The horrible happened ARRG!

[jay29]

Well, it finally happened. I ignored the advice of those on this board and now paid the price. I brewed a beer and FAILED to use a large blow off tube. The tube I used clogged with hops that got by the strainer, and the stopper blew off under pressure. Luckily, I used an old towel to wrap around the carboy and stopper because I am paranoid about the brews getting to much light. This kept the mess down as well as a little layer between the air and open carboy. The huge question is this: Is the beer ruined? It has a thick layer of krausen on top. Would you dump it or continue with it? I should have known to use a bigger blow off tube because of the massive increase of hops I am using in my IPAs than normal. 2 ounces then to 5+ nowadays.

You live and you learn!

 

[jezter6]

Rule #1: Never dump it until it's been either bottled for a month, or you nearly puke trying to do a taste sample at bottling time.

Other than that, no need to dump what could be a fine beer.

 

[Professor Frink]

I'm sure it's fine. I've brewed lots of batches, and still every once in a while I get a blowoff (I got one last batch, I got drunk before I could put on the blowoff tube). I haven't gotten an infection from a blowoff yet.

 

[Jester369]

Nah - it'll be fine. Just clean up the airlock and put it back in (I assume the blowoff phase is done) and get a blowoff tube for the next batch.

 

[GloHoppa]

I got drunk before I could put on the blowoff tube

:rockin: hahaha!

 

[jay29]

I used one of those small diameter blow off tubes that fit inside the rubber stopper. I will buy a tube that takes up the entire hole in the carboy.

 

[Zul'jin]

I've seen these caps that you can attach a blow off tube or two to. Maybe that would work.

Just be sure to submerge both tubes or you could end up with an intake and exhaust thing going on.

 

[Professor Frink]

I've seen these caps that you can attach a blow off tube or two to. Maybe that would work.

Just be sure to submerge both tubes or you could end up with an intake and exhaust thing going on.

The carboy caps do work quite well for that.

 

[PseudoChef]

Your beer isn't ruined. Stop freaking out.

 

[SuperiorBrew]

Big blowoff tubes rock. Pic is RichBrewers

 

[TheJadedDog]

DO NOT DUMP. Never dump a beer until you know it's infected, as in, it tastes very bad. If you're not sure if it tastes bad, send me a bottle and will test it and dispose of it for you.

 

[blacklab]

If fermentation is active, then the yeast is producing carbon dioixde, which will sit on top of the liquid and keep any random beasts out of it(mostly). If you got to it in a reasonable amount of time I'm sure it's fine. Plus, if it's all hopped up, there's even less chance. Hops are anti-bacterial in nature, that's why they were originally used in beer, waaaaaaaaaaay back in the day.

 

[Joker]

Bad is not the stopper falling out, bad is when the stopper and brew hit the ceiling and you lose a couple gallons.

Your brew is fine and fermenting well.

 

[cheezydemon]

IT is official.

This question has been asked even more than "What is this white stuff in my primary?".

Please search topics before posting. Many things have already been covered.(again and again)

Oh yes, and before you ask your next question, the answer is YEAST.

 

[jay29]

IT is official.

This question has been asked even more than "What is this white stuff in my primary?".

Please search topics before posting. Many things have already been covered.(again and again)

Oh yes, and before you ask your next question, the answer is YEAST.

Hey smarty, I just need to know if my beer was ruined because this has never happed out of 20 batches or so. I have no idea how long that stopper was off. I was gone for 24 hours

 

[BierMuncher]

...You live and you learn!

You got that right.

Aside from some lost beer, everything is fine. We've all had blow offs. Yours was minimized. Lowe's sells 1 1/4" inner diameter vlynil tubing that fits very nicely inside a glass carboy.

Wouldn't brew without it.

 

[Rhoobarb]

It is a wise man who admits his mistake. It is an even wiser one who learns from it. The blow off tube is your friend. And don't worry, your beer will be fine. It's happened to a lot of people, myself included, and the beer was good.

