Suck back from blowoff

[BadDeacon]

Hey folks, just had something new happen to me. Went to go move my fermenter into the kitchen for bottling tomorrow and didn't realize that the tube had some suckback that when I moved the catch bucket got sucked back into the fermenter. I had filled the catch with starsan 3 weeks ago and it is cloudy from yeast and blowoff funk. I am assuming that I am ok. I smelled the fermenter after I got it into the kitchen and it smelled fine.

Fermenter was in garage and it hasn't gotten above 40 for 2 days. Whick caused the suckback I think...

Thoughts???

 

[BadDeacon]

Here is a pic. Upper cloudy horizon is from the suckback. If it's there in the am (gravity difference???) then I will just rack from under that horizon.

 

[flars]

How much Starsan made it into your beer?

 

[BadDeacon]

About a cup. Maybe 2 at most.

 

[eatmorefrogs]

Two thoughts.
- I use vodka in my airlocks for this reason. Worst case scenario you boost your ABV! That doesn't help for your blow off tube or costs a lot of money, but might be an option if you switch from blow-off to airlock after a few days.
- I've heard (and someone may correct me on this) that suckback can be caused by temperature swings causing a pressure difference. Since it's in your garage, maybe this artic blast got the best of you?

 

[flars]

About a cup. Maybe 2 at most.

Not enough to be harmful. There is the risk of infection if your blow off container wasn't sealed with an airlock for pressure relief. Most people don't use this kind of system, including me.

 

[BadDeacon]

Well, it evened out over the night and I bottled everything still smelt and tasted ok. We shall see I guess.....