Overflow rig advice requested

[reno316]

Esteemed colleagues, honored brewers, sagacious readers, and everyone else, too:

I've got a 5 gal carboy that I use for my primary fermentation vessel. Last batch blew out the top, overflowed onto the floor (basement cement floor, which is the ONLY reason the Missus hasn't put the brakes on my brewing), and I lost a good gallon of beer.

Spoke to the brewing supply store dude, and he said "You need an overflow valve setup, or you need to brew less than 5 gallons, or you need a 6.5 gallon carboy to brew 5 gallons."

1. Buying ANOTHER carboy is out of the question at the moment (my Director of Family Finance denied my Request for Capital to Obtain Equipment, form 1099-J/5... in triplicate, of course.)

2. I don't want to brew 4 gallon batches... I prefer to maximize the amount of beer from any given batch.

3. I don't have a CLUE how to make an overflow valve. I presume that I take a hose from my carboy into an elevated pot of water? But how, specifically? I have an extra racking cane, a rubber stopper that I use with my airlock that seals the carboy, a couple feet of rubber tubing, and I'm good at following instructions (see Item 1 above.)

Ideas?

Thanks, again,

 

[amandabab]

stick a 1" id hose in the carboy and have the other end in a buck of sanitizer lower than the carboy(put the carboy on a milk crate).


a 6-6.5 gallon carboy is ideal though.

 

[reno316]

Can I do the following?

* Rubber stopper in carboy top.
* Racking cane in rubber stopper, an inch or so ABOVE the level of wort.
* 5/8-inch tubing (the only size I have) from racking cane to bucket of sanitizer lower than carboy.

There is, currently, no 1-inch hose at Chateau Jeff.

Thanks,

 

[amandabab]

it might work, but a rubber stopper with a hole is really no different than a airlock. if one clogs the other one will too.

1" clear hose at any hardware store $1-$2 a foot.

 

[bleme]

5 gallons of wort in a 5 gallon carboy will overflow every single time. Even with a blowoff tube you are going to loose beer. It is just going to go in your blowoff bucket instead of onto the floor.

I would check with the Director of Finance and see how she feels about a 7 gal bucket. Not nearly as cool looking as a carboy, but $15 compared to $40.

 

[reno316]

5 gallons of wort in a 5 gallon carboy will overflow every single time. Even with a blowoff tube you are going to loose beer. It is just going to go in your blowoff bucket instead of onto the floor.

I would check with the Director of Finance and see how she feels about a 7 gal bucket. Not nearly as cool looking as a carboy, but $15 compared to $40.

I shall inform the Director of Finance that a non-partisan, neutral, Third-Party Auditor has made the suggestion.

)

 

[bleme]

I shall inform the Director of Finance that a non-partisan, neutral, Third-Party Auditor has made the suggestion.

)

Lol! I don't think you are going to find any non-partisan parties on this board. We all love our brewing! :mug

 

[phoenixs4r]

I accidentally cracked one of my 3 piece air locks. I hooked a piece of hose to it and it now serves as my blow off. I ferment 6 gallons I'm both 6 and 6.5 gallon car boys with no issues. Some of the 3 piece air locks have a small x inlet that needs to be cut off but other then that its fine. Never had a blow out using it that way.

Perk of this is I keep a small tupperware filled with star san and a 3 piece air lock, once high krausen has past, pull the blow off valve and put on the airlock.

 

[phoenixs4r]

I don't get everyone's fight with their significant other about costs. After initial investment of equipment, a normal extract batch nets you $1/beer. Sierra Nevada isn't that cheap even when you purchase it in a 24 pack after tax/crv

 

[reno316]

Lol! I don't think you are going to find any non-partisan parties on this board. We all love our brewing! :mug

I know that. You know that. SHE doesn't need to know that.

 

[veritas524]

I accidentally cracked one of my 3 piece air locks. I hooked a piece of hose to it and it now serves as my blow off. I ferment 6 gallons I'm both 6 and 6.5 gallon car boys with no issues. Some of the 3 piece air locks have a small x inlet that needs to be cut off but other then that its fine. Never had a blow out using it that way.

Perk of this is I keep a small tupperware filled with star san and a 3 piece air lock, once high krausen has past, pull the blow off valve and put on the airlock.

This is what I do as well and it works great. I've never had one clog, just make sure the part of the lock you insert into the stopper doesn't have the little plastic piece on the inlet and if it does, remove it.

 

[Yambor44]

Or just take the airlock out of the stopper and push the hose thru the stopper until it just clears the bottom of the stopper. That's what I use when I feel the need for a blow off tube.