First brew ever... Fermentation bucket bulging

- Switch to a blowoff tube
- make sure the temp of the wort (not the air) isn't too high for the yeast strain/style

 

The airlock is probably clogged with krausen and yes it will pop if left untreated. Start by pulling the airlock out and cleaning it. If it continues to blow foam out of the lid, you should rig up a blow-off tube.

You might be fermenting a bit too warm, but only you know if you have a cooler location than where you have it.

 

Hate to break it to you, but that`s likely too warm as fermentation can easily exceed ambient temps by 5-7F for a normal brew...

 

I would put an old bath towel under the bucket. remove the lid and just let it lie on top. clean out the airlock, carefully, and put it back.

68 air temp is probably fine, though the temperature in the bucket will be a bit higher, maybe 5 degrees. yeast make heat. some yeast really go crazy others not so much. and some strains wont like fermenting in the 70s. rather, they like it too much.

you are at high krausen, which all things being equal, is a very good thing. that is sugar water becoming beer and you don't even have to do anything. after the krausen drops you can snap the lid back on.
Cheers.

 

A blow off on your first brew? Hehe, well you had to get initiated some time.

As everyone mentioned you're probably fermenting a bit high.

Anyway, easiest way to rig a blow-off in your situation...without going to the homebrew store, is to take the 3-piece air-lock apart. Cut the "X" off the bottom of the air lock. Attach your 5/16" siphoning hose to the pillar that plastic conical piece sits on inside the air-lock. Then insert the air-lock back into the lid, and submerge the other end of the hose in a jar or jug with some start san.

Like this:

 

To cool it more, you could also place the bucket in a tub of cold water or ice water to get it under control a bit.

 

...And put the blowoff receptacle on the ground, ideally lower than the bucket.

 

just wait until you come home to find half of your beer on the wall and ceiling. guaranteed to happen once. and only once.



keep in mid that while sanitation is still important, as your wort becomes beer the chances for infection decrease quite a bit. its food, yes. but the yeast, alcohol, hops, pH, CO2... just don't do anything stupid. but don't worry too much.
good luck with your first brew.

 

Although it won't hurt anything, that small amount of ice isn't going to make a significant difference.

 

Best to always use a blow off tube and keep the temperature in the room at 5-7 degrees below the recommended fermentation temp for the yeast during the active fermentation (the bubbling time). I do not know what your pitching rate was but if you pitched from a starter or used multiple packs the active fermentation can be a bit violent at times. I was blown away at how much pressure builds inside of the carboy! Happy brewing

 

The OP didn't state what strain he was using. For instance, for a strain like 3068, everything he stated, including the fermentation temperature, is quite normal. Except that that strain "requires fermenter headspace of 33%" - ie a blowoff tube.

So yes, check your temps, but before you reduce the temperature by 7 degrees, really just use a blowoff, and everything be fine.

 

Fair enough, but only true for about 5 or 6 strains (Coopers, 3068, 3711, 3724, 3787...)

Assuming he's making a belgian / German Wheat beer, otherwise it could be god awful... He's making beer, but will it be palatable?

 

If fermenting at 68 ambient made completely unpalatable beer nobody would ever get into homebrewing.

 

Well, he's making a strong scottish ale. This is clearly a style that should be fermented closer to 80F which is likely near the internal temp at this point. I bow to your superior knowledge. My bad.

 

Its his first beer. He doesn't need to hear how his beer is going to be "god-awful" because he fermented it at 68 ambient. Maybe you should let the guy tell you the beer turned out bad before you tell him all the things he screwed up.

 

Enjoy the ride...and learn from your miscalculations, grasshopper