Blow off pipe in fridge

[MrJay83]

Has anyone made a blow off pipe to use in their fermentation fridge?

My setup has a bit of hose from a two piece airlock down to a jar with liquid and it does the job but puts strain on the airlock (think it came loose during my last brew) because it's so tight in the fridge (i.e. not much room above) and I'm not happy with it. I was planning on going to B&Q this weekend to see what I can put together but if someone can save me reinventing the wheel it would be much appreciated.

Cheers
J

 

[Buffers brewery]

Pictures?

 

[Dutto]

For many years, I’ve used a 1 litre bottle with about 50mm of a 50/50 mixture of Thin Bleach & Water.

The bottle fits into the curvature of the FV and 1 litre gives plenty of space for a blow-off if required.

The mixture doesn’t foam and if I place the blow-off tube at the bottom of the 50mm then all I have to do to confirm that fermentation is finished is to lift the tube 5mm. (No bubbles for 3 days = Fermentation finished)

 

[MrJay83]

Pictures?

Sorry, no. I only bottled it up last night and was just thinking about it today.
I've attached a very crude sketch and a pic of the fridge.

I'm thinking to use some plastic pipe and fittings that can be easily taken apart and cleaned. Then some sort of bracket so it sits plumb into my jar stelile water.

 

[MrJay83]

For many years, I’ve used a 1 litre bottle with about 50mm of a 50/50 mixture of Thin Bleach & Water.

The bottle fits into the curvature of the FV and 1 litre gives plenty of space for a blow-off if required.

The mixture doesn’t foam and if I place the blow-off tube at the bottom of the 50mm then all I have to do to confirm that fermentation is finished is to lift the tube 5mm. (No bubbles for 3 days = Fermentation finished)

Ah but the problem is it is so tight at the top it kinks my hose a bit and puts strain on the two piece (I'm using a mini one) that it's connected to. I've plenty of space on the bottom.

 

[Dutto]

I got fed up of kinking the hose in my syphon so I fitted a right-angle to the top of the copper pipe I use.

You could do exactly the same with the bung at the top of the FV.

This is the type of copper tube being used for a totally different reason - but it will fit in an ordinary bung!

PS
Put a tube heater in the bottom and “plenty of room” is a lot less!

PPS
You don’t need an airlock and a blow-off system!

 

[StJayJay]

This fixing came with the fermenter but I’m sure they’re standard things. Just an elbow thing with a hose barb on one end and a thread on the other. The tube has now got a valve on it to stop sucking in sanitised water/air on cold crashing and the water pot can obviously be swapped for something a bit bigger if there’s something overly frisky on the go.

 

[MrJay83]

This fixing came with the fermenter but I’m sure they’re standard things. Just an elbow thing with a hose barb on one end and a thread on the other. The tube has now got a valve on it to stop sucking in sanitised water/air on cold crashing and the water pot can obviously be swapped for something a bit bigger if there’s something overly frisky on the go.

Cheers. That gives me some ideas for what I'll do.

 

[MrJay83]

I got fed up of kinking the hose in my syphon so I fitted a right-angle to the top of the copper pipe I use.

You could do exactly the same with the bung at the top of the FV.

This is the type of copper tube being used for a totally different reason - but it will fit in an ordinary bung!
View attachment 73207

PS
Put a tube heater in the bottom and “plenty of room” is a lot less!

PPS
You don’t need an airlock and a blow-off system!

Do you prefer copper over plastic for any reason? I was thinking a plastic setup would be easier for disassembly and cleaning. Copper & brass is probably more hygienic to be fair.

I used the airlock because the inner bit of the two-piece fits garden hose perfectly.

I'll bring a couple of my bungs to B&Q and see what works.

 

[Siscokid85]

I think I may have the same problem and be a bit further along the prototyping process....

My current ferm fridge is a larder type so no issues with head room, but I intend on making this into a kegerator and have got an under the counter fridge to turn into my ferm fridge which has the lack of head room issue for air locks, so below is my solution that I have used on what will be my last brew in the larder fridge to make sure it works before I do the swap. in the photos I have made what you have drawn with 3/8 valpar beer / gas line and 2 equal elbows (this took a bit of training / persuasion to get it straight), then I have got a kilner screw top jar and brought a plastic lid to fit the kilner screwtops that is "autoclavable" (when I brought it, that turned out to have come from a magic mushroom growing website! Whoops!)

Then I drilled 2 x 13mm holes and fitted the standard black airlock grommets to it. I have set it up as you see, nothing in the jar just in the airlock, but you could do away with the airlock and have it as a blow off. I guess you could also use it as a blow off with a second jar and a link piece of pipe, then it would stop suck back going into your beer, with any suck back only ending up in the first jar in the line rather than the fermenter.

Anyway hope this helps, not sure I might have over thought it / engineered it. Any suggestions on improving appreciated. Hope it helps @MrJay83

 

[Siscokid85]

Sorry, no. I only bottled it up last night and was just thinking about it today.
I've attached a very crude sketch and a pic of the fridge.

