No bubbles from blow off??????

[teachtim]

I've searched the boards for an hour and can't find mine answer. I'm making a Mad Elf clone so it's a big beer. I have this in a 6.5 gal fermenter. I have a blow off tube connected to a 3 way air lock. My blow off tube is connected to the inner tube of the air lock. The other end of the tube is in a bucket of sanitized water. I'm not seeing any bubbles coming up in the water. I'm only worried because the lid on the fermenter is crowning.
Is it possible that the pressure hasn't gotten to a point that the gas is escaping yet, but it will leave through the blow off once the pressure is high enough? I guess it could be clogged under the cap. I think I would see that though when I look down the tube.
SHould I just wait?

 

[ayoungrad]

Push gently down on the lid of the fermenter. Does that cause bubbling. If so, you should be fine.

 

[unionrdr]

I've had blow offs clog with drying krausen before. Had to pull it out & hit it with a stream of star san from a spray bottle & re-install it. But always try the squeeze method first. Many times,just a little squeeze to get some co2 going will blow it out.

 

[teachtim]

If I push the bubbles come instantly. So I guess I'm good. Thanks for the help.

 

[teachtim]

I still don't see bubbles like I do with an airlock. When I push the top bubbles still come out. The temp inside is high so I think everything is ok. Should I just let it go. I don't want to open the lid.

 

[Sulli]

you might have a small air leak somewhere between the airlock and the sanitized water. spray the entire length of tubing, including where it connects to the airlock, with starsan and if you have a leak the starsan will bubble where the leak is.
As for the beer, I would leave it alone for a couple days, then take a gravity reading.

 

[teachtim]

I actually thought about a leak. I checked the lid to make sure, for the 5th time, that it was on tight. I never thought about the tube possibly being the culprit. It also could be that I'm use to seeing the airlock bob up and down and this blow off is just different. The room definitely smells like beer that is fermenting.
Thanks!

 

[boist]

One thing we always like to say is that lack of bubbles is not an indication of anything.

If the carboy is warm and the room smells of beer, chances are you're fermenting just fine. Keep an eye of the temperature as an indication of how active it is, and check gravity for figure out when it stopped. I've had batches that formed no bubbles in a regular airlock (no matter how many times I checked the seal) but still turned out as planned. Just stick with it.

 

[Piratwolf]

BDMA (bubbles don't mean anything)

"All your home brew are belong to us!"