Don't try this at home.
Started my 2nd ever batch, a Chocolate mead, yesterday, started in a plastic primary started bubbling in about 2 hours, 24 hours later I racked to a 6 gallon glass Carboy using an aerator to diffuse the must during the rack. 4.5 gal in the primary and another 1 gal in a glass bottle, so there'd be adequate head space. I racked because the foaming was very mild and I was planning to start another batch this weekend and needed the plastic bucket. No issues with foaming or blowing off. Oskaar probably sees this coming. Today went to stir / aerate the must with the lees stirrer, fairly slow and controlled. The liquid started to roll up and cote the sides, I started to slow the stirrer to keep the must from making its way up the spout. The centrifical force lessened and within a second of stopping the stirrer and before I could remove it... Old Faithful, a straight gush of mead (no foam) launched at least 10 inches straight up and continued for about 4 seconds at about 2-4 inches high. 8) effect but not what I had been planning for. I had a blow-off hose w/stopper and a 1 gal container at the ready but by the time I removed the stirrer and had picked up the stopper (within 1/2 an arms reach) the gushing had stopped. Lesson learned :. Never aerate in a Glass carboy if you've fed your yeasts goferm and fermaid K, especially if adding DAP.
Lost almost exactly a gallon, refilled with the gallon jug and the carboy is right back where it was before, and bubbling nicely at several ticks a second.
Hope this helps others avoid this disaster.
Wrathwilde
Started my 2nd ever batch, a Chocolate mead, yesterday, started in a plastic primary started bubbling in about 2 hours, 24 hours later I racked to a 6 gallon glass Carboy using an aerator to diffuse the must during the rack. 4.5 gal in the primary and another 1 gal in a glass bottle, so there'd be adequate head space. I racked because the foaming was very mild and I was planning to start another batch this weekend and needed the plastic bucket. No issues with foaming or blowing off. Oskaar probably sees this coming. Today went to stir / aerate the must with the lees stirrer, fairly slow and controlled. The liquid started to roll up and cote the sides, I started to slow the stirrer to keep the must from making its way up the spout. The centrifical force lessened and within a second of stopping the stirrer and before I could remove it... Old Faithful, a straight gush of mead (no foam) launched at least 10 inches straight up and continued for about 4 seconds at about 2-4 inches high. 8) effect but not what I had been planning for. I had a blow-off hose w/stopper and a 1 gal container at the ready but by the time I removed the stirrer and had picked up the stopper (within 1/2 an arms reach) the gushing had stopped. Lesson learned :. Never aerate in a Glass carboy if you've fed your yeasts goferm and fermaid K, especially if adding DAP.
Lost almost exactly a gallon, refilled with the gallon jug and the carboy is right back where it was before, and bubbling nicely at several ticks a second.
Hope this helps others avoid this disaster.
Wrathwilde