Brewed up a batch of my Fat tire style amber ale on Sunday. Came home today and found my airlock on my plastic bucket fermenter full of krausen, still bubbling away. Never had this happen before(must have done something right). So i took my siphon tube that I use to rack my beer stuck that in the rubber grommet, led that into a container(rubbermaid) of sanitized water with a taped on cover. there is a slight gap cos of the tube entering the container. Is this an acceptable use of a blow off tube?
Vigorous Fermentation
- Thread starter dmashl
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justenoughforme
Well-Known Member
yes but fair warning ...
... that tube is going to get full of debris, and will be no good for racking now : )
i have clean and dirty hoses and try to never use a clean hose for a dirty job.
... that tube is going to get full of debris, and will be no good for racking now : )
i have clean and dirty hoses and try to never use a clean hose for a dirty job.
^^^ yeah
If you have your airlock sitting around, take it to the hardware store and find the size of tubing that fits snugly over the center stem. This way you can remove the inner and outer covers, with the airlock in place, and attach the blowoff tube.
Also, on the bottom of the ailock stem is a criss-cross of plastic. File, snip, or otherwise remove this obstruction. When you're dealing with high kraeusen and blowoff tubes, you want it as free-flowing as possible.
Finally, you're not a homebrewer until you've had to mop the ceiling!
Cheers,
If you have your airlock sitting around, take it to the hardware store and find the size of tubing that fits snugly over the center stem. This way you can remove the inner and outer covers, with the airlock in place, and attach the blowoff tube.
Also, on the bottom of the ailock stem is a criss-cross of plastic. File, snip, or otherwise remove this obstruction. When you're dealing with high kraeusen and blowoff tubes, you want it as free-flowing as possible.
Finally, you're not a homebrewer until you've had to mop the ceiling!
Cheers,
justenoughforme
Well-Known Member
philipCT
Brewniversity student
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Just one more thing - since you're now doing something right 
doubtless you'll soon have an even more vigorous fermentation. That siphon tube is probably 3/16" or so, right? Too small. Get a larger diameter hose. I use a half inch for my conicals - but they have major headspace - and 1" for my six gallon carboys.
Also, no need to cap the bucket of star-san the blowoff tube is going into. The liquid provides the airlock and (hopefully) does not travel back up into the beer.
...and finally - for that really spectacular blow-off (maybe from a high gravity stout or a well aerated wort pitched with a big starter) use a two quart bucket (or larger) half filled with star-san.
Congratulations!
doubtless you'll soon have an even more vigorous fermentation. That siphon tube is probably 3/16" or so, right? Too small. Get a larger diameter hose. I use a half inch for my conicals - but they have major headspace - and 1" for my six gallon carboys. Also, no need to cap the bucket of star-san the blowoff tube is going into. The liquid provides the airlock and (hopefully) does not travel back up into the beer.
...and finally - for that really spectacular blow-off (maybe from a high gravity stout or a well aerated wort pitched with a big starter) use a two quart bucket (or larger) half filled with star-san.
Congratulations!
dmashl
Well-Known Member
well , the cover of the bucket never blew off. I have replaced the blowoff with my airlock after seeing the krausen wasn't coming out anymore. I must have created the perfect situation for this reaction, never had this happen before. Thanx for the replies and suggestions.