 

[Finn]

Anything that got in there died in the carbon dioxide at the top of the bottle and in your kraeusen. Classic cider is primary-fermented in open tanks, they call it the "boiling-over" stage, and you're in the middle of it. That CO2 comin' offa there is like a force field. A wild yeast or two might have fallen in there -- I wouldn't harvest yeast from this batch for future batches -- but I bet you a pint it'll taste just the same as it would've if this had neve rhappened.

Cheers!

--Finn

 

[erodstrom]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie and just experienced a "sort-of" blowoff on my very first brew -- I had one of the tiny wimpy valves that sits in the carboy stopper, which of course overflowed during heavy fermentation while I was away from home for a day.

You will be happy to know that I searched, found this link first, and got my answer without having to post. So, although the original poster got some flak for posting on an already discussed topic, it wasn't a complete waste and at least you won't be annoyed by my creating another thread!

 

[Finn]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie and just experienced a "sort-of" blowoff on my very first brew -- I had one of the tiny wimpy valves that sits in the carboy stopper, which of course overflowed during heavy fermentation while I was away from home for a day.

You will be happy to know that I searched, found this link first, and got my answer without having to post. So, although the original poster got some flak for posting on an already discussed topic, it wasn't a complete waste and at least you won't be annoyed by my creating another thread!

Somebody was just being grumpy. Don't worry about being annoying.

Cheers!

--Finn

 

[Rick_R]

Hey smarty, I just need to know if my beer was ruined because this has never happed out of 20 batches or so. I have no idea how long that stopper was off. I was gone for 24 hours

Don't worry about asking the question you asked or about asking the next one, whether or not it has been answered before. Some people easily get their shorts in a bunch; ignore 'em.

Rick

 

[IrregularPulse]

This thread now has me worried about not using a blowoff. This is my first batch and I just have one of those 3 piece airlocks. I'm doing an extract pale ale. I'm mostly worried cause it's fermenting in my furnace room next to my Freshly recarpeted basement! If I go home and my new cream carpet is black/brown, the wife will have a cow and I will be quite screwed!

 

[Joker]

This thread now has me worried about not using a blowoff. This is my first batch and I just have one of those 3 piece airlocks. I'm doing an extract pale ale. I'm mostly worried cause it's fermenting in my furnace room next to my Freshly recarpeted basement! If I go home and my new cream carpet is black/brown, the wife will have a cow and I will be quite screwed!

Furnace room does not have a good sound to it. What is your average temp in there? Another item brew+carpet (especially new) = bad idea.

 

[Finn]

Furnace room does not have a good sound to it. What is your average temp in there? Another item brew+carpet (especially new) = bad idea.

Aw, just put a tarp under it, you'll be fine. But if your furnace room is usually under 60 or over 75 degrees, better find a new place for your fermenter.

Unless it's 80 degrees or your wort is three inches from the airlock (in a carboy -- one inch in a bucket), you're pretty unlikely to have a blowout. Still, a tarp is cheap insurance. And if you want to be REALLY sure, wrap a bath towel around the bottom of the carboy.

 

[HuggerOrange]

In a related question, when does an "explosion" usually occur? I'm a little worried about my Belgian Tripel that's in a bucket fermenter with a 3-piece airlock and is going a little quicker than a bubble a second (which is the pace it's been going at all day). I made it on Saturday, first bubbles showed up at 10 am yesterday, which means it's about 36 hours into the fermentation. It's at a steady 72*F and I can see the Kreusen line from the shadows in the bucket is about 3 inches from the top. This beer started at 1.080 OG so there's a lot of sugar in there and I know it's going to go for a while. My question is do I have to get up three times in the middle of the night tonight like I did last night in fear of finding my bathroom just decorated in beer or am I past the "danger zone" now that the ferment is going steady with no ill results?

