EbonHawk said:
You get blowoff with that much headspace?!? Yikes! Or did it blowoff that much...?
I know some people really believe in letting that "bad stuff" out via blowing off a lot of stuff, but better techniques over the years and keeping more of the solids out of the fermenters means less stuff to have to blow off. Besides, I don't like losing anything and if it's all good the stuff that's going into the fermenter, I only get good stuff out.
Yes.
I get a blow off sometimes, even with that head space. With Cal Ale, or a Belgian strain, there is enough activity to cause a rather robust krauzen. If I tried to contain it with just an airlock, the pressure build up, would blow the airlock off. Ask me how I know. I have cleaned up enough yeast mess to realize that a blow off tube is necessary. You might think not, but, you are not cleaning up the mess.
There are two types of home brewers, those who have mopped their ceiling, and those that will mop their ceiling someday.
When you attach a large bore blow off tube, the pressure never has a chance to build, and the krauzen might climb a few inches into the tube. With an air lock, the constriction causes pressure, causing krausen to enter the airlock, causing more restriction, causing more pressure, resulting in the airlock being pushed out of the neck of the carboy, causing a freaking mess. Not every time, but often enough to have a blow off tube handy.
Also, its not "bad stuff". Only superfluous yeast with nowhere to go. Its not something I want in my finished beer. It don't matter if it leaves now, or later, It will have to go eventually.