Droid Overflow

[Steve Gyldenvand]

So I'm 2 days into my third batch and have experienced my first overflow. Recipe is the English Bitter I found on a thread here from a couple years ago. I didn't think to take a photo of it, but is was pretty significant, flowing out close to half way around the lid. The thing I'm wondering about, is that the lid had unsealed, turning counter clockwise just far enough to pop up a little bit (I'm very sure I locked in in place properly when I started the batch.) I just pushed it back down and resealed it before cleaning up the mess. So question 1, is that lid unsealing common with an overflow? And question 2, is there a strong chance the batch was compromised? 

[Wolf]

From my experience no and no.

I've had some horrendous overflow. Never had it unscrew the droid but given the amount that came out there would have been a significant gap at the time of the overflow.

Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so odds are there was and still is a hefty layer of it over the beer stopping it from spoiling.

[Steve Gyldenvand]

Thanks, Wolf! I suspected that was the case, but thought I'd reassure myself by asking all you guys with more experience.

[Thagomizer]

Sorry to hear of your overflow problem.  This can happen with malt-rich recipes.  The best way to deal with this is to tape a plastic bag just under the overflow slot on the left side of the Droid.  This will capture most of the effusion.  A mix of vinegar and water will help remove residue from that side of the Droid, if needed.

In general, BrewPrints with more than six Elements and/or Enhancers warn of a vigorous high-krausen problem.  Apparently, your English Bitter, a special recipe, did not include the warning.

I doubt if your batch was compromised.  I once had a batch in a conical fermenter (Not a BeerDroid) with insufficient headspace that blew the top off and dented my ceiling.  I recovered the remainder (it was an over-malted Russian stout) and finished it successfully.

Keep the faith, and taste.  Happy brewing. 😀

[Steve Gyldenvand]

Thanks Thag. Yup, I got it cleaned up and had already read about the plastic bag trick, so that's in place. So everything is okay, including my ceiling. 

[Steve Gyldenvand]

Okay, today I bottled this batch, and I had a terrible time getting the lid off. Any tips, tricks, or suggestions on the best way to do this after an overflow? 

[Thagomizer]

Steve,

Several people (including myself) have occasionally had this problem, even without an overflow.  The issue is that small amounts of the element and enhancer powders settle on the rim.  With a little moisture, this dries like glue in a few days.  I believe the best practice is to wipe the rim of the Droid with a sanitized damp cloth and then apply a thin coating of silicone lubricant (not sealer) on the rim of the Droid as a last step before putting on the lid.

If absolutely necessary, you can insert a pry-stick in the handle and gently apply just enough torque to release the lid.  That will not be required if you wipe the rim and use a lubricant.

Happy brewing. 😀

[J P]

I keep a rag soaked in sterlizer handy to wipe down the rim and then apply a thin layer of keg lube or food grade silicone.
 

also this works well:

zip lock bag attached against the crease with masking tape to droid.  Going against crease makes the natural Spring in the bag keep it away from the droid so you don’t have overflow over the top of the bag.   Some use a straw or stick but this is even simpler.