What the heck do I know?!

What are you fermenting in? Bucket? Carboy? To save time, if it is a bucket, what I have done in the past is to take the lid all the way off and then just rest it on the bucket. This will allow the CO2 to release without building presssure. In the meantime, remove the airlock, clean it, sanatize it, fill it with sanatizer or vodka, and re-attach it to the bucket lid.

After a day or so, the fermentation activity should have died down and you can snap the lid back on. I have never had a problem with a beer when I have had to do this.

In the future, plan for a blow off tube.

If you are using a carboy, I can't help ya.

PS: Do not stick your nose in the bucket to smell your beer..........

 

Sanitize a growler or big jar and put some water or sanitizer in it. Fill the airlock hole with a short piece of hose that reaches under the water in said jar. The hose you rack with will work. Viola. You can google "blow off tube" if you want to see it in action.

 

From my experience with this you're fine. What kind of airlock are you using? This has happened to me with a one piece airlock and I just let the foam bubble through and cleaned up the mess a couple times until fermentation settled down. Just watch out for sanitation if/when you take out the airlock for cleaning and don't let any of the bubbled over beer go back into your good beer.

What kind of beer are you making?

 

I did this about a month ago to my cascade pale. I was paranoid that I might infect the batch if I removed the airlock, so I left everything alone. I did wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares about a ruined batch of beer for the first 2 nights of fermentation(haha). In the end it still turned out great. I hope this at least provides some peace of mind. Cheers.

 

If using a carboy, crimp opening with foil. No need for an airlock. RDWHAHB.

 

If gas is coming out of it then nothing bad will get in it. Like others have said cover it with foil then put the airlock back in when fermentation slows or get a piece of tubing and put the end in sanitizer.

 

I had this happen ONCE now I always use a blow of tube for the first 3 to five days. Then I remove it and replace it with a normal airlock for the rest of the fermentation.

 

If my bucket fermenter is filled high enough that blowoff is an issue (I start having issues if I get higher than 5-5.5 gallons), I loosely cover the rubber grommet on the lid , fixed in position with a bit of tape. After a few days of primary, I'll return an airlock to the position.

 

The problem is probably that the beer is fermenting too warm. After attaching a blowoff or foil, try to cool the beer down a few degrees with a wet T-shirt and fan or bucket of cool water and ice. Don't just treat the symptom or your beer will suffer.

 

Yes, first things first are you controlling the fermentation temperature?

Second, like others said have a blow off tube ready next time.

Or you could just grab a mop and wait until it blows so you can experience the joy of mopping a celing.

 

I'm a great believer in open fermenting. An airlock serves no purpose whatsoever in the initial stages of fermentation except to cause problems.

 

In addition to the above suggestions, I would also encourage you to never use caps lock, ever again.

 

What, the guy is not allowed to yell?

 

WHAT ARE WE YELLING ABOUT, LOUD NOISES!!!