UH OH... Fermentation explosion. Help/pics

[Ambleside]

Okay, so I left this at my parents house as fermentstion didn't seem too violent and there was good head space. But should have done a blow off tube in hindsight.

So, I called my mother to do the fix. I had her wash a tube with soap and water, pull the airlock and replace with the tube. If I was there I would have done the proper star San and such, but do you think I'll be okay sanitation wise? Lid didn't blow off, just leaked. Obviously a small chance of infection, but think I'm over worrying?

Before and after pics attached. Thanks mom!
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1429025909.806500.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1429025921.116682.jpg

 

[LandoLincoln]

It'll be fine. Buy some Fermcap-S. Easier to use than blowoff tubes.

 

[Ambleside]

Cheers, I'll look into fermcap.
Only thing I wish I coulda done was clean the stopper and actually sanitize the blowoff (was last used as a blowoff that never actually blew off anything but co2).

But I'm guessing that there will still be positive pressure, so I shouldn't worry too much about any bugs getting up the tube and into the beer?

My nickname in school was "wort" as in worry wort, sorry guys !

 

[PrinceOfThePoint]

It will be fine. You have nice parents.

 

[Homercidal]

A wise man once said, "Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew."

Of course, he was probably drunk when he said it, but I still think it's good advice.

 

[Nerosync]

I recently had a Mudslide Chocolate Milk Stout blow the lid off my primary and spray krausen and beer up the side of a dresser. I ended up quickly resealing the lid, switching it to a blow off tube like you did and setting two 30lb dumbells on the lid to help stop it from doing it again since it was very very active to say the least.

Mine is currently in the secondary and I am anxiously waiting to see the outcome as well. Hopefully the beer Gods will smile upon us and both will turn out fine. From everything I have read of others experiences and open fermentation practices, my mind has eased a bit, but the proof will be in the bottles in a couple weeks.

 

[brew_ny]

A wise man once said, "Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew."

Of course, he was probably drunk when he said it, but I still think it's good advice.

nothing wrong with that

 

[Harry482]

What temp are you fermenting at? Lowering your ferm temp will help slow things down!

 

[Ambleside]

Pitched at 67 and let free rise. It's using wyeast Trappist high gravity, so looking for the higher temp

 

[GrayHiker]

Bacteria don't crawl...they travel on air currents, dust, etc. Ie, they can't crawl up the tube and infect your beer. About the only way your beer could become infected from what your Mom did (btw, take her to dinner) is if there was bacteria on the part of the tube inserted into the stopper. I'd guess there's next to no possibility for your beer to become infected from that...she did wash the thing in soapy water, which of course isn't the same as sanitizing but next best thing.

I no longer use stoppers and air locks. My primary fermenter is a 10 gal ss stockpot, and I just put the loose-fitting cover on and let it rip...occasionally a vigorous fermentation will overflow slightly, but the only problem there is cleanup. I rack to a secondary after 4-5 days (6-1/2 gal carboy) which I cover with a piece of sanitized foil...by that time the fermentation has slowed sufficiently that there isn't any blowoff, and the foil protects the contents.

Ten or so batches doing it this way and no problems.