Is the Air lock safe?

[YeastFeast]

Hello,
I'm just over 24 hours into my fermentation. The air lock is now full of wort/beer and really active. Am I in danger of blowing the airlock off or would it have happened already. Do I need to hook up a blow off tube? This is my first 5 gallon batch so I'm not sure what to expect.
Thanks for your help!

Video:
http://youtu.be/czo-Jj7pt4c

 

[freisste]

Danger!

Blow off tube now!

 

[ScotBrew]

+1 for blow off tube. I use a blow off tube on all of my beers as standard.

 

[freisste]

Ok, just watched the video and I may have spoken too soon (although I would still change to a blow off). You have a LOT of headspace (not a bad thing, just an observation), so I am wondering how you got beer into the airlock. What temp are you fermenting at?

 

[Calder]

If you can rig up a blow-off tube do it.

Blow-off tube or not, pull the airlock and knock out the X in it.

If you don't have a blow-tube, at least take off the top pice of plastic and let it just rest on top. This may save you from a flying airlock and a stream of beer, or even worse, a cracked carboy. And wrap a towel around the neck of the carboy to soak up any beer that may ovrrflow.

Remove and clean the arlock frequently. Do't worry about anything getting in when you remove the airlock, as airflow is in one direction right now

 

[thadass]

This is what happens when you brew at -19F!! You've unleashed the Kraken!

 

[YeastFeast]

Ok, just watched the video and I may have spoken too soon (although I would still change to a blow off). You have a LOT of headspace (not a bad thing, just an observation), so I am wondering how you got beer into the airlock. What temp are you fermenting at?

I have the fermenter on my basement floor, just checked the temp and it's 63-64 degrees down there.

I just looked again and maybe it's not beer in the airlock...could the krausen have crept up into the airlock to discolor the water that was in there?

 

[YeastFeast]

Will try to rig a blow off with my siphon hose (don't know if it's the same size?).
Will know in a minute...

 

[YeastFeast]

If you can rig up a blow-off tube do it.

Blow-off tube or not, pull the airlock and knock out the X in it.

If you don't have a blow-tube, at least take off the top pice of plastic and let it just rest on top. This may save you from a flying airlock and a stream of beer, or even worse, a cracked carboy. And wrap a towel around the neck of the carboy to soak up any beer that may ovrrflow.

Remove and clean the arlock frequently. Do't worry about anything getting in when you remove the airlock, as airflow is in one direction right now

Just cleaned in inspected the airlock. Doesn't look like I have the parts to do a blow-off. Definitely looks like the krausen pushed up through every hole it could find to get out. Think I got real lucky that it didn't blow! Will be sure to have a blow-off rig for next time.

 

[YeastFeast]

This is what happens when you brew at -19F!! You've unleashed the Kraken!

Seems as though the Kraken has gone back under! Just a few hours later and a clean airlock and everything seems relatively calm compared to earlier? Strange??

new footage 2 hours after the first video above:
http://youtu.be/qP-walKEAAU

 

[evaug004]

Cut the tip off the bottom of the airlock and pull the cap of the airlock and run a tube to a bucket.

 

[petrolSpice]

From the vid it looks like it's done blowing off, as in the krausen has dropped and isn't trying to get out. Take the airlock off, clean it, refill, and put it back on.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Just cleaned in inspected the airlock. Doesn't look like I have the parts to do a blow-off. Definitely looks like the krausen pushed up through every hole it could find to get out. Think I got real lucky that it didn't blow! Will be sure to have a blow-off rig for next time.

Just for future reference. For a blowoff all I do is use the tubing that came with my auto siphon and insert one end into the drilled stopper/bucket lid grommet and stick the other end in a gallon jug quarter to half full of sanitizer. Works for me and doesn't require any equipment I didn't already have.

 

[fartinmartin]

It's been and gone, the first video shows that it had been up there and it's going down , not up! So there is no point now in a blow off tube. Second video confirms my comment. There's a lot of info in the foam if you look for it.

 

[YeastFeast]

Just for future reference. For a blowoff all I do is use the tubing that came with my auto siphon and insert one end into the drilled stopper/bucket lid grommet and stick the other end in a gallon jug quarter to half full of sanitizer. Works for me and doesn't require any equipment I didn't already have.

Sounds easy enough, have to go get myself, what I'm guessing, is an inexpensive lid grommet. Actually, I could just use the one from the airlock, should be the same size.

 

[YeastFeast]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all your comments. I learned a lot from this experience.