Blow off/up - when would it happen?

[andyv]

So I've got a primary going right now and it's really "energetic." If the airlock was going to blow off and send shit flying everywhere, when would it likely happen?

We pitched about 10g of Safale US-05 yeast Sunday at 3pm.
In this video, the first footage was this morning, about 18 hours after pitching, and then again 9 hours after that. If it hasn't already caused catastrophe, do you think I am safe?

http://vimeo.com/34813872

[mr x]

I did't watch the video on this phone, but you sound ok from the timeframe.

[andyv]

That's good to hear. It's a 5 gallon batch in a 6.5 gallon carboy. The airlock is chugging along mighty fine.
Thanks.

[RubberToe]

I think you're fine until the airlock gets jammed with krausen. You seem to have lots of headroom there though. For what it's worth I use a blow off tube after some close calls. I use the same plastic carboys as you now but I push the limit as to how much wort I fit in there.

[ratchet]

I've had that happen to me before... the krausen clogged the airlock, which then blew the airlock half-way across the room.

Now, I just use a piece of tubing jammed into the rubber stopper.

The other end of the tubing goes in a bottle half-filled with sanitized water... works great.

[Darkside Earl]

The other end of the tubing goes in a bottle half-filled with sanitized water... works great.

Hmm, how critical is it to sanitize the water in the bottle? Can bacteria or other things migrate against the fermentation gas flow?

I ask because I've had a similar configuration using just water in the bottle for the past couple of days.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

The other end of the tubing goes in a bottle half-filled with sanitized water... works great.

Hmm, how critical is it to sanitize the water in the bottle? Can bacteria or other things migrate against the fermentation gas flow?

I ask because I've had a similar configuration using just water in the bottle for the past couple of days.

the blowoff material exposed to the air and water will start growing some nasty stuff... i don't know if it will migrate back up the tube, but it's pretty gross to clean up.

[mr x]

Depeneding on how you deal with your carboy, you can suck crap back up that tube. For instance, once fermentation ends, if you let the carboy cool, you will create a vacuum. I know, lol...

[chalmers]

A friend of the Brewnosers just had a major disaster with a too-vigorous fermentation: a Wit with lots of herbs and spices in leaf form managed to clog the outlet of his (1/2") blow-off tube. The krausen had solidified there, so instead of popping the blow-off tube out, the entire glass carboy shattered. It sent shards of glass into the wall, and he was lucky to not have been there when it happened. It reached EVERYWHERE in the room (including the ceiling), and he ended up hiring a cleanup crew to deal with the mess, it was so horrible.

So... Keep an eye on these sorts of things, be sure the krausen hasn't dried and created a perfect cap on the carboy, and use the biggest blow-off tube possible. And yes, it's a good idea to use sanitizer in the other end of the blow-off tube.

[mr x]

Holy christ, what a blowout. That's the first time I've ever heard of that happening. But I can just imagine the force...

Sometimes, I'll use sanitized gear in such a way as to be able to harvest the krausen from the blowoff.

[andyv]

Thanks for the input folks!

The setup survived the night, and it looks like it has slowed down a bit.
I'll probably give it another 3 days or so.

[Darkside Earl]

That settles it - definitely putting sanitizer at the other end of the blow-off setup. Thanks for the input!