I would recommend attaching a blow off tube just for your own experience so you can see what happens. The important thing is to make sure the hose fits snug inside the opening.
Took your recommendation last night and swapped the airlock out for some silicone hose I had. I picked up a couple 3/8 stainless elbows a few weeks ago so managed to get all the pieces in some star san and switched them out. The elbow fits much better in the grommet than just sticking the hose in. Just as you said, this morning it's a couple bubbles every second. By afternoon, it was a few every second. All you guys have probably seen this a million times but for a new guy it's encouraging to see it all working like it's supposed to. The temp of the fermenter (I just have a probe on the outside of the bucket) looks to be around 72F (pic here, dark green line:
https://imgur.com/a/vDBdOCF). Not sure how I would lower that temp any. Maybe nothing to bother with? The US-05 yeast packet says 71.6F is the upper "ideal" range.
The yeasts know what they're doing even if you don't. Relax, check often and record your findings. It an educational process. Stressing over it will just detract from the pleasure of the process. As long as you're cleaning and sanitizing well and controlling temperatures, you'll do just fine.
Bob357, well put! Thanks for that.
If you have a old broken plastic racking cane, you can just cut off a piece of it, attach it to you blow-off hose and push the opther end of the plastic tube into the lid gromet. The cane outer diameter will fit just fine into the lid gromet and provide a good seal.
I was wondering how to get a better fit with the 1/2 silicone hose without the grommet. It was pretty weak. I can see how something rigid inside the tubing would help it seal. The elbow works with the grommet installed and and fits the hose much better so that seems to be working OK. Thanks for the idea!