Blowoff on Secondary

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Chugs13, Apr 13, 2012.

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  1. Chugs13

    Chugs13 Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2011 New Jersey

    So yesterday, after a week in primary, I racked my beer over to a secondary (5 gal carboy), and added my dry hops (1oz. whole leaf amarillo and .5oz citra pellets). Everything went very smooth, and I was really pleased that I had the perfect amount of beer to perfectly fill the carboy just below the neck (as on my first batch I was quite short).

    So I pop my airlock in, put the carboy in the corner of my room, and go to watch some television. About 2 hours later I come back and the airlock is full of beer and some had leaked out the top. So I pop the airlock and bunge out, throw them in some sanitizer, clean up the little mess, sanitize my thief, and take some beer out. I pop the bunge back in, jam a hose (sanitized) in there and run the other end into a milk jug with sanitizer solution, and make a blow off.

    Now today after I come home from work, I notice the beer has come all the way up to the bunge and a little beer is sitting in the middle of the hose.

    My first question is, what should I do now? Is it okay to leave this how it is, with the beer up to the bunge and beer sitting in the hose? Or should I take the same steps I did when I made the blow off and clean out the hose and take some beer out of the carboy?

    Second, why is this happening? The beer level is actually rising, its not like this is foam from fermentation activity. Could it be from the whole leaf hops expanding? If that is the case when they expand dont they absorb beer? Or do they just expand more then the volume of beer that they absorb?

    Has anyone had this happen to them before? Did I take the right steps in dealing with the overflow?

    Sorry for such a long post, and I really appreciate anyone who could give me some advise on what to do next.
     
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Adding hops can provide nucleation points for CO2 and cause foaming. Not sure if that's what happened in your case...sounds almost too 'delayed.'
     
  3. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    I would say your beer was racked way too early...3 weeks is standard for me in the primary. Normally, a week in the primary might not be a problem, but sounds like your yeast never took off. Did you take a gravity before racking to secondary? There's no hurry to dry hop...in fact waiting longer is usually beneficial. Good news: your yeast appears to want to go to work now.
     
  4. Chugs13

    Chugs13 Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2011 New Jersey

    I think this is what is happening, I do notice little bubbles and foam around the hop sack.
     
  5. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I would just leave the hose in, wait until it subsides, and then replace the (sanitized) airlock.
     
  6. Chugs13

    Chugs13 Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2011 New Jersey

    The yeast definitely took off, and I did take a reading before racking. Had a 1.055 OG and 1.012 FG. When I racked the airlock in the primary was bubbling about once a minute.
     
  7. Chugs13

    Chugs13 Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2011 New Jersey

    Yeah theres tiny bubble rising and gathering around the hop sack causing some foam, and then there is a stream of tiny bubble going from the hop sack up the neck of the carboy causing a thin layer of foam right up underneath the bunge. Some foam comes up through the hose everyone in a awhile, which has caused some beer to be sitting in the middle of the hose.

    So you recommend leaving it like this until the bubbles have subsided, and then just pulling out the hose and popping the airlock back in?

    Also, is it okay for that beer to be sitting in the hose or should I move the hose around so that the beer flows into the sanitized solution in the milk jug?
     
  8. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Yep. Shouldn't take too much longer if nucleation was the issue.

    It should be okay. As long the hose was sanitized.
     
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