Recent PITA, fermentation blow outs Options

[MrKyle]

So, the last 3 or 4 beers I have put in my primary have blown krausen up and out of the bubbler. I have a 6 gallon carboy, fill it just over 5 gallons and have used either 1506 or 1028 without a starter. Just a single smack pack after violently shaking the carboy to oxygenate. Does this just mean I'm pitching at too high of a temperature? I always make sure the beer is down to at least 72F. I'm worried about this because it makes a huge sticky mess that I'm sure attracts everything I don't want in the beer and it's even clogged the bubbler a few times so I've had to sanitize another one and do a quick swap, which I hate seeing the fermenter open at that point even if just for the quick bubbler swap.. these aren't big beers either. I've have a pumpkin ale pale ale and two porters with OGs at or below 1.060.

any suggestions?

[bigeasy]

Your pitching temp is a little high.If you're pitching at 72,your internal temp in the carboy is prob 76-77 during peak fermentation,a little outside normal ale range.

Get yourself a piece of 1" (if I remember right) tubing that will fit tightly in the neck of your carboy,run into a vessel filled with sanitizer on the floor.Commonly called a blowoff tube.I'm sure there are tons of pic examples a search would bring up.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Here are my thoughts on your observation and situation with your recent fermentations. I have used Wyeast 1056 many times this year and each time is has made a fine beer. I have not used Wyeast 1028 but thats ok as well. You are concerned with your violent fermentations. I have had a few with 1056 this year and a few other yeasts as well Wyeast 1007 and 3068 and 3056. You fermenter headspace sounds fine to me and your gravity I don't believe has any relation to how violent your fermentation will proceed at. My suggestion to you is to consider getting something called fermcap or a similar product at your LHBS and try that out. I have not used it but my understanding is that it is added during your yeast pitch to hold the krausen down so that you don't get a clogged airlock or any sort of blowouts. In addition I am not sure that you can predict the violence in your fermentation unless the manufacture says in the description about that too. I have also noticed that if you brew all grain that it tends to allow for more violent ferments as compared to extract too. I would not suggest anything more to you other than trying this product perhaps. Maybe someone else has other insight but that is what I say. Link attached so you get an idea what I mean with Fermcap-S.

Happy Brewing

Mike

Fermcap S

I also forgot but yes see the posting above in regards to your temperature I do think that below 70 degrees unless you are brewing a Belgian is your best bet too.

This post has been edited by ncbeerbrewer: Nov 22 2008, 09:08 AM

[cbbrown40]

If you are using the three piece type of airlock then take out the center piece that floats and the lid. Put a piece of tubing over the stem that the float piece was resting on and you have a good blow off tube. Stick that tube in a bottle of starsan solution and you are good to go. I personally keep my fermentation temps atound 65 to 68 degrees also

[stevehaun]

All the above suggestions are good ones. However, I think the primary culprit for your problem is a fermentation temperature that is way too high. You are clearly not over pitching and you have about a gallon of headspace. I would move your fermenter to a cooler place or even better, ferment in a temperature-controlled fashion, i.e. fridge or freezer with a temp controller. Your blow off problem will disappear and your beer will taste much better (unless you are trying to brew a belgian). Like cbbrown40, I ferment my ales in the 64-68 F range.

[dondeez]

If you are using the three piece type of airlock then take out the center piece that floats and the lid. Put a piece of tubing over the stem that the float piece was resting on and you have a good blow off tube. Stick that tube in a bottle of starsan solution and you are good to go. I personally keep my fermentation temps atound 65 to 68 degrees also

I would go with the 1" tube method rather than this. I used the airlock/blowoff tube a few times and every once in awhile the tube would clog. My last batch was an imperial stout and the airlock got clogged with some hops. After a really violent fermentation began I woke up to my glass carboy exploding. Luckily I had the carboy in a larger bucket of water to help keep the fermentation temp down.

[MrKyle]

I had a really good feeling it was the temperature, it makes sense now that the internal temp would most likely be higher than the outside. I tried a blowoff tube in the past for a strawberry blonde assuming it would get crazy and didn't like it at all (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/dry.gif) It was ridiculous to eventually clean out! I think then I'm just going to stay on the safe side and knock down my fermentation temps 4-6 degrees and see if that calms things down.

Thanks!

[Bytor]

In a pinch, you can fashion a blow off system by wedging one end of your sanitized (of course) siphon hose into the hole of a #10 stopper (the hole where your airlock would normally go). Then put the other end of the hose in a bucket filled with sanitizer.
Works like a charm.

[HanSolo]

Your pitching temp is a little high.If you're pitching at 72,your internal temp in the carboy is prob 76-77 during peak fermentation,a little outside normal ale range.

Get yourself a piece of 1" (if I remember right) tubing that will fit tightly in the neck of your carboy,run into a vessel filled with sanitizer on the floor.Commonly called a blowoff tube.I'm sure there are tons of pic examples a search would bring up.

I agree with the temp statement. when my friend and me ferment our pumpkin ale, we make sure it stays at 64 to 68 and let it ferment for 2 to 4 weeks. We did it at 70 before for 14 days and the taste is a little harsher. I'm not saying yours will but I would definitely try to keep it under 70.