Blow-Off pipes

[Joerg]

Just want to share an idea.

For my 3rd Belgian Tripel I wanted to be extra good and provided a
bulkhead hose connector in the fermenter lid plus a massive washing
machine hose. Not good enough. It plugged up several times with hardened
kraeusen residue and I almost had the lid blow off. So I fashioned a
pipe solution as fast as I could since it was about to go off any
minute. Works like a champ. Here it is:

Loading Image...

Instead of evil hissing all I hear now are throaty burping sounds. Best
of all the lid no longer bulges up. I'll have to get some longer pipe
for the downtube so I can use less Starsan solution in the pot.

[baloonon]

Post by Joerg
Just want to share an idea.
For my 3rd Belgian Tripel I wanted to be extra good and provided a
bulkhead hose connector in the fermenter lid plus a massive washing
machine hose. Not good enough. It plugged up several times with hardened
kraeusen residue and I almost had the lid blow off. So I fashioned a
pipe solution as fast as I could since it was about to go off any
http://analogconsultants.com/ng/brew/Blowoff.JPG

Looks good to me. If you want to get really fancy, you could do it all
with copper tubing and then you can heat sanitize it, but that's
probably not worth the extra expenditure.

Post by Joerg
Instead of evil hissing all I hear now are throaty burping sounds.
Best of all the lid no longer bulges up. I'll have to get some
longer pipe for the downtube so I can use less Starsan solution in
the pot.

Maybe I'm missing something, but couldn't you just raise the container
on some scrap lumber, an inverted plastic container, something like
that? That would also give you more empty space above the waterline for
really agressive foaming.

[Joerg]

Post by baloonon

Post by Joerg
Just want to share an idea.
For my 3rd Belgian Tripel I wanted to be extra good and provided a
bulkhead hose connector in the fermenter lid plus a massive washing
machine hose. Not good enough. It plugged up several times with hardened
kraeusen residue and I almost had the lid blow off. So I fashioned a
pipe solution as fast as I could since it was about to go off any
http://analogconsultants.com/ng/brew/Blowoff.JPG

Looks good to me. If you want to get really fancy, you could do it all
with copper tubing and then you can heat sanitize it, but that's
probably not worth the extra expenditure.

It doesn't even have to be sanitized much because the Belgian Tripel
starts belching just a few hours after pitching and very soon begins
pushing kraeusen through the blow-off.

Post by baloonon

Post by Joerg
Instead of evil hissing all I hear now are throaty burping sounds.
Best of all the lid no longer bulges up. I'll have to get some
longer pipe for the downtube so I can use less Starsan solution in
the pot.

Maybe I'm missing something, but couldn't you just raise the container
on some scrap lumber, an inverted plastic container, something like
that? That would also give you more empty space above the waterline for
really agressive foaming.

I could but I'd rather have the container sitting on the shelf. More
stable and also less spatters on the homemade cntrol box and red light
on the upper left. I'll just have to install a long downtube. It is
standard 3/4" irrigation pipe, cheap. You could even use the thin stuff
for a few cents less if that is still sold because there is no pressure
on it here.

All this sounds like a lot of effort for just one big beer but yesterday
I shared another bottle of Tripel with my wife and it is so worth it.
Despite the fact that they just raised the price for the recipe kit by
$6. So I ordered another kit on Saturday, along with other beers.