Blowover question on a six-gallon carboy

Jan 29, 2005 4 Replies

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Joe Murphy 21 years ago

Santa was very good the brewer in me this year. I got a 5-gallon and

6-gallon glass carboy plus some other goodies.

I'm planning on doing a 5-gallon kit brew (Williams Belgian Triple) pretty soon with primary in the 6 gal and secondary in the 5 gal.

My question is this: How concerned should I be about blowover during the intial fermentation of a 5-gal wort in a 6-gal carboy? I never had an issue with this using my plastic fermenter for my first two batches but I'd hate to come home one night to a complete mess.

Thanks, JM

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buzhazzard 21 years ago

I currently do 5 gallon batches in a six gallon glass carboy. I have not had a problem yet. I know that it may come one day, but during the initial fermentation, I put the carboy in one of those big laundry looking buckets with the rope handles.

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Denny Conn 21 years ago

My theory is that a blowoff is easy enough to rig up that I'd rather be safe than sorry. I use 7 gal. carboys for 5 gal. batches and use a blowoff tube every time. Sometimes I get blowoff, sometimes I don't, but I'm always ready. There's no downside to using a blowofff.

-------->Denny

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RobO 21 years ago

I use a blowoff too after I had a bad experience with an air lock.

I put the end of the blowoff hose in a container of sanitized water.

I agree, use a blowoff and possibly an airlock at the very end to see if the batch is still fermenting.

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dr_flouride 21 years ago

I use a bucket for the initial ferment, I find the trick is in the amount of water you add to the wort after the boil. I added too much once and it made a mess. After a week I rack into a glass carboy until clear, and then into the pepsi keg. forced carbonation rocks.

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