Ok so I am in a Microbiology class finishing up my 2nd to last semester. They (thoughtfully) decided to make beer in a lab since those wonderful yeasties are part of microbiology. Anyways, they make a batch from powdered extract (and tell their students how good it is because it has measured quantities of hops. yeah wtf), they have them in small glass carboys, no head room, in a lit room @ a good 70F (gonna have some serious skunk to it). Then, inevitablly, the airlocks are all full of junk the next lab. Actually one was so bad it was completly covered in it. Anyways, I ask if they are going to clean them off... and no they are not, in fact they said that was good to leave them like that and that all the junk was yeast. Now, I dont use a blowoff tube, but is the blow off yeast or krausen protein? I took a stand and said no, you DO need to clean them off to keep a good seal... promptly got shot down by miss fat lab instructor. I also said that all the crud was krausen (because there was no ring left in the carboy) that should have stayed in the bottle or get pushed all the way out in a sanitary method (ie. blowoff tube). Anyways the whole thing kind of pissed me off, but oh well. Who is right here? I'm didn't try to sound like a beer snob, but missy lab instructer certainly did (typical talking down to students because they are students). Well let me know. Thanks dudes, cheers!