Uh Oh....what do I do?

[FutureBrewer21]

My first AG, used BIAB. It's a Belgian Tripel and I'm super excited about this beer. I had an oh crap this morning...Beer coming through airlock (sanitized water). What do I need to do? It's going to have to sit this way until I get off work today. Just swap out the airlock? Not sure I can make a blow-off.

Any help appreicated.

 

[aiptasia]

Blow off tube, or a few drops of Fermcap-s. If you have a tub or something you can set the fermenter bucket into, that'd help. Blowoffs are nasty in that they'll spray malt sugar wort all over everything.

Fermcap is a food safe anti-foaming agent popular amongst experienced brewers. It can prevent hot break boil overs and fermentation blow offs. It safely falls out of solution into your trub. It's odorless and flavorless, and since i've been using it, i've had no need for blowoff tubes. Add 1 drop per gallon during the boil to eliminate hot break protein boil overs and 2 drops per gallon to prevent fermentation blow offs. It will hold your krausen to a maximum of about 1" during fermentation.

Check with your LHBS.

 

[flars]

Pile a bunch of paper towels around the air lock. Install a blow off tube when you are back from work.

 

[Gduck]

If you don't have the hose for making a blow off tube and can't readily get one then sanitize another airlock (I put mine in a little cup of sanitizer and bring it with me to the fermenter), very slowly and carefully remove the airlock that's there (there will likely be some spray when it comes out, don't worry, that pressure is keeping all the bad stuff away) and then slowly slide your newly sanitized airlock in to place. Then keep an eye on the new one as I've had one of these fill up a couple times, you might need to repeat the procedure once or twice more if you have a really active fermentation.

Once all is settled go get some hose so you can have a blow off tube ready for the next batch of beer that gets a little too excited!

 

[FutureBrewer21]

Excellent info, thanks everyone. Sounds like I should be ok.

 

[sicklesr]

You'll be fine, unless the kraussen in your airlock dries solid, and the lid becomes the next item to fail!


Just keep an eye on it, and either build a blowoff tube, or continue to swap airlocks when they're filled with kraussen!