BeerBorg

For this batch I filled my 3G carboy pretty high and I knew I 'd need a blowoff based on limited headspace. I was working in my office today where I have the mini-fridge/fermentation chamber and I kept hearing what sounded like a motor that was far away. When the radio stopped for a moment I realized I was hearing the bubbles in the blowoff jar.

I realize now I didn't take a picture of the <lack of> headspace but if you turn on your speakers you will hear what I am talking about. I started the video outside of the unit and you can hear it if you listen carefully. Once the door opens, it's pretty clear - as is the bubble activity.



This would have been a mess if I had used an airlock

I'll swap it to an airlock in another 48hrs IF it slows down enough to do so.

Consider this a PSA for those who don't use blowoff tubes if you don't have enough headspace.

You mean like this?



That's why I do this now!

Exactly! And that second picture shows about how full my carboy is (mine is a bit higher, believe it or not).

I don't usually fill mine that high but I was so shocked that I hit my target gravity since I was a bit shy on LME that I wanted as much wort/beer as possible.

Honestly, I'm surprised that krausen hasn't started flowing through the tube like I normally get when I use a blowoff on less volume.

Much like bottle bombs, I think there are two kinds of brewers:
Those that have had a blowout and those that will.

BigPapaG wrote:You mean like this?

That my friend is awesome.

bigpapag.. that looks like the modified diablo ipa I made some time back. my first beer volcano... you never forget those.

zorak1066 wrote:bigpapag.. that looks like the modified diablo ipa I made some time back. my first beer volcano... you never forget those.

That's the truth!

Not the Diablo but still, a volcano none the less!

Kealia wrote:For this batch I filled my 3G carboy pretty high and I knew I 'd need a blowoff based on limited headspace. I was working in my office today where I have the mini-fridge/fermentation chamber and I kept hearing what sounded like a motor that was far away. When the radio stopped for a moment I realized I was hearing the bubbles in the blowoff jar.

I realize now I didn't take a picture of the <lack of> headspace but if you turn on your speakers you will hear what I am talking about. I started the video outside of the unit and you can hear it if you listen carefully. Once the door opens, it's pretty clear - as is the bubble activity.



This would have been a mess if I had used an airlock

I'll swap it to an airlock in another 48hrs IF it slows down enough to do so.

Consider this a PSA for those who don't use blowoff tubes if you don't have enough headspace.

Why bother to swap in an air lock?

Always use a blowoff!

Gymrat wrote: Why bother to swap in an air lock?

Mostly to avoid any potential suck-back. Eventually I will cold crash this and I don't want to pull any StarSan back into the beer.
It's a 30-second change so I don't mind.

24 hours later and this is holding strong at the same rate - didn't expect that. I figured it would have slowed down a bit by now but it's only day 4 so clearly it's just active. I guess US-05 likes Maris Otter.

Kealia wrote:

Gymrat wrote: Why bother to swap in an air lock?

Mostly to avoid any potential suck-back. Eventually I will cold crash this and I don't want to pull any StarSan back into the beer.
It's a 30-second change so I don't mind.

Isn't the risk of stuff falling back into the beer higher with an airlock? I know the liquid my blow off tube goes into is lower than the bottom of my fermenter. This makes the risk of siphoning extremely low. It has to defy gravity to do that. Even when you cold crash you should still have a blanket of C02 protecting your beer. I have often had water from my air lock get into my beer when I pull it off of the fermenter.

I've yet to have anything from the airlock get pulled back into the beer so I'm just sticking with what I know works. Maybe since I haven't had issues I wouldn't with the blowoff either but I'm a creature of habit, if nothing else.

For me the airlock thing always happens when I pull it out of the fermenter. The vacuum of doing that pulls the water into the beer.

Here we go again!

This is the NS pale ale churning away: