Brocster

Recipes 

I had a huge blow the lid into the ceiling explosion last night of a Kolsch. (Yep, I know the beer will most likely be fine, even after a few hours open).

I was just curious as to what causes one beer to so rapidly ferment versus another? The OG was 1.050 and I used White Labs Kolsch yeast. I haven't had any fermentations like this, brewing larger or smaller beers (in gravity). Temp was 64.

Just curious as to why this one might have been so volatile? btw....partial mash style...

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Bottled: Imperial Hefe, Saison, Apfelwein
Kegged: ESB, Foundation Stout, Brothers English IPA, Kolsch, Bavarian Hefe
Secondary: Abbey Dubbel
Primary: Imperial Cherry Bavarian Hefe, Imperial Cherry Brussel Abbey
On Deck: World Class ESB, BKRye
"People who drink light 'beer' don't like the taste of beer; they just like to pee a lot." -- Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI

GilaMinumBeer

Recipes 

Optimal Chaos?

In some manner of chaotic epiphany your wort had enough of what teh optimal number of yeast needed to breathe, screw, and eat and you provided it in the optimal temperature environment. Add to this the chaotic aspect of not getting teh gas out fast enough results in a mop on teh ceiling.

I always consider massive fermentations as a perfect microbiological mosh pit. But alas, this isn't always what you want.

McKBrew

Recipes 

Every fermentation will vary from batch to batch and I don't think there is a legitimate way to predict if you will have blow-off or not. I've brewed several AG beers and after the first couple quit using a blow-off tube because I never had blow-off. On my most recent beer, I ended up with a yeast volcano and I was reminded that I should be using a blow-off.

blackwaterbrewer

Recipes 

that whitelabs kolsch yeast is some volatile stuff. i think you can ferment it as low as 45-50 F, so at 64 it is really going off. very versatile yeast. i guess it's horny!

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it's not the blood you've spilled that gets you what you want, its the blood you share. friends, family, community: these are the most valuable things a man can have.

Primary-
Lagering-
Primary-
secondary-
secondary-
on tap- lemongrass kolsch
on tap- stout
on tap- small mead
bottle-sweet mead
bottle-

hukdizzle

Recipes 

asexual and binary fission i hope, no bumping uglies in my beers

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Primary 1 - Cream Ale
Primary 2 - Cream Ale
Primary 3 - Empty
Secondary 1 - Empty
Bottled - Apfelwein, Big Roasted Rocket Fuel RIS
Kegged 1 - English Nut Brown Ale
Kegged 2 - American Brown IPA
Kegged 3 - Bavarian Hefeweizen
Kegged 4 - Empty
Kegged 5 - Empty