Loose Stopper - Brew Ruined?

[markeph525]

I brewed a brown four nights ago. I noticed for the past two days it was not bubbling in my airlock. Not happy but not deflated cause I know these things happen. So after the 3rd day I inspected my brew bucket and I learned that the stopper and the airlock was still attached to the lid it was not as tight as I had it when I set the brew aside to do it's thing. When I touched the stopper and it easily was lifted off the lid I could see the fermentation working. I had it off maybe 3 or 5 seconds and immediately put the stopper back on and pushed it down tight. Now it is bubbling like I usually know.

My questions are:

1. is it normal or known that the pressure when starting the fermentation can push the stopper out?
2. with how loose the stopper was and my quick discovery and pushing the stopper back in, is my brew destroyed?
3. Do I just continue and see what happens? I never have had this issue nor had my brew exposed until the fermentation process was done. so I am in new territory?

Thanks everyone

 

[Oginme]

Chances are much greater that you will be fine than not. Once fermentation takes off, the outgassing of CO2 from the brew should keep anything from entering the brew bucket.

I have had cases where the stopper was pushed out of my carboy, but that was often when I had been using a more "explosive" yeast strain that when it starts, it works like crazy fast.

Ride it out and I would be betting money that it will turn out OK.

 

[markeph525]

Good to know. I will continue to see what happens.

I was shocked and did not realize it could give that much pressure release. I am grateful it didn't shoot the stopper all the way out though.

Update later.

Thanks

 

[McMullan]

It's going to be fine. I rarely use an airlock on my FVs during active fermentation. It's actually standard practice for many brewers.

 

[markeph525]

So what do you do? Use a normal lid with no hole on it? I am new to this but my mind is thinking that the pressure would be great and would make the lid hard to take off.

 

[McMullan]

Just leave it open. Cover the bung hole loosely with some tin foil or cling film, if you're worried. Mine often look like this:


But, it's quite advanced confidence I'm doing. Yorkshire squire style. Airlocks are useful when fermentation finishes. Optional before then.

 

[Kevin58]

CO2 will seek the easiest path to escape. If things were not tight then it escaped there rather than the airlock. We typically try to keep our beer covered to lessen the risk of oxidation but as Oginme says the positive pressure created by the CO2 will have prevented that from happening. Your beer is fine. Trust the process and try to resist the urge to open things up until it is done.

 

[markeph525]

Thanks for the info. I am learning a lot here.

 

[KB]

Fermenting in the brew kettle? Wort wasn't separated from the trub? If using brew kettle sanitization as there are areas shown in the photo where bad things can hide. These are NOT a problem during boiling (due to temp). These ARE a problem during fermentation.

 

[McMullan]

@KB, me? No, not at all. I'm a serial yeast repitcher and go an extra mile to transfer very little kettle trub to the FV. The vessel in the image above is a "yeast trough", a vessel fitted on top of the FV. Actively fermenting wort gets recirculated through it periodically to rouse highly flocculant top-cropping English (Yorkshire) yeast strains. A DIY Yorkshire square system. .

 

[McMullan]

Note too, all fittings get sterilised in a pressure cooker after being thoroughly cleaned. Although I have since upgraded to TC fittings, they still go in the pressure cooker. The vessel is a 15L stainless pot and fits in our kitchen oven for sterilisation. And the fermentation chamber is kept clean too. Nothing to worry about here.