Airlock Blowout

[craigb12]

I just put down a wheat beer yesterday using a 1.7kg can of coopers wheat beer, a 1.5kg can of Coopers wheat Malt Extract, a little coriander seed, a little orange zest, and a spoonful of honey.

 

I woke up about 3am to the sound of beer spewing up and out through the airlock.

 

It's my first blowout - and my first two can brew - so i took the airlock out, cleaned it up, cleaned all around the hole in the lid, then put it all back together. I've had to do it twice more since then.

 

My Question: is this something that's more common with two can brewing? Also, does anyone have any tips/tricks for dealing with airlock blowouts?

 

I know that it's a good sign (healthy fermentation etc) but it's a real pain in the arse to clean every few hours.

[Muddy Waters]

I wouldn't really call it a two can (toucan) brew. That term refers to 2 cans of hopped malt.

 

I've made many beers similar to what you describe and never had a volcano from those ingredients. Was everything clean?

[Matty A]

You could have just used Glad Wrap [lol]. I normally just use less water when filling the fermenter if I know its going to be a volcano and then top it up with cooled boiled water afterwoulds.

[Muddy Waters]

Me too Matt - but I wouldn't have expected a volcano for the beer that Craig made.

[LeonardC2]

Or maybe use a length of food grade tubing into a bucket with a lil sanitizer in it. I've seen that one done,& gives room for blow outs.

[craigb12]

MUDDY:

Yeah, i think everything should have been clean; i left all of the equipment soaking in sanitizing solution overnight. Is infection a common cause of blowouts? Everything smells and looks ok so far, but ill keep an eye on it. Maybe it was just unbelievably healthy yeast, ha. And yeah, I wasn't too sure on the definition of two can (toucan) brewing.

 

How can you tell in advance if its going to be a volcano? Is it dependent on the ingredients?

 

LEONARD:

 

Yeah, I've seen that trick before. Think i first saw it from that Craig guy on youtube. Everything seems to have calmed down a bit now, but if its starts spewing out of the airlock again I'll have a go at the tube/bottle method.

 

[Muddy Waters]

In my experience it is generally the dark ales and stouts with a lot of fermentables (toucans especially [rightful] )that tend to fire up the most. As mentioned earlier, my preferred method is to reduce the volume by a few litres and then gently top it up with cooled boiled water after a couple of days when the krausen has died down. This way you keep all the good stuff in your beer rather than losing it through a blow off tube or airlock.

 

I wouldn't freak out about my "was everything clean" comment - I was just thinking out loud. If it smells, tastes and looks ok that is the important thing.

[PB2]

You might want to get rid of the airlock, we did [biggrin]

 

Have you read this FAQ, Craig?

[JohnS12]

Had the same thing with a wheat beer years ago, It was too hot and colded it down but still tasted bad. Maybe check your temps.

[craigb12]

Everything seems to have calmed down now... thankfully...

 

Im fermenting at about 25 degrees centigrade. Do you think that's a little high? Im in Scotland just now so i've got the opposite problem from you Australian lads; i need to fight to keep the temperature up.

 

Its 18 degrees in the room by day, and about 16 degrees at night. You reckon you could do a decent beer at these temperatures? Can you think of any that would be particularly good?

 

 

[Matty A]

Drop the temperature, I try to aim my Temperature around the 20C mark but I am sure it would continue to ferment at 18C. Although I am not sure about 16C that might pause the fermentation.