"Active" Vs. "regular" Fermentation

mahilly · 02-23-2009, 06:48 AM

What is the advantage of a very active fermentation (like the ones I've read about here that blow out the air lock) compared to a regular fermentation that just bubbles through the air lock for a week or so? As long as the wort ferments all the way down does it really matter how active or subtle the fermentation is? Just wondering.

RICLARK · 02-23-2009, 06:52 AM

It all will end up the same. The really explosive ones occur when you have really active yeast and or a huge starter as well as a ton of fermentables.

Brewsmith · 02-23-2009, 06:55 AM

You always want "active" fermentation, not one that just chuggs along slowly for weeks. But active does not mean the lid is blowing off and a blow off tube is necessary. The crazy fermentations that fill up the airlock are a result of several factors that are hard to quantify: Grain bill, gravity, yeast strain, yeast amount, yeast health, temperature, aeration, mash schedule.

In short, an active fermentation will have healthy yeast and ferment completely, giving cleaner beer with less chance of yeast derrived off-flavors.