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I just took MEA to an entirely new level...

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Echostatic said:
I'm gonna try my "airlock gun" idea first, an exacto knife is too big to get in there. I could probably get at it with a toothpick maybe... But good idea, need to take a picture when I get home. I hope those stains come out of my bathtowels.

I had a more traditional JAO I topped up too much at the same time and it filled the airlock. There was no dramatic explosion, but I was able to use my spiffy new carboy cap to siphon some liquid off. I tell ya, starting a siphon by simply blowing into the cap is really nice and easy!
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Wear safety eyewear before you do that, just in case the airlock blows before the raisin does!

Oxy-clean soak and then cold water... it's about all I know for stains...

And I think the raisin caused the explosion, if it hadn't gotten stuck, the goo would have settled for oozing out the airlock and down the side of hte carboy instead of building up pressure like it did with the raisin blockage.
 
Ouch. My own experience with this- getting literally shot in the face with mushed up pellet hops from a high gravity stout, having to clean the ceiling and surrounding area for hours- is now funny in retrospect. I can only hope that you will also be able to find the humor some years from now as I did. Also, I consider myself lucky after standing next to a giant glass carboy stretched to it's pressure limits and coming away uninjured.
 
I think it's funny now. Yeah the raisin definitely plugged it up. I'm just glad everything is back to normal and my meads are safe and sound again.

Bottles exploding without stabilizing... Bit off topic, but I read stabilizers can add unfavorable tastes to mead, which become more pronounced over time. Is this true? I'm on the fence about using them, but I want to save some bottles from this next batch for several years without risking anything.
 
Chevette Girl said:
And I think the raisin caused the explosion, if it hadn't gotten stuck, the goo would have settled for oozing out the airlock and down the side of hte carboy instead of building up pressure like it did with the raisin blockage.
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Yeah I've had many things ooze through the airlock in a nice brown sludge all over. Only one has blown up on me (fruit added to secondary), that was a fun day.

Stabilizing chemicals (sulfite plus sorbate is the common combo) should not leave a taste if used properly. Properly means in the appropriate concentrations and used together. Using just one or the other can lead to problems.
 
Medsen Fey said:
MEAs are a preventable tragedy. :)
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Famous last words....

I've been having some "issues" with a batch (Filleul du le Dégel in the Patron's Brewlogs) but gave it some more honey and nutrient yesterday. There's about 9.5 gallons in a 10-gallon Corny keg. I opened the pressure release valve on top to vent it this morning and it hissed and released a lot of pressure and then continued to slowly hiss as CO2 was escaping from the valve as I left it open. However, the sudden decompression apparently allowed a lot of foam to come up, and while I was looking the other way the sound of the hissing started to change (like when you are filling up a milk jug with water and it starts to get close to the top).

Well, when a full keg that's saturated with CO2 decides to shoot through a tiny pressure relief valve, it act something like a sprinkler head. :eek:

There was stinky red mead sprayed within a radius of about 4-5 feet, covering everything including my face and chest. :(

I flipped the valve closed, and rigged up a blow-off tube, but needless to say, Little Wifey is not pleased. Looks live I've done it again...
 
Woohoo, now I'm not the only one to have been bitten by the over-pressurized over-full corny! ;D Mine was blueberry melomel, hope your cleanup was short and thorough.
 
Definitely changes I decide to keep my fermenting mead! Hard surfaces only, always a towel in reach to cover it should things head south.
 
Ultimate MEA level is did you get any on your ceiling? One hint nobody has told you yet is to get some bigger buckets so you have some room under the lid for the primary fermentation, and you dont need an airlock in your primary, just a cloth to keep bugs out. Oak chips can also do the same thing when you start adding oak to your meads. Yes, I do have stains on the ceiling, I visited a professional cider maker and he has a dent in his ceiling, now that is something to show people :) WVMJ
 
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