Ugh...

[LadyMarMar]

Today was my third brew (extract, cream stout) and it was just disaster after disaster (I also locked myself out of my house for 4 hours today, spilled a 2 L soda all over my coffee table, and shrunk my favorite sweater in the wash):

1) I was an idiot and didn't realize that there wasn't another packet inside my wyeast smack pack, and literally stuck my fingers inside the yeast before I realized this wasn't the case. I tossed it because I was paranoid about contamination.
2) The only other option I had was a packet of Safale S-04.
3) Boilover.
4) I realized my scale was way off.
5) I accidentally dropped my ring into the boil.

I hope I've used up my bad luck for the whole year.

 

[Stix]

The beer will probly turn out just fine

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Most likely be the best beer you'll make an never be able to recreate it. That's how my luck runs anyway.

 

[Pappers_]

Wow, not a good day at all. It will be better tomorrow, I'm sure. And I'm with Hoppyending - I bet your beer turns out great!

Oh, and welcome to HBT!

 

[LadyMarMar]

Hey all, thanks for the reassurance and welcome.
...to follow up my awful day, my Safale S-04 has blown off my airlock. Don't really have access to a blow-off tube, and I'm fermenting in a bucket at 64 deg. What should I do?

 

[Ogri]

Take enough Saran wrap to cover the top of your bucket, I usually lay it over the underside of the lid, then spray with starsan or some other type of sanitizer, cover the top of the bucket with the starsan sprayed side facing the beer/krauzen, puncture a few small pin sized holes in the Saran wrap with a sanitized, tack, nail, drawing pin and you'll be good to go. I place the lid over the top loosely fitted. It'll contain a violently rising krausen whilst letting out CO2 and keeping anything harmful out.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I've used the tubing from my auto siphon in a pinch. Not the most ideal but did the job.

 

[LadyMarMar]

Thanks for the advice! Saran wrap sounds like a good call...although I am totally exhausted, so I ended up sanitizing my siphon, then sanitizing the area around the airlock hole, then replacing airlock with siphon and using my bottling bucket to blow off into. I really really hope I don't get infected!

 

[Qhrumphf]

I just take some sanitized 3/8" tubing, stick one end into the hole in the bung/grommet in the lid for the airlock, and the other end goes into a growler with some Star-San.