BrewBarron

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I tried a liquid yeast with starter for the first time yesterday on a wheat beer. It has finally calmed down but I think I lost about a gallon in the process. I used a blowoff tube and only filled the 6 gallon carboy up to about 5, but man, what a mess. I have brewed 3 times before with dry yeast and have lost very little beer. Is this much loss normal for a liquid yeast?

thanks,

Shooter

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I think it's probably more of an issue that it was a wheat beer. I've had plenty of blowoff incidents with dry yeast.

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shanecb

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I lost about a half gallon with a wheat beer I just made due to blowoff and it wasn't even THAT vigorous.. so I don't see why a 1gal loss wouldn't be unheard of.

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Bobby_M

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Has it been this warm for you earlier brews? You may have had a runaway fermentation temperature.

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BrewBarron

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Actually, I had it in a fermentation chamber, all of my brews have been and I have had little problem until now. It was set at 63 for the wheat and close to that for the rest of my beers. I guess at the least I need a bigger blow off collector since the growler doesn't seem to cut it.

I brewed a wheat last month (different recipe) with a dry yeast and that went well. The only thing I changed for this batch was my water (used a combination of my tap water with distilled water) and the liquid yeast.

rpatton

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I have not had any loss (due to blowoff) while using liquid yeast and a 5 gallon batch / 6 gallon carboy, but I haven't done any wheat beers yet.

munche

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I'm on my third wheat and I don't really have problems with losing liquid, but I have a 1/2" tube that goes 6' to a Pyrex full of sanitizer. The yeast have to be pretty motