is strawberries and breadyeast normally highly volitile?

okay so yesterday I made a strawberry brew but the place I've been getting my brewing yeast closed down last month so I improvised with breadyeast is the combination normally so volitile??

What do you mean my volitile?

By volitile I'll guess you mean a vigorous ferment, foaming up a lot. Most melomels with the fruit in primary have a lot more action than like a traditional and strawberries seems to be the top of the list for causing that. If that's the case, it's probably erupting a little on you, other than the potential to be volcanic if using a stopper and airlock it's not a huge concern, hopefully it hasn't already redecorated any walls, floors or ceilings and it will calm down, you can use a blowoff tube instead of an airlock or cover the opening of your fermenter with a clean towel, I've read dampening it with something like starsan helps some, once it calms down then you can airlock it.

I just made a strawberry mead that I put strawberries in the secondary, after I did this it was a geyser. I think it is a relatively common

It's why it's often thought by many, that mels and the like should be made in buckets. The larger neck allows for the foam to rise, but if you did 1 gallon in a 2 gallon bucket for example, then you don't get the foam coming out over the top.

Oh and do any stirring etc with the fermenter in the sink.....

fatbloke said:

Oh and do any stirring etc with the fermenter in the sink.....

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very very good point

My last breadyeaster I threw in guavas and raspberries, just to see what would happen. About 2am SWMBO tried to shake me awake because she heard "a noise". I dont remember this but I told her to go to sleep (I dont sleep walk, but I've had whole conversations in my sleep I dont remember). Woke up the next morning to a Jackson Pollack on the ceiling, where the airlock shot off like a bullet.

Point being... yeah... be careful with the fruits.

CreamyGoodness said:

My last breadyeaster I threw in guavas and raspberries, just to see what would happen. About 2am SWMBO tried to shake me awake because she heard "a noise". I dont remember this but I told her to go to sleep (I dont sleep walk, but I've had whole conversations in my sleep I dont remember). Woke up the next morning to a Jackson Pollack on the ceiling, where the airlock shot off like a bullet.

Point being... yeah... be careful with the fruits.

Click to expand...

Which, again, suggests that a bucket, with maybe either a sanitised cloth or maybe just some cling wrap is ideal for the early part of the fermentation.

Closed top/airlocked fermenters won't necessarily "pop" or foam out the top, but any large(ish) pieces of fruit that rise on any foam generated, can indeed block the airlock and the rise in pressure etc etc.......

Those who've made beers first, often have a stronger/bigger hangup about excessive hygiene - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but reading through others methods/techniques can help some i.e. like when aerating in the early stages, a beer brewer just wouldn't, but if a 1 gallon batch is tried, it's minimal expense to try others methods.

Plus if you can, put the fruit in a loosely tied muslin. The yeast will get to it whatever, and the only draw back is a lesser gravity reading.

Failing that as ideas, just make a slightly smaller traditional batch, and then rack onto the fruit in secondary (muslin still being a good idea), as that usually makes for a more fruity tasting, earlier drinkable batch......