wort overreacting

[jersey0770]

I started a new kit yesterday (red ale) my primary is a bucket with a lid and hole for the bung.
Today the beer is reacting so much it is overflowing.
I'm wondering did I do something wrong.
I'm afraid I may contaminate the mix trying to clean it up.
Has anyone had this occur and what if anything should I do.

 

[Revvy]

It happens to all of us at one time or another...no worries. Just clean it and sanitize the area and the airlock.

(having a spray bottle of sanitizer handy is a good thing for situations like this.)

And maybe rig up a blowoff tube.

 

[Fingers]

It happens all the time. The usual solution is to rig a blow off tube. Essentially you just run a tube from the lid to a bucket of water to catch the excess. What you've got is a vigorous fermentation. Not a problem at all.

Go ahead and clean it up without removing the lid. The top of the beer will be covered with CO2 so it should stay fairly safe.

 

[noremorse1]

What temperature was your wort when you pitched the yeast?

 

[jersey0770]

I have no idea the temperature. If the instructions didn't say take temperature now I didn't.

 

[akamatt]

I have no idea the temperature. If the instructions didn't say take temperature now I didn't.

You NEED to know the temp when you pitch the yeast.
I assume you cooled the wort? Otherwise the yeast wouldnt have made it. sounds like your beer will be fine. Just as long as you do what Revvy said. Also sesrch " coolling wort" in the search feature.

 

[SoyElBrewer]

The same thing happened to me within the first 12 hours of my first batch. I rigged a blowoff tube and it worked out just fine.