urgent ? - makeshift blowoff tube

[cincybrewer]

So I just finished brewing a pumpkin ale and I ended with more beer in my fermenter than I had planned. I typically only use airlocks and I was a little worried that the fermentation may blow that up. I'm attempting to rig up a blow off but the only tubing I have is actually smaller than the diameter of the airlock. It fits snug inside the airlock but I wasn't sure if having the blowoff tube go on the inside of the airlock rather than the outside makes a big difference. I'd rather not have a huge mess on my hands in the morning. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[passedpawn]

When you say inside the airlock, do you mean the stopper?

Just go with it - tubing in whatever. Put a towel over it so if it blows it doesn't hit the ceiling. And for god's sake, and I mean this sincerely, take pictures if she blows.

 

[lumpher]

it should be ok, as it's providing a straight line out to the tub. don't quote me, though...

 

[cincybrewer]

When you say inside the airlock, do you mean the stopper?

Just go with it - tubing in whatever. Put a towel over it so if it blows it doesn't hit the ceiling. And for god's sake, and I mean this sincerely, take pictures if she blows.

No, not actually in the stopper. I have the airlock in the stopper, than I have the blow off tube connecting to the airlock (this is a 3 piece airlock if that helps). It connects to the inside part of the airlock that the co2 comes out of. Perhaps this is what you are supposed to do, but I just assumed that you put a piece of tubing over the airlock tube. Sorry...I know I'm not explaining this too well.

 

[Pascal]

If your tube fits snug in the bung then it should be good. (I am assuming that when you say it fits snug inside the airlock, you actually mean the bung, right?) Just make sure its sanitized and put the other end in a 2l pop bottle submerged in water. The friction of the seal with the bung should be fine and not blow out or anything like that as long as the gas is venting through liquid and not building up. Just make sure the hose is secured so it doesn't escape the liquid in the 2l bottle, leaving your pumpkin ale exposed.

 

[Pascal]

sorry, two posts up while distracted so a bit behind. Is your tube fitting over the outside of the inside of the airlock (the tube the co2 escapes from), or the inside of that tube? If it's fitting on the outside of the inner tube then it should be a great fit. No?

 

[cincybrewer]

sorry, two posts up while distracted so a bit behind. Is your tube fitting over the outside of the inside of the airlock (the tube the co2 escapes from), or the inside of that tube? If it's fitting on the outside of the inner tube then it should be a great fit. No?

It's fitting on the inside of that tube. And the tube is running to a growler filled 1/2 way up with sanitizer. Is using a glass growler a bad idea?

 

[jpinetti]

I just had same situation and put 1/2" tubing onto that inside plastic tube inside the airlock. Ran that into a quart mason jar and it worked great.

 

[Hobnob]

I've done that airlock/blow-off setup for two batches now -- one was a Belgian. No problems and worked great.

 

[Diver165]

I've done the same thing. I fit the blow off tube over the inner stem of my airlock. It's the part that sticks up and you put the little plastic dome over it that everyone loves to watch move up and down. Anyway. The tubing I have slips right over that stem. It works great! I got tired of the blow of flooding my airlocks....or hitting the ceiling in some freakish beer-cano eruption.

 

[bigbeergeek]

I run 1/2" tubing out of the middle "post" of my three piece airlock (discarding the two smaller pieces) and run it into a gallon milk jug with diluted bleach solution.

 

[passedpawn]

OK, you have a 3-piece airlock and the tubing is over the inner tube of the airlock. I've done that many times and it works well. The one thing, though, you really should do then is snap off the plastic "X" at the very bottom of the airlock. Remove the airlock and turn it over and you'll see there are crossing plastic ribs that cover the hole. Just take a pair of plyers and snap that off. It might get clogged and force the airlock out if you have a big blowoff.

Check out the carboy in the back right corner... is that how you have your blowoff attached?

 

[cincybrewer]

Well I checked this morning and the blowoff was bubbling away although the krausen didn't appear to be rising too much yet. It's been a PITA to get the temps down.

1/2" tubing sounds like what I need. I'll have to pick up some of that in the future. All I have is the thinner diameter so I can't put it over the airlock.

@passedpawn - my blowoff looks similar to that except (1) mine is on a bucket and (2) it looks like your tube goes on the outside of the airlock stem - I have mine going on the inside.

Thanks to everyone for the help. We'll see when I get home from work if the blowoff was a success.