Should have used a blow off tube...

[tooblue02]

So I finished my first BIAB last night and got it in the fermentor and with my OG right at 1.049 (target was 1.049) it is now fermenting like crazy! I did a yeast starter for this one as well and I think maybe I should have started with a blow off tube vice the normal airlock. It has been going crazy since this morning and I have already pulled the airlock once and I may need to do it again before I hit the rack tonight. Any thoughts on this? Should this be a normal practice when using a yeast starter? Want to make sure I am not affecting my batch?!?! Thanks!

 

[Rhumbline]

Speaking as someone who just spent 3 hours cleaning a 5x8 foot bathroom after a pretty spectacular blowoff, there's really no downside to rigging a blow off tube for the first 48 hours or so. It's going to be SOP for me from now on.

Next weekend, I'm repainting the ceiling.

 

[TallDan]

I've never regretted using a blowoff tube. I've regretted NOT using a blow-off twice.

The more recent one wasn't too bad, krausen filled the airlock and flowed out of it, it was pretty cool looking actually, but quickly turned into a sticky mess.

The other one was my second batch of homebrew, and it woke me up at 2am when the airlock blew off and sprayed Russian Imperial Stout ALL OVER the bathroom. After that adventure, i put all carboys inside some enclosed space (rubbermaid bins) so that it's easier to clean after that kind of event.

I use the 3 piece airlocks and put the tube on the biggest piece, after a few days I take the tube off and put the rest of the airlock together with some sanitizer or cheap vodka.

 

[tooblue02]

I just switched it over before D-Day, hopefully I will be ok! This will be SOP from now on!

 

[adiochiro3]

Can't lose with 'em. Can really piss off SWMBO -- and yourself -- without 'em.

 

[jdround]

Just as everyone else has said... I have had the luxury of cleaning a few fermentation lid blow off's because I did not use a blow off tube. It is very simple to set up and will save you a lot of cleaning of something goes wrong.

 

[jnr1005]

Let me put it this way...when your looking at your lid flipped upside down and your fermenting space covered in brown spackel...you'll wish you had a blow off tube. Just cleaned up one hell of a mess tonight because my brew partner but a beer with 1.112 OG in storage with an airlock only. I just cleaned out the airlock/blowoff for a 3rd time tonight because even with that on it the damn bucket was whistling like a tea kettle! It is bubbling non stop...never had a fermentation like this.

 

[bobeer]

I also, just as a rule of thumb, always use a blow off tube. There's no reason not to and I hate cleaning... The only time I actually used an airlock was with a 1 gallon batch fermenting in a milk jug and it ended up creating a mess! haha.