Help!!! My Yeast has gone mad! Need advice quick!

What went wrong? Was this supposed to happen? Should I throw it out? What do I do now?

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zeno
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:44 am
Location: Cary, NC, US

Help!!! My Yeast has gone mad! Need advice quick!

Post by zeno »

Ok, I just put my winter warmer in brew Sunday. Now the yeast is starting to bubble into the airlock!

I have seen some info about how this is bad, and how to make an alternate airlock. Unfortunately, my current airlock is stuck in the stopper, and I have no more holed stoppers to make the airlock go down to a bowl of water like I have read.

It's not a "double bouble" airlock, it's the tube with a cup over it that you fill half way with water..

Is this going to screw up my beer? When does this type of activity start affecting my beer?

Thanks as always!
Sisu
Light Lager
Light Lager
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Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2002 12:21 am
Location: Salt Lake City, UT, US

It happens...

Post by Sisu »

That happens with high gravity beers sometimes. I'm brewing a Trappist-style ale right now that
BillyBock
Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout
Posts: 561
Joined: Sun Dec 31, 2000 11:37 am
Location: Ohio

No Worries

Post by BillyBock »

Zeno, you could also just remove the airlock, clean up the opening, and place a sanitized piece of foil over the opening. Replace the clean airlock when activity gets back to normal. The good thing is that it's active, so there's plenty of CO2 being pushed out of the fermenter to help keep nasties out. This happened to me on an IPA--it clogged the airlock, and so much pressure built up it blew the lid off the bucket (good thing it wasn't a carboy). That was some of the best beer I've made. Active ferments are a good thing. Don't worry.

v/r
Bill
fitz
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
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Amen Billy

Post by fitz »

I had a really bad "gusher on a Belgian Triple last year. Fortunately I have several airlocks(they are quite cheap) and I hooked a transfer tube over the plastic tube coming through the middle of the airlock. I then put it in a vase of water on the floor. when the activity slowed, I replaced the rest of the airlock.
zeno
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:44 am
Location: Cary, NC, US

I tried that...

Post by zeno »

Unfortunately my tubing was too small.. I ended up pulling the cork out, removing the airlock, and replacing it with a tube that could reach the water on the floor.

I don't know exactly how long it took, but it was just a few minuts. Hopefully it didn't hurt anything. I couldn't go to sleep with Sisu's images of exploding carboys running through my head though.
fitz
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
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Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2002 8:36 am

If You

Post by fitz »

If you had enough fermentation to come up through your airlock, you had a blanket of CO2 protecting your beer. No worries.
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