My Air Lock Is Spewing Out Foam And Heaps Of Gas!

[chefeffect]

Well this is wierd it has been goin on for 48hrs i started the brew on tuesday about 2 pm and it started spewing froth from the air lock about 24 hrs later. I used cooperd draught with brew enhancer 2 and 250gm coopers malt, i started the brew at 27deg C since it is cold here and it will drop down to about 22deg C by the time it has brewed. Whats goin on I have 2 kits going with the same results and the same ingredients...????

 

[new2brew]

Have a look at the post earlier regarding the 2 can stout and the 2 yeast packets. could be the same thing going on.

should brew ok. So long as it doesnt go on the carpet and get the missus edgey, I wouldnt worry too much

 

[reVoxAHB]

while i'm not able to comment on your ingredients, i would recommend you convert your airlock to a blowoff. simply take a meter or two (in length) of 5mm hose (or whatever size snugly fits into the gasket of your fermenter lid) and run it off to a catch jug with approx. 4cm of water and 1/2 cap of iodophor or bleach. immerse the catch end so it's well below the surface of the solution and change (catch jar/solution) regularly. this might mean changing every few hours for the first day.. then twice a day and so on. the trick is to "airlock" your brew while catching "what it doesn't need".

reVox

 

[chefeffect]

Ok i will give that a crack with the blow off hose it will help heaps sice i have been cleaning up crap off the top of the fermenter lid and changing my air lock heaps.

Just so i under stand the bleach part is that just to keep the blow off from coming putrid or getting an infection that could go back up the hose into the brew.

As for so far i have been cleaning up the mess and boiling water to re sterilize the air lock and then putting back the air lock back into the into the wort lid, im hoping that because of the gas coming out it will not of as yet sucked in any bacteria.

 

[Muggus]

Ah yes, this looks familiar. Happened to a couple of my smaller batch (15L) ales.
So long as nothing is going back in the fermenter, you should be alright. To be on the safe side, you might want to clean everything on the outside up first up, then either clean you, refill your airlock and put it back in, or, have another sterile airlock ready to replace the old one and do the old switcharoo.

But seriously, don't panic. Just clean everything up and avoid getting anything into your brew.

 

[Tony]

your brewing at 27 deg with 3 inches head spaci and wondering why its comming out the top.

OK....... time to throw you kit instruction paper out the window.

Mate you need to cool it down.

It will taste like fruit punch cordial.

firstly you shouldn't let your brew get over the 20 deg mark if you want a nice clean drinkable beer. It will take a week or 2 at 18 to 20 deg instaed of 24 hrs at 27 deg but it will taste like beer. Not off cordial.

We have all made the mistake and the instructions in the kits should be banned. :angry:

Pitch your yeast at 20 deg and keep at a constant temp of 18 to 20 and your beer will be much better.

It wont froth out the lid either

cheers

 

[chefeffect]

Yep Tony it makes for good reasoning when you put it that way!!! I have done all my other brews starting at 20 - 24deg and they have taken about 8 - 9 days but i did the wrong thing and thought.

I thought if i started it warmer in this cold (since my lady doesnt want the worts in the lounge next to the heater anymore) it would not drop below 16 deg in the spare room... but i think i will now get my thermostat going in a insulated box and keep the brew lower from now on..!!!

Just hope that since it has got down to 22deg in 48hrs that is will not taste like sh@t..! h34r:

 

[reVoxAHB]

Just so i under stand the bleach part is that just to keep the blow off from coming putrid or getting an infection that could go back up the hose into the brew.

Exactly.

And Tony hit the head on the nail. Kit instructs out the window and temp control is very much beneficial.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

View attachment 14489Well this is wierd it has been goin on for 48hrs i started the brew on tuesday about 2 pm and it started spewing froth from the air lock about 24 hrs later. I used cooperd draught with brew enhancer 2 and 250gm coopers malt, i started the brew at 27deg C since it is cold here and it will drop down to about 22deg C by the time it has brewed. Whats goin on I have 2 kits going with the same results and the same ingredients...????

Way to much heat.Fermentation will produce added heat.The process is exothermic. Start low and let your yeast produce the extra heat.The temp uncontrolled will rise by at least 5 C.Looks likes my first fermentations.Still get this on some of my heffes if I try to stuff to much in.Your not the first or the last so just dont do it again.Nice photo.

 

[pint of lager]

Those airlocks have been known to block up. Often the opening that goes into the fermenter gromet are quite small, then all you need is a bit of hop leaf and they are plugged.

Had a friend who came home, found the base bulged on his fermenter, pulled the airlock out and the pressure meant his ceiling was sprayed. He then had to go find a ladder so he could wash the ceiling. This was at 11pm at night. The joys of homebrewing.

Like the others said, get the right sized tube and fit a blowoff. A bucket with a bit of water and a dash of bleach works wonders. Even easier than a jug. Try and clean the lid up with paper towel dipped in the bleach/water. In theory none of that gunk gets back into the fermenter, but it does make a lovely feast for any bugs hanging around, and then when you are opening or closing the lid, the chances of some transferring does increase.

If your end room is about 16 deg, grab yourself some yeast that works at that range, for example some Saf-05. That way, you are working with your yeast rather than struggling to maintain a warmer or cooler spot.

Like the others have said, throw those kit instructions away. Any kit will be better for fermenting at 18-20 degrees.

 

[KGB]

I've done a Coopers Draught in a fermenter that looks identical to yours and had the same thing - its nothing to worry much about. I'd just wait til it starts to slow down a bit and then keep cleaning the airlock so no nasties can get back inside. If its coming out that vigorously nothing should be getting back in at the moment.

I also have a fermenter from a Coopers Microbrew Kit which is much wider, and therefore has much more surface area/headspace.
I haven't had it happen (yet) with another brew so I assume its partly the kit and partly the lack of headspace which caused it to froth over.

 

[sokodan]

while i'm not able to comment on your ingredients, i would recommend you convert your airlock to a blowoff. simply take a meter or two (in length) of 5mm hose (or whatever size snugly fits into the gasket of your fermenter lid) and run it off to a catch jug with approx. 4cm of water and 1/2 cap of iodophor or bleach. immerse the catch end so it's well below the surface of the solution and change (catch jar/solution) regularly. this might mean changing every few hours for the first day.. then twice a day and so on. the trick is to "airlock" your brew while catching "what it doesn't need".

reVoX
Hey Revox
Been thinking of doing a toucan dark and Stout which i have heard is ok , would this method work with this as i have heard you get a lot of mess with this toucan , and after it has settled down do you just stick a clean normal airlock back in after the first few days of fermentation ??

Cheers

Dan

 

[reVoxAHB]

Hey Revox
Been thinking of doing a toucan dark and Stout which i have heard is ok , would this method work with this as i have heard you get a lot of mess with this toucan , and after it has settled down do you just stick a clean normal airlock back in after the first few days of fermentation ??

Cheers

Dan

Yep. It will work fine and is definitely recommended. Just watch your catch-jar.. you'll probably have to change it over every few hours if really messy, as you say. And yeah, you can just chuck as standard sanitised airlock in place of the blow off hose after it's settled down and is no longer expelling junk.

Have fun,

reVox