Specific gravity for blowoff

[Cammykinnis]

Is there a general rule for using a blowoff tube at certain original gravities? I have a 1.060 og and was wondering if it would be a good idea. Also, does it depend on the beer and yeast?

 

[davesrose]

Well technically it depends on your amount of headspace. I always use a blow off tube now. I do find that my high ABV beers are more likely to have a need for the blow off, but why sweat it......"set it and forget it": I always just do the blow off tube and forget about it.

 

[Frodo]

Is there a general rule for using a blowoff tube at certain original gravities? I have a 1.060 og and was wondering if it would be a good idea. Also, does it depend on the beer and yeast?

My general rule is to put a blowoff tube on every time. But it's all about headspace. If you don't have much headspace even on a lower OG beer, you might need a blowoff tube.

Had a friend recently that had his airlock clog and blow off on a raspberry wheat resulting in raspberry all over the ceiling. IMO it's always a good idea to just put a blowoff tube on for a couple/few days - it doesn't hurt anything.

 

[kgfitz]

+1 on always using the blowoff tube. i am new to brewing ( just over a year ) i have seen the mess on youtube that can happen and i dont want to ruen my hard wood floors. every brew i ever made has had a blow off tube for the 7 to 10 days in primery

 

[944play]

Also, does it depend on the beer and yeast?

Yeah, it definitely does, but there are always surprises. I had a 1.082 Belgian that fermented strongly for a week before it decided to crawl out of the fermenter.

This is the biggest kraeusen I've had on a lager by far:

...and it's only a 1.047 beer at 50ºF!

 

[Myke_J]

I use a blowoff tube every time regardless of the beer or headspace. Lately I haven't even swapped out the blowoff tube for a standard airlock once the krausen has fallen.

 

[COLObrewer]

. . . . Also, does it depend on the beer and yeast?

Yes, and temperature and barometric pressure and humidity and water used and other ingredients used and which way the winds blowing and generally how the beer is "feeling". In other words, One batch one day will ferment differently than the same beer on another batch on a different day, (In my experience). There are too many variables to control in order to predict "blowoff".

Keep on brewing my friend

 

[Cammykinnis]

Alright cool thanks guys. I checked this morning and my airlock water had blown out! I'll definitely know for next time.