Need some help ASAP... Fermentation gone crazy

[Lucky137]

I wouldn't call myself a new brewer, but I have never run into this issue before. The porter I made yesterday blew the airlock out - not a first occurrence. I threw on a blow off tube, but it blew that out too - this has never happened to me before. I am now watching an almost constant stream of bubbles coming out of the carboy, spilling down the sides. What do I do??? Should I just let it do it's thing like this until it calms down enough to get the blow off tube in? Or should I keep trying to cover it? I'm worried it's going to sprout legs and start attacking me next.

 

[giraffe]

Wrap it in towels to make clean up easy. Its off gassing so much co2, infection is not likely. You could put a piece of tinfoil over it, to avoid dust falling in. It will be ok.

 

[LovesIPA]

Definitely get it covered ASAP. Use a bigger blowoff tube if you have to, but keep it covered.

 

[Rockn_M]

You can also try to lower the temperature to help slow the yeast down.

 

[hou_me]

Damn! Sounds like quite a show! Like the others said, should be fine. I'd probably put a towel under it to catch anything coming out and throw a (sanitized) plastic bag over the top of the fermenter to keep any crap from falling in.

 

[Trox]

First thing you should have done was set up a video camera so we could all enjoy the show.

 

[poislb]

Buy some ferm cap and put 2 drops per gallon. The stuff is amazing.

 

[unionrdr]

I agree with getting the temps down. In my experience, it helps inhibit such wild performances. That, & some beers seem to need more head space than others. Bavarian hefe for one. I've also had APA's blow off like crazy. My wife's first brew, the BB summer ale, blew off the airlock, then with blow-off installed, blew off the lid! Almost in her face! But that was before I started chilling spring water in the fridge a day or two before brew day to get the wort down to 65F or so before pitching. Lower temps definitely calm them down. The Bavarian hefeweizen I used to brew my watermelon hefe recommended a 30% head space. The resulting krausen ring in my Cooper's Micro Brew FV went from the 19L mark all the way up to the 25L mark! Which left about 5" to the bottom of the lid threads for co2. But keeping it cool initially kept it from blowing it's top. In fact, it fermented a very steadily with just a 3-piece airlock. I've done this with a few different yeasts, like WL029, WL 300 & WL 380 among others. Keep it cool to start & they don't usually get so violent.