Exploding krausen

Maybe someone can shed some light on my deliema. I am using a 6 gal better bottle with 5 gal of 1068 beer, fermenting with 2 packs of US 05 with an air lock. Well second day of fermentation airlock blew off with krausen all over my desk. Cleaned up and replaced with blow off hose with continued vigorous fermentation. Five days into fetmentation and it has slowed, but krausen is still in the neck of the bottle. What should i expect? Is it a loss? I plan on checking gravity tomorrow and consider transferring to a secondary. Any thoughts?

Temperature in house was at 68°F. After explosion put in garage in temperature controlled converted fridge. Fermentation kept temp between 63-67°F.

  I have had this happen numerous times, one clogged the air lock so it blew the lid off in the middle of the night!! Woke everybody up!!! I usually rack off Krausen and trub about 48 - 72 hours of violent fermentation.  A lot of people do not use a secondary, but I've read about off flavors with sitting on trub too long.  I figure I'll make enough off flavors on my own and don't need the help!

keep a sanitized air lock at the ready or attach a blowoff tube im sure it will be fine,it happens

Think of it this way. 

Since stuff was flowing out (positive pressure), how would something that might cause an infection have gotten in?

Don't worry about it.

It's fine.

Thanks for the advice. And to the ME Homebrewer, with the amount of pressure i had flowing out, there was definetly nothing migrating in.  So, I'm going to sit on it for a coupleweek of weeks and probably replace the blow off hose with an airlock now that the fermentation had slowed.

I just had this happen to a Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.... It looked like a volcano.  Just put a paper towel over the top so the pressure and goo could still come out, but keep bug out.  When it calmed down enough, I replaced the airlock.

This just means that we have great yeast working really enthusiastically!

I don't expect any problems, I did rack to a secondary and will let it keep going for another 2 weeks before kegging.

Haha! Ever since I've begun using yeast starters I've had issues with the fermenter going "Vesuvius". Immediately after aereating/pitching the yeast, I attach a blowoff cap and hose running into a bucket of sanitizer. After three or four days, I swap out the blowoff cap for a sanitized airlock. Don't worry about the junk in the neck of the carboy. I always rack to a secondary after primary fermentation ... leaving most of the spent yeast, hops and other goop behind.

Ok. So thanks all for the advice, but the fermentor just looked dirty so i racked to secondary. In primary for 10 days with OG 1062. Now in secondary with 1027 gravity. Is it stuck? Give it another week or two in secondary? Or pitch another yeast packet?

Now in secondary with 1027 gravity.

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That does seem high.  Is there any visible activity? Have you checked the gravity since?
Then again if you had a high mash temp, a lot of crystal malt / adjuncts, and a low attenuating yeast, you could be done.

Is it stuck?

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You're at 5% alcohol right now, so any activity at this point will be slow. Keep in mind that your yeasties are loaded.
Keep checking the gravity every couple of days. If it drops then let it go until it stops dropping.
If you're really in doubt you could try rousing the yeast (I'm sure some has dropped out, yes?), but be careful to add as little air as possible.

Give it another week or two in secondary?

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I would do that anyway. Maybe give it three.

Or pitch another yeast packet?

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I'm sure you have plenty of yeast in there.  Remember what started this thread.

My imperial ipa blew up last night, I love it