Over Flowing Airlock

[macples]

Hi all,

This is my first post. Thanks for all your helpful hints which i have read for the last couple of months.

I have a problem(?) with my latest brew, it is a belgian ale kit by Brewferm, a chimay blue clone. I have it fermenting currently but am getting a brown liquid (Wort?) comming through the airlock. Is this a problem? should i remove and clean?

Also what is the best temp for belgian yeast to work as i find that it seems to bubble away at warmer temps but when the air con is on due to the warmer days it slows down.

Thanks again one and all

 

[beernography]

hi Macples,

It most likely is wort in your airlock, my latest brew has also developed what I call the super-krausen, a huge foaming mass which has bubbled over. This has happened in 2 prior brews without problems and I think it depends on the temp and how vigourous the yeast are.

I find the only problem it causes being the brown scum in the airlock, and still haven't found a way to get it out. I've tried soaking in warm water and detergent then spraying it through but no dice. Since then i just soak it in sanitiser, should kill any nasties and at least the scum isn't touching the beer.

In regards to your air conditioner, it will affect the ambient temperature of the room, and therefore how active your yeast are. They work faster in warmth but produce more by-products which can make your beer taste fruity. Ideally you should keep your brew lower than 20 degrees C for a kit/ale yeast, and less than 12 for a lager yeast.

I don't know exactly what yeast your kit comes with. hth

 

[petesbrew]

Welcome to the site, macples.
Couldn't help but post this pic. This was a toucan stout done with 2 kit yeasts. I brewed it around may 2006, with 18c average temperatures.
The action out of the airlock blew me away. I didn't worry about it, just let it brew, and it was one of my best beers to date.

Cleaning was another story. There were little flecks of stout right inside the airlock which took numerous soakings to remove!

 

[beernography]

Ew it looks like someone bogged on it.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Ew it looks like someone bogged on it.

Its coming, its coming. Pretty soon will come the response from a blowoff tube guy, followed closely by the "use cling wrap" guy.

:lol:

 

[pint of lager]

Cling wrap is useless for big krausen brews. Fit a blowoff tube.

Easiest way is to use the two part airlocks, use some tube that fits over the inner bit, run it into a jug.

The single s style airlocks have been known to block with lumps of krausen.

Clean everything up with some water with a dash of bleach in it.

To clean the s style airlocks, give them a soak with some PSR. That will remove the stuck on scum.

 

[peas_and_corn]

damn you fancy pants people with your airlocks, blowoff tubes, and "food grade fermenters", I use clingwrap all the time, every time!!










well, it needed to be said.

 

[pint of lager]

There are many cling wrap users out there. But when the krausen goes crazy and fills the headspace, your gladwrap is going to balloon, then ooze out the pinhole.

For big krausen brews, the blowoff tube stops the goo factor.

 

[macples]

Cheers for the feedback guys. And sorry for the late reply, have been having trouble posting but all sorted now.

I am not sure what yeast was supplied in the kit, but she has stopped bubbling now after 5 days. I will let it sit for another week before bottling.

Thanks Petesbrew, mine is nothing when compared to your pic

 

[petesbrew]

Cheers for the feedback guys. And sorry for the late reply, have been having trouble posting but all sorted now.

I am not sure what yeast was supplied in the kit, but she has stopped bubbling now after 5 days. I will let it sit for another week before bottling.

Thanks Petesbrew, mine is nothing when compared to your pic

Man I freaked out when I initially saw it. Took a video, bubbles every second, and the garage floor required a bit of a hard mop afterwards!
All the best with the chimay clone. Sounds great!