Sniffing The Airlock And The Deep Freeze

[BrissyBrew]

Just a quick note, and a word of warning,I had a few beers and thought I would pop open the chest freezer and have a smell of the air lock of a hefe I have going nuts at present. I also have an ale in the same chest freezer. I must admit I stuck my head in too far and I think the C02 had built up, one deep sniff and I was really light headed. Not too sure am over reacting but I think I just tried to snuff myself out by sniffing the airlock and jamming my head in the bottom of a cheast freezer that had two brews going full blast pumping out c02.

 

[bugwan]

This is a fair warning BrissyBrew, although another danger comes from leaking gas bottles (CO2) in chest freezers. The likelihood that you would stick your head in far enough to become overwhelmed are slight, but it's certainly a risk, as the heavier gas has no-where to go.

It's been the end of many a publican in their cellars...

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

As a smoker, I always have a handy C02 detector in my pocket...a lighter

Hold it down in the freezer...if it works as per normal all should be ok...if it doesn't light easily or doesn't burn normally you may have a leak.

Yours truly,
Professor B :lol:

 

[Coodgee]

I had 3 fermenterings pumping out CO2 overtime last week in my chest freezer. don't get your head too low!!! They say CO2 is odourless but it burns the shit of your nose if you take a deep breath. It worked well as a party trick on a friend of mine.

edit: and no chance it was a leaking co2 bottle. there was no co2 in the freezer. 3 fermenters working at 19 degrees is enough, trust me!

 

[Doc]

My fermentation chest freezer holds eight fermenters, and if I've brewed a few batches is close succession, I can easily forget and get the full lung full of CO2. Great smelling CO2 though

Doc

 

[Coodgee]

do you agree that it burns/tingles/aggitates like buggary doc? It really is quite full on. dunno how they can call it the silent killer. it presents itself rather loudly to me.

 

[Doc]

A bit of burn, and a definite tingle. Unconcious reaction is to retract quickly.
Burn goes away pretty quick and you are left with the awesome fermentation aroma.

Doc

 

[poppa joe]

CO2 Replaces oxygen....
AND YOU CANT LIVE ON CO2....
PJ

 

[peas_and_corn]

I've had that with my chest fermentation fridge. Smells kinda... bad. I had to clean the thing because there was a lot of beer that had leaked out of fermenters (tap not tight on one fermenter, grr) and had become sorta... mouldy. So... difficult to clean I must say! But, I still like my fermentation fridge... even though it is full of CO2

 

[Adamt]

CO2 doesn't sting, H2CO3 does though (Carbonic acid).

Sniffing CO2 doesn't burn, however sniffing the wet air from the freezer mixed with CO2 makes carbonic acid which gives the sting, just like coca-cola nasal-burps! Sniffing an airlock in a humid atmosphere will do the same.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

CO2 doesn't sting, H2CO3 does though (Carbonic acid).

Sniffing CO2 doesn't burn, however sniffing the wet air from the freezer mixed with CO2 makes carbonic acid which gives the sting, just like coca-cola nasal-burps! Sniffing an airlock in a humid atmosphere will do the same.

Professor B hereby gives up the crown title to Professor T

PZ.

 

[Ken Man Do]

A carboy of 1.060 brew will put out about 500 liters of CO2. Three batches at once will most likely overfill your fermenting chamber many times over! Fall in and it's lights out.
Not to be a scaremonger, but it does seem like a real possibility with a chest freezer fermenter, though it may be slight.

 

[Uncle Fester]

BrizzyBrew,
Maybe your next brewing accessory could be a caged canary? h34r:

Festa.

 

[Steve]

Crikey - this is pretty scary...sometimes ive had 4 fermenters going in my laundry with no windows and closed door! Next time i'll push the cat in first and wait 5 mins :lol:
Cheers
Steve

 

[Justin]

I've had the nose burn and light headedness before in a chest freezer. Won't be in a hurry to repeat it, it was pretty unpleasant and of course a little risky.

You'd be unlucky to get caught but the possibility certainly exists.

FWIW Steve, I'd love it if the curiosity of our cat got it in a CO2 filled chest freezer. Oh what a tragedy.

Dead Cat Celebration Ale? The F%6ked Cat Ale? Pussy No More IPA? I coudl come up with plenty of joyous names for that beer :lol:

 

[warrenlw63]

Yep, the old lungfull of CO2 is not good. Has happened to me when pulling the lids off empty kegs to have a bit of a whiff. It's like your breathing wants to stop immediately. :blink:

Equalled only by sniffing sodium met. :excl: Please don't do this either (yep I was stupid enough once). You'd feel better dead.

Warren -

 

[devo]

I recently made the mistake of sticking my nose in and taking a whiff of a recently burped keg. Lets jsut say I won't be doing that again.