I had my first krausen blowout, it clogged my airlock and blew it off the carboy. I’m still pretty new to home brewing. It sat open maybe 8 hours at the most, do I have to worry about any possible contamination to my beer?
Nope. Your beer will be fine.
+1
I’m sure it will be just fine. Hopefully the cleanup wasn’t too bad.
Did you install a blowoff tube or just a clean airlock afterward? I’ve done the latter before only to have it fill up and need replaced again shortly thereafter.
How high was your OG and how full was the fermenter? (asking more for ‘how do I prevent this next time’)
Clean up wasn’t to bad, I did install a blow off tube. It’s a 6 gallon carboy with 5 gallons in it. The OG was 1.072. I checked it in the evening and fermentation was still mild and by morning it had blown the airlock off so I’m not sure how long the airlock was off.
I have done that a few times. Any beer over 8-9 percent will do that. I now hook a hose from the cork into a gallon jug filled half way with water. Best air lock around. Your beer will be fine I love that color
That mess could have been a lot worse, so that’s not terrible.
My generic rule of thumb (what works for my system at the moment) is to use the blowoff for anything above a 1.060.
You may also want to check out Fermcap S. LHBS or the usual online shops carry it and reviews seem positive. I don’t have a lot of experience with it myself (used once with a 1.090 beer and still had activity in the blowoff tube) but for ~$5 it seemed worth the investment.
Unrelated, but it looks like you’ve sealed your big mouth bubbles. Is that tape? I’ve heard that they can leak and assume that’s why? I’ve thought about adding one to the carboy lineup.
I will have to look into the Fermcap S.
I’m still learning a lot of lessons the hard way!!
Those are glass big mouth bubblers that have a push on lid, the lid springs right off and won’t stay sealed that’s why I taped them. It still uses the same push in bung in the middle like a traditional carboy. Other than that issue they are awesome for cleaning and doing additions like fruit.
Has anyone else had issues with those lids?
I hadn’t seen this review until just now:
Personally, I think blowout is a sign of higher than optimum fermentation temps. Also, you definitely want to ferment a Scottish at lower temp. 1728 works in the mid 50’s… Is Fermometer reading near 70F?
Did OP mention the yeast strain in another thread?
No; I was just throwing that out there as an example and should have indicated such (IE).
Now that makes sense. Otherwise I do agree that proper temperatures can help keep things in check.
Where I have those fermentors it is 64F and stays very consistent. The thermometer strips usually read 62-64F.
Good temps. Was wort this temp at pitching?
Not sure if you are fan on the Scots styles but I have the style book and there are 3 big takeaways: caramelize wort, authentic yeast, and cool ferment (50’s) but still worth the read if you like the style.
The wort was about 75F when I pitched the yeast.
I do have a root cellar in my house that is a pretty consistent 50F during fall winter and spring and about 55F during summer months.
I am a big fan Scottish style ales, this is the first one I am attempting to make. Which book are you referring to? I might have to buy a copy.
That’s it. Let the wort acclimate and come down. It’s ok if it’s even an overnight rest, I do it all the time in summer. You might be surprised how much this helps your beer. Smoother/less rough.
That cellar is perfect for Scots and lagers even!
http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Ale-Classic-Beer-Style/dp/0937381357 For $8 is a no brainer.