Never had a blow off, am I doing something wrong?

[Memorex88]

Only ever had one case of krausen pushing through the airlock, and that was for a witbier. But the worst mess I ever cleaned up was from an old bomber bottle that my buddy pulled out of storage. It was a 1-year-old fruit beer of some kind (probably wit), and when he opened it, it geysered clear up to the light fixture. I would have been pissed if I wasn't rolling on the floor laughing at him.

LMAO Thanks, you just made my day

 

[BuzzCraft]

So when using this blow off tube, should I just put the wort on the yeast cake and then put the blow off tube right in the carboy? Should I wait and put the airlock on and see what happens? This is where I dont know what the next step is...

if you're pitching on a yeast cake (per your previous post) and you're not going to be around to check on it everycouple of hours, put the blow off tube in place. I think I pitch and appropriate amount of yeast and the only time I get a blow off (fermenting 5 gallons in a 6.5 gallon carboy) is when I've pitched on a yeast cake.

Last time it happened, when I left for work the airlock was gurgling like a happy baby....when I got home from work, foam was spewing into the airlock. Pulled the airlock to install a blow off tube and the happy baby pissed porter all over my ceiling!

 

[Brocster]

I had a massive blow off once (twice actually on the same fermenter) with a Kolsch. Plastic Ale pail with an airlock. I immediately changed to a blow off. I use 5/8 tubing for my Ale Pails, and 1" for my carboys.

In the last year, I have had 5 instances where the gunk was flying out of the fermenters. I have temp control too...

1 Kolsch, 1 Strong Ale (S-04), 1 ESB (1056), and 2 RyePA (Bavarian 3056)

Below is the ESB...

 

[springer]

I have only had two blowoffs the first was 5.5 gallons of brown ale in a 7 gallon SS conical temp was an even 66° The other was 5 gallons of Saison in a 6 gallon BB temp was mid 80's .


I never have had one since I went with using kegs and 15 gallon jugs from USplastics for fermentation. I brew 10 gallons exclusively now.

 

[JoeMama]

Whatever...


There, you have been officially blown off now.

Dont say I never gave you anything.

 

[Brew-boy]

Make a wheat beer and see, those are crazy.

 

[Saccharomyces]

It seems to be very strain dependent for me. WLP037, WLP530, WLP013 all produce massive krausen and blow off routinely for me. In parcticular WLP530 will blow off even with Fermcap and low fermentation temperatures, it's like yeast on crack.

 

[humann_brewing]

well it looks like I spoke too soon. As soon as I thought I would never have a blow off again it happens. I have an airlock on and opened up the freezer this morning to find krauzen oozing out the airlock. That is as far as it got before I caught it but still, the beer temp was 61 and this was with US05 so I guess I can throw that theory out the window

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

well it looks like I spoke too soon. As soon as I thought I would never have a blow off again it happens. I have an airlock on and opened up the freezer this morning to find krauzen oozing out the airlock. That is as far as it got before I caught it but still, the beer temp was 61 and this was with US05 so I guess I can throw that theory out the window

After having that exact same thing happen I decided to just put the blow off tube on every time. Like a gun or condom, better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[KYB]

With my bigger beers I pitch plenty of yeast and always have a blowoff. I've pitched a 1.053 or so beer on a yeast cake and it took off within a couple hours, didn't blowoff though.

I use to get blowoffs pretty frequently when I didn't have good temp control. Now that I can control and usually on the lower side of the yeasts range, I never have troubles.

My room is a steady 65 and my big beers are out of control. Foaming out the blowoff bottle. They are always at the 5gal mark btw.

 

[tjp68]

I have had one and I never would have predicted it. It was a low gravity cream ale and US-05 in a 6.5 gal ale pail.

I have since switched to 7.9 gal pails for 5 gal batches. They work great and the extra headroom is comforting.