Odd fermentation?

[laiced]

I brewed an orange-blossom honey heffe last weekend and set up a blow-off tube into 1/5 gallon of water+starsan mix.

The past couple of days, instead of bubbles or burps in the blow-off container, I am getting intermittent, loud gurgles coming through. I am not worried, I am just extremely curious.

I am 100% guessing that perhaps the krausen is falling and somehow pushing air through the blowoff tube, but I am not sure.

Any ideas?

 

[BendBrewer]

Probably have some thick krausen in the tube causing build up of pressure before being strong enough to 'burb' through. Nothing to worry about. I would let it ride another day or two and then replace the tube with a clean air lock.

 

[ehedge20]

How big is the diameter of the tube? My guess is that you have a buildup of pressure that escapes at once. The can happen especially if the bend radius of the blow off tube is rather tight, as in it takes more pressure to get the gas up and over the hump and down to the end.

 

[laiced]

I am not 100% sure on the radius specifics, but it is the right size to attach to the inside of an airlock. Since I am using a brewing bucket to ferment in, I just bought an extra airlock, took off the top and the interior piece, and attached vinyl tubing to the 'stem' inside....

As for the bend, that does make sense...I have about 4' of tube coming off of the airlock and arching over to the solution which sits right next to the fermenting bucket.

I may just switch it out to an airlock now, as recommended, seeing as how my "violent" fermentation is done....which never really happened anyway.

 

[edmanster]

I've noticed when I use a blow off mine will burp every couple minutes if my hose is more than 2" in liquid also if I have a low spot in the hose and it bends up a little in the bucket.

 

[BendBrewer]

I am not 100% sure on the radius specifics, but it is the right size to attach to the inside of an airlock. Since I am using a brewing bucket to ferment in, I just bought an extra airlock, took off the top and the interior piece, and attached vinyl tubing to the 'stem' inside....

As for the bend, that does make sense...I have about 4' of tube coming off of the airlock and arching over to the solution which sits right next to the fermenting bucket.

I may just switch it out to an airlock now, as recommended, seeing as how my "violent" fermentation is done....which never really happened anyway.

And that entire 4' of tubing has to pressurize to the point of being strong enough to push through the water pressure in the solution bucket. Think about how much Force it takes to lift the little plastic piece of the airlock to relieve this pressure and the amount of Force required to blow gas through 4' of hose and a bucket of water.

 

[a_potter]

I cut a very small v notch in the end of my blow off tube to prevent it from resting flat on the bottom of the container of sanitizer. It seems to let the CO2 bubble out easier. I thought it would build up less pressure that way. Any body else do this?