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Just switched from euphonium to tuba. I have quickly noticed that after playing just for a few minutes I get a popping or bubbling (water) sound. The water (spit) valve then drains a LOT of water. It only takes a few more minutes for it to reoccur.

I did not have this problem when playing my euphonium...

Am I using improper technique or can it be a horn problem?

Any ideas about what is going on and/or suggestions for a remedy?

I find that just using the spit valve isn't enough to get all/most of the condensation out of the tuba. I pull and empty all the tuning slides. Then with the tuning slides in I spin the tuba and the let rest of the water come out of the leadpipe. Then I repeat all or most of the steps as needed. Make sure you have a towel ready for when you do the "spin". Good luck.

Yes, as a matter of fact it was cold to the touch. Would the problem lessen if I let it warm to room temperatures?

Thanks for the additional advice!

Condensaaaaaaaaaation!!

There, I'm practicing...

My solution to the condensate-gurgling problem is to thoroughly empty my main water key. This requires some blowing through the horn, which will disturb others unless a suitable time is chosen. My water keys never just drain by themselves, despite what some maintain to the contrary. My main tubas only have one water key, and that's on the main tuning slide.

Next comes a 360° counter-clockwise spin of the tuba during which extra care must be taken to avoid striking nearby objects. If you haven't thoroughly emptied your main water key, here's where you get the residual condensate flowing from the mouthpiece onto your lap. Then I press all of the valves and blow a few times to drain the condensate from the branches into the main tuning slide. Then I empty the main watery key.

Done properly there should be no more gurgling with or without the valves depressed. The 5th valve on my Miraphone 191 sometimes requires another spin to empty thoroughly because of its double-loop configuration.

Lots of cold metal for the moisture in your breath to condense on. This should lessen as the horn warms up, but condensation will still occur to some degree. Get your slides all lubed up, so you can pull them as needed to further drain moisture. If your tuba has just one water valve, you can have additional ones added to problem slides, but that costs some money. The first and second valve slides will probably collect more moisture than the others, since you use them more often.

Even after your tuba warms up to room temperature, it's still cooler than your breath, so condensation will always occur to some degree.