Proper Blow-Off Tube?

Northern Brewer General
1

Hey everyone, new brewer here with a noob question. Just bottled my first batch of Dead Ringer last night and brewed the White House Honey Ale. My first gallon batch fermented fine with the airlock, but I checked if the baby was burping late last night and saw it creeping up to the airlock :shock: I quickly read online what to do and tried to fashion a blow-off tube but my supplied hose wouldn’t fit on the post within the airlock. So I fashioned this, just a second cap and the siphon hose into a growler with sanitizer. It was a very tight fit and I made sure to sanitize everything, just unsure if it is a proper blow-off system. Woke up this morning and it definitely blew out but not as much as I was expecting. If everything looks ok how long can I keep this system going? Should I throw the airlock back on since it looks like it has settled? Thanks in advance for any help guys!

2

You can keep it that way till the end of fermentation if you want (thats what I do) or you can pull it off and put the airlock back on if it has settled down (which it looks like it has) its up to you.

3

During active ferm you don’t have to worry about how snug your blow off tube is in the lid as th CO2 will be pushing any contaminants out. However, I would probably switch back to my airlock now if there are gaps. Probably not a big deal but I would rather be safe than sorry.

4

Thanks for the help guys, just replaced the blow-off with an airlock. :cheers:

5

I use the 3-piece airlocks. When i need to use a blowoff, I use the main airlock body (no lid or interior piece) and use a 1/2 ID tube over the post within the airlock. Works great.

6

chinaski 1272, That is method that I never thought of, but my most extreme blow off clogged the bottom of the airlock and blew out the bung. I use a 3/4" food grade hose that is snug in the neck of my 6.5 gallon primary and do my initial fermentation on the floor next to the drain.

7

Although I too use the bigger tube straight into the neck of the carboy, I have used the 3 piece airlock method.

One word of advice… make sure you break the little “x” out of the bottom of the airlock or it will clog and causer the above to happen!

8

I use this for every batch. I might trade the lid out for a standard airlock if I am brewing a new batch and need the blow off lid.

9

Leave it till the end. When you take the cap off the crude will fall into your beer. There’s no harm in leaving it till the end.

10

[quote=“Loopie Beer”]
One word of advice… make sure you break the little “x” out of the bottom of the airlock or it will clog and causer the above to happen![/quote]

I do this. Works great. Kind of amazing how much crap can be blown off through that little opening in the bottom of the airlock.