BRY-97 is one of my least favourite yeasts .
Had it do nothing when pitched dry twice and stalled with a starter once .
Yours is working away though so I might give it another chance one day
I haven't brewed a batch yet that doesn't require a blow off tube. I have at least 1.25 gallons of headspace in a 6.5 gallon fermenter. We do yeast starters two days before brewday and yeasties are going full tilt within 8 hours consistently.
only difference lately is Im brewing very low alcohol beer and using 1 pound each of table sugar and brown sugar to bring it up to 4% so the yeasties must be loving that sugar combo