ayello brewers, Not only new to this forum but nee brewer. I have attempted my first brew which i just today realized has gone a-rye... I was gifted a brew kit, which 3 days ago i attempted, with a couple alterations. The cook time i altered and some of the ingredients. I also purchased a better top/cap for the 'jug' that came with the kit, and added hops i purchased. Anyhow, i brewed 3 days ago, sealed the container and stored in a safe place. 2 days ago i checked and that the bottom of the dual chamber topper was empty, all of the fluid being in the top chamber with the amazing bubbles i heard so much about traveling through. Today, just minutes ago, i checked to see the containe had exploded. Top and tape off, not much of a mess but a fail none the less.. What do i do? Can i save this brew? If not, what did i do wrong...the only thing i can think is i did not 'burp' it enough and the still live brew was too much for the container to handle. Any help is crazy appreciated, i would like to add this to one of my many hobbies, and even if wordy, know theres a community out there that can help. Cheers.
You changed the cap? The original cap was likely a type of fermentation lock, which allows the built-up CO2 gas to escape. If you replaced that with a regular cap, tightened it, and sealed it with tape, no wonder the bottle exploded! Make sure that the cap is proper - allows gas to escape and prevents bacteria, fruit flies, etc. to enter. You can also just cover the top of the jug with sterilized plastic wrap, and attach it with a rubber band loose enough to let gases escape.
What size is your batch and what size is your fermentation container? It's possible that the fermentation was so active that krausen pushed the liquid out of the air lock, then the krausen dried a bit and blocked the air lock tube so that pressure built up inside the fermentor and blew the lid off. Either the fermentor was too small for the batch size, or maybe your beer is one that has fairly high alcohol so that the fermentation was very active, even with adequate head space in the container, so that the krausen reached the air lock and clogged it. A blow-off tube is what should have been used in this situation. (A blow-off tube is a length of tubing that directly by-passes/replaces the airlock with the end of the tube being placed in a container of water or sanitizer solution. Google it or look on YouTube for examples of how to create one.) P.S. Welcome to the BA site and to the homebrewing forum. We're glad that you're here.
