too much blow off

[CoastBrewer]

I 'm half way through making my 4th batch of beer. Previously, I have had very little blow off, and have just kept the airlock in place. However, this time I had a huge amount of blow off, spilled all over the floor etc. I just racked it into the carboy for secondary fermentation and I am fairly low (about an inch above where the carboy starts to narrow). Should I be concerned about it sitting low in the carboy for two weeks?? Should I top it up to the neck with water (seems like it would be a lot of water probably a couple pints)

Thanks!

 

[Blender]

I don't think you will have a problem. I never did when I used a secondary.

 

[Picobrew]

I 'm half way through making my 4th batch of beer. Previously, I have had very little blow off, and have just kept the airlock in place. However, this time I had a huge amount of blow off, spilled all over the floor etc. I just racked it into the carboy for secondary fermentation and I am fairly low (about an inch above where the carboy starts to narrow). Should I be concerned about it sitting low in the carboy for two weeks?? Should I top it up to the neck with water (seems like it would be a lot of water probably a couple pints)

Thanks!

You are fine. How big is your carboy? If it is a typical 5 gallon carboy, it sounds like you actually have a lot of beer in there - more than I usually end up with. The space up there will fill up with CO2 anyway, as the fermentation finishes out.

People also do something as small as a 2 gallon batch in a 6 gallon carboy, so I wouldn't be worried.

 

[Grinder12000]

Where are you guys with blow offs = my basement is so cool I have not even been CLOSE to a blow off since November.

 

[CoastBrewer]

cool, thanks for the re-assurance guys. I've got a 6gallon carboy. It's made from a "brew house" kit.

When you use a tube instead of an airlock to contain all the blow off, do you typically
save the blow off and put in back in the primary? or discard it?

 

[oms1981]

Where are you guys with blow offs = my basement is so cool I have not even been CLOSE to a blow off since November.

I have a hefe going in my basement right now and it's about 58 degrees down there. I know wheat beers tend to be a little... "aggressive" shall we say. But I assumed the cool temperature would keep it under control. I assumed wrong. I came home today and the blowoff hose was on the floor and there was foam everywhere. It literally blew the hose out of the carboy. I was surprised.

 

[Picobrew]

cool, thanks for the re-assurance guys. I've got a 6gallon carboy. It's made from a "brew house" kit.

When you use a tube instead of an airlock to contain all the blow off, do you typically
save the blow off and put in back in the primary? or discard it?

Definitely discard it. Since it will be open to the air, it is now compromised, from a closed system point of view. Some people will tell you that you don't need a closed system etc (and they are correct), but your blowoff gunk is not worth putting back in (and is probably contaminated with wild yeast etc). I always run a blow off tube into a container that keeps the tube immersed in sanitizer (to maintain the closed system). I wouldn't want to toss all that Star-San in to my beer either.

 

[VonStigler]

I am not so sure about topping off with water. My LHBS advised me to do this, but I didn't want to water it down, so I didn't. The beer turned out great nevertheless. Definitely do not add the blow-off back in, I can say that with 100% certainty.
Cheers,
Brian

 

[Corkster]

yeah... puttin the blowoff back in is kinda like a dog returning to his vomit.....