air-lock stem and I just kept it this way for future use.

 

[bad67z]

You could, but from what I have learned... I like the set it and forget it method. I have even forgone racking my beer to a secondary. That is unless I need the primary vessel. IMO the fewer times you subject your beer to the potential infection the better.

 

[LiquidLunch5211]

Thanks everyone I did the blow off and it is working fine now. I just can't believe how violent this one is my first batch was not half as active as this one.. I will let you guys know how it come out..Thanks again Cheers

 

[K5MOW]

Yes put on a blow off tube befor you have a mess to clean up.

Roger

 

[Revvy]

I had a blowoof that needed a blowoff itself.

 

[LiquidLunch5211]

haha, this blow off sounds like my stomach after a night of beers and hot wings.....

 

[LiquidLunch5211]

Why is this one more active then my first batch? I don't think I filled the first one up with as much water but still the airlock was active but not like this. I did also let the yeast activate for about 3 hours before pitching it, could that be the reason?

 

[Seven]

Why is this one more active then my first batch? I don't think I filled the first one up with as much water but still the airlock was active but not like this. I did also let the yeast activate for about 3 hours before pitching it, could that be the reason?

Did you use the same yeast as before?

Regardless, it's a good idea to use a blowoff tube for the first few days with every batch because you can't predict when you'll have a strong fermentation like this. Using the blowoff is easy and it will give you peace of mind and potentially save you from ruining a batch of brew.

 

[Yooper]

Why is this one more active then my first batch? I don't think I filled the first one up with as much water but still the airlock was active but not like this. I did also let the yeast activate for about 3 hours before pitching it, could that be the reason?

No, not really. Many different things contribute to the activity of a fermentation. Usually, temperature and the amount of yeast are the main reasons but beers that use a lot of wheat will go nuts as well.

As long as the temperature of the beer is 70 degrees or under, don't worry about the amount of activity you see. It won't have a bearing on the finished beer. Some fermentations are slow and steady, some are explosive. Yeast are living organisms, and sometimes grow fast and sometimes not.

 

[Revvy]

Why is this one more active then my first batch? I don't think I filled the first one up with as much water but still the airlock was active but not like this. I did also let the yeast activate for about 3 hours before pitching it, could that be the reason?

It could be any number of reasons. The why doesn't really matter. I went for years with only having the need for a blowoff tube once, then had two beers in a row do it. Blowoffs happen really no matter what the gravity of the beer is, or what the grainbill, or the yeast....or they don't happen at all. It's nothing you can really control, you could setup a blowoff tube for 50 batchs and never have a drop of krausen make it to the catch vessel, or you can have a hopcone deside to block the tube and blow the lid off. It happens or it doesn't.

It's best to have the tube and stuff ready (or do what other's say and use them all the time) then to worry about the why's and hows or it. It will drive you crazy. When we are dealing with living micro organisms there are too many variables to obsess over it. Its either gonna happen or it won't. A good spray bottle of starsan near the fermenter is a great thing. If something happens you can clean up and re-sanitize in a few seconds.

 

[K5MOW]

Thanks everyone I did the blow off and it is working fine now. I just can't believe how violent this one is my first batch was not half as active as this one.. I will let you guys know how it come out..Thanks again Cheers

Yes I know what you mean as my CANADIAN ALE is very violent also. I am glad I used my blow off. Good luck and let us know how it comes out.

Roger