Blow-off Tube Rite of Passage

[Zephyr259]

Yeah, 3 brews in with the new fermenter and blow-off tube and I've done the inevitable. Cold crashed the beer and it's sucked in all the starsan from the blow-off jar, probably 400 ml or so in 15.5l, I've read about this happened a lot and the starsan itself is safe so I'll probably bottle it and see how it goes.

Works out to about 15ml (a tablespoon) of sanitiser in a pint, unfortunately I think I used an older bottle of sanitiser and it had been sitting in the fridge for a week during the primary fermentation and now the beer's been open to atmosphere (inside a closed fridge) for a week.

I'm blaming the last minute work trip so I got my wife to check FG and cold crash while I was away, didn't occur to her at the time and I totally forgot since I wasn't there, only just twigged this morning and she's confirmed that it's happened.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I cannot answer the question but could i ask why you use so much liquid in the blow off tube bottle i only just cover the end of the tube and haven't had any problems (i also only use water)

 

[Zephyr259]

I cannot answer the question but could i ask why you use so much liquid in the blow off tube bottle i only just cover the end of the tube and haven't had any problems (i also only use water)

Cause I'm currently using a kilner jar as that was what i had to hand when I suddenly remembered I was using a blow-off tube not an airlock, I could probably get away with 200 ml and have the tube covered, will probably start using water in a bottle from now on. So in short, cause I'm daft and hadn't overly thought about it. :-)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Deleted as edited after your like (see below)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

So in short, cause I'm daft and hadn't overly thought about it. :-)

I use an old vinegar bottle and a little water (see below) if the bottle starts to get a bit full i pour the over-spill out give the bottle a quick rinse and put the tube back in. :thumba:

Blu-Tack on the top to keep the tube in place and the bugs out.

 

[Zephyr259]

I was wondering what the putty stuff was

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I tried a few different things when i first made one Blu Tack is perfect for the job.

 

[GerritT]

If you need a blow-off tube, you haven't got enough headspace. Thus spoke an old brewer to me.

I sipped a no-rinse sanitiser once, no particular taste but the mouthfeel was a bit.. fatty.

 

[Zephyr259]

If you need a blow-off tube, you haven't got enough headspace. Thus spoke an old brewer to me.

I sipped a no-rinse sanitiser once, no particular taste but the mouthfeel was a bit.. fatty.

I guess that quote is true enough, but I actually have about 16L headspace as I have a 31L fermenter and a 15L batch, it's a stainless conical and it's set up to take a blow-off tube rather than an airlock.

 

[SheffieldBrew]

I'm afraid I can't answer your question but I did put a thing together a while back to prevent this sort of thing and introducing oxygen to the fermenter while cold crashing.

I got 2 1 litre Tupperware containers and drilled 2 holes in each of the lids and put grommets that fit 3/8 tube.

The blowoff from the fermenter goes into the first container and goes just through the lid, this is almost filled with StarSan (boiled water would work too). There is then a tube into the other hole that runs from the bottom of the StarSan filled Tupperware to the bottom of the empty Tupperware and then there is essentially another blowoff from the second pot (sorry about the MS Paint skills).

This means that as the CO2 is created during fermentation it moves the StarSan from pot 1 to pot 2 while filling pot 1. When you cold crash you suck up the CO2 you created during fermentation but as you're sucking the shorter tube you can't accidentally get the StarSan. There might be some maths to do on the volume of CO2 that will be stored under what pressure in pot 1 and how much those grommets will put up with bu the concept is holding at the moment.

There's every chance that this is something well known that I've reinvented or that there's a fundemental flaw in my plans that I've not seen so I won't take offence if people want to call me out on things.

R

 

[MrRock]

There's every chance that this is something well known that I've reinvented

I saw something very similar mentioned in this article, the NorCal Brewing Solutions CO2 harvester:
http://brulosophy.com/2018/05/10/7-methods-for-reducing-cold-side-oxidation-when-brewing-beer/

 

[Ghillie]

Never found the need for a blow off tube. If you have the correct sized fermenter (or correct amount of wort) then a blowoff tube is unnecessary. Then the suck back issue is moot as an S type lock will suffice for all purposes.

 

[SheffieldBrew]

I saw something very similar mentioned in this article, the NorCal Brewing Solutions CO2 harvester:
http://brulosophy.com/2018/05/10/7-methods-for-reducing-cold-side-oxidation-when-brewing-beer/

There you go, I defintely spent under $50 on my one but at least the theory works

 

[Zephyr259]

That's cool, I have seen a similar design also.

 

[BeerCat]

Cant say i have. I put a balloon on my airlocks now near the end of fermentation.

 

[Cwrw666]

Never found the need for a blow off tube. If you have the correct sized fermenter (or correct amount of wort) then a blowoff tube is unnecessary. Then the suck back issue is moot as an S type lock will suffice for all purposes.

Can't even see the need for an airlock. Only time I've ever had trouble was with a stout that got up to 30-ish and blew the lid off the FV. My fault, bit of a mess but not too bad, and oh yes, the beer was fine though perhaps it shouldn't have been.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Never found the need for a blow off tube. If you have the correct sized fermenter (or correct amount of wort) then a blowoff tube is unnecessary. Then the suck back issue is moot as an S type lock will suffice for all purposes.

This is 22.5 litres in a 23 litre FV there is 3 inches of head space above the 23 litre mark i have made this kit several times and some don't blow through while others do.

 

[MmmBeer]

Never had a blowoff suckback (fnarr fnarr), but I did fill an FV, only to notice an oily film on the top of the wort and realised that I hadn't tipped out the Starsan that I had sprayed the FV with. The beer tasted alright though.

 

[foxbat]

This is 22.5 litres in a 23 litre FV there is 3 inches of head space above the 23 litre mark i have made this kit several times and some don't blow through while others do.

Wow Chippy I didn't know you gone all 'craft' with your brewing: that's a nice looking strawberry milkshake lactose berry NEIPA you've got bubbling there!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Wow Chippy I didn't know you gone all 'craft' with your brewing

I haven't its this http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=33697



.