 

[Chriso]

Most massive "explosions" like you're talking about occur within the first 48 hours after fermentation begins. (Note, that could include as much as 48 more hours before fermentation begins, if your yeast is laggy)

If you're worried about a really massive mess, e.g. liquid collecting on the tarp and still running off into the carpet, then take a look at your local big box store for a large sized rubbermaid to put your bucket or carboy inside of.

This approach can be used for temperature control too - e.g. fill the rubbermaid with water while the fermenter is sitting inside of it. Then adjust with warm water or ice as needed.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=532135 <- THIS is how to ruin your beer.

 

[HuggerOrange]

Actually, kill that. It's up to two bubbles a minute and 74*. Is the temp going up from fermentation? It is in the bathtub so I'm thinking about puting some cold water in to slow it down a little. At least it doesn't look like the kreusen has gone up anymore. Any thoughts?

 

[Finn]

Actually, kill that. It's up to two bubbles a minute and 74*. Is the temp going up from fermentation? It is in the bathtub so I'm thinking about puting some cold water in to slow it down a little. At least it doesn't look like the kreusen has gone up anymore. Any thoughts?

yup, fermentation is exothermic, it'll hold a couple degrees high when it's going strong like this. might be a good ideer to cool it down to 70 just to make sure you don't get too much hi-temp funkies in the final product. On the other hand, it is Belgian, some of those beers are supposed to be lik ethat ...

two bubbles a second, you mean, right?

 

[HuggerOrange]

two bubbles a second, you mean, right?[/QUOTE]

Yep, two bubbles a second. Sorry about that.

 

[FSR402]

MOD EDIT: DO NOT HARASS OTHER MEMBERS ABOUT PAYING FOR MEMBERSHIP.

 

[PeteOz77]

Maybe you should step down off the horse.

+1! I agree 100%

 

[Monster-Masher]

Big blowoff tubes rock. Pic is RichBrewers

hey how do you affix the tube to the top of your carboy?

 

[shafferpilot]

If it's the right size, it just squeezes in the opening.

 

[ghostofdavid]

I apologize and realize that this should probably go into the beginner's brewers forum, but what prevents the blow off tube from infecting the entire batch from a lot of airborne exposure?*


*I'm still waiting on my Palmer book.

 

[FSR402]

I apologize and realize that this should probably go into the beginner's brewers forum, but what prevents the blow off tube from infecting the entire batch from a lot of airborne exposure?*


*I'm still waiting on my Palmer book.

The other end goes into a tub of water/sanitizer... Thus making it just one big airlock.

 

[cheezydemon]

MOD EDIT: your business.

Yeah , I will definitely think about that.........

The blow off tube is an airlock. It prevents anything from coming back into the fermenter. If suction were somehow created, it would suck sanitizer or vodka or whatever you have in your bucket. I can't imagine it coming all the way back into the fermenter.

Some people leave the carboy open to air because there is so little risk of infection. Soulvie's tag used to read "I'm anti airlock"' (it might still).

Especially during fermentation, gas is coming out of the carboy and bacteria are airborn, meaning they don't fly, they float along on the breeze. In this case the breeze is flowing out of the carboy.

 

[RichBrewer]

hey how do you affix the tube to the top of your carboy?

The tubing is a slightly snug fit. It slides in and seals.

 

[jonbeck14]

I'm sure it's fine. I've brewed lots of batches, and still every once in a while I get a blowoff (I got one last batch, I got drunk before I could put on the blowoff tube). I haven't gotten an infection from a blowoff yet.

Professor, I just got an infection from your avatar. I'm a twins fan.

 

[Homercidal]

I never understood the need for a blowoff tube, until this last batch. My airlock got crammed with junk, and blew the lid off of it. Luckily, the stuff was still going like crazy, so I'm sure the positive pressure was keeping the baddies out. It must have been ok, because 2 months later I bottled (last night), and it tasted just fine!

I got some new equipment on my list for the next time I brew!