I'm thinking to use some plastic pipe and fittings that can be easily taken apart and cleaned. Then some sort of bracket so it sits plumb into my jar stelile water.

Could you tell me what fridge make / model that is please @MrJay83 mine has a much bigger compressor "lump" and that looks a lot better than the one I picked up on facebook.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Flexible plastic pipe pushed through the grommet into a milk bottle 1/2 filled with water.

 

[Buffers brewery]

I use 10mm/1/4” BSP push fit connector on my fermentation bucket. A push fit elbow as in @Siscokid85 arrangement would steer the pipe down to your bottle.

 

[MrJay83]

I think I may have the same problem and be a bit further along the prototyping process....

My current ferm fridge is a larder type so no issues with head room, but I intend on making this into a kegerator and have got an under the counter fridge to turn into my ferm fridge which has the lack of head room issue for air locks, so below is my solution that I have used on what will be my last brew in the larder fridge to make sure it works before I do the swap. in the photos I have made what you have drawn with 3/8 valpar beer / gas line and 2 equal elbows (this took a bit of training / persuasion to get it straight), then I have got a kilner screw top jar and brought a plastic lid to fit the kilner screwtops that is "autoclavable" (when I brought it, that turned out to have come from a magic mushroom growing website! Whoops!)

Then I drilled 2 x 13mm holes and fitted the standard black airlock grommets to it. I have set it up as you see, nothing in the jar just in the airlock, but you could do away with the airlock and have it as a blow off. I guess you could also use it as a blow off with a second jar and a link piece of pipe, then it would stop suck back going into your beer, with any suck back only ending up in the first jar in the line rather than the fermenter.

Anyway hope this helps, not sure I might have over thought it / engineered it. Any suggestions on improving appreciated. Hope it helps @MrJay83

That's the job. I was thinking about getting one of those CO2 capture balloons (for when I'm cold crashing) and putting it under the bucket in that dead space but that might be a bit OTT! If the volume of my hose exceeds what is in the jar then only air should be getting sucked back up.
I'll report back when I build something but what you have done seems great.

 

[MrJay83]

Could you tell me what fridge make / model that is please @MrJay83 mine has a much bigger compressor "lump" and that looks a lot better than the one I picked up on facebook.

It's a Currys ESSENTIALS CUL55W20 Undercounter Fridge. It's a good size.

 

[Siscokid85]

It's a Currys ESSENTIALS CUL55W20 Undercounter Fridge. It's a good size.

Ahh thanks! could I be cheeky and ask if you could run a tape measure from the top of your shelf to the underside of the top of the lid please? Also it looks like there might be enough room in front of the compressor to stand a SS conical brew bucket as long as you side mount the tube heater. I have been toying with the idea of getting one but current undercounter fridge ruins that plan.

Could always use a blow off tube, then switch to an airlock when crash cooling to prevent suck back, although you'd need the jar set up at the end like mine.

 

[Buffers brewery]

That's the job. I was thinking about getting one of those CO2 capture balloons (for when I'm cold crashing) and putting it under the bucket in that dead space but that might be a bit OTT! If the volume of my hose exceeds what is in the jar then only air should be getting sucked back up.
I'll report back when I build something but what you have done seems great.

You can never be OTT when it comes to brewing gadgetry. I didn't show you the full picture of my fermentation set up. I drilled a hole in the side of my brew fridge so I could pass a pipe from the bucket lid to the outside world. The pipe was connected to an airtight food container to catch any "goop". Another pipe connects to a bubbler using a gas quick connect. And lastly a gas post is fitted to the lid so a balloon can be connected until it is fully inflated as indicated by the brewloonometer. Now that's what you call OTT!

 

[Siscokid85]

You can never be OTT when it comes to brewing gadgetry. I didn't show you the full picture of my fermentation set up. I drilled a hole in the side of my brew fridge so I could pass a pipe from the bucket lid to the outside world. The pipe was connected to an airtight food container to catch any "goop". Another pipe connects to a bubbler using a gas quick connect. And lastly a gas post is fitted to the lid so a balloon can be connected until it is fully inflated as indicated by the brewloonometer. Now that's what you call OTT!

View attachment 73220

That Sir is impressive.....

 

[MrJay83]

Ahh thanks! could I be cheeky and ask if you could run a tape measure from the top of your shelf to the underside of the top of the lid please? Also it looks like there might be enough room in front of the compressor to stand a SS conical brew bucket as long as you side mount the tube heater. I have been toying with the idea of getting one but current undercounter fridge ruins that plan.

Could always use a blow off tube, then switch to an airlock when crash cooling to prevent suck back, although you'd need the jar set up at the end like mine.

 

[Siscokid85]

Brilliant, thanks turns out there is a second hand one for sale about 20 miles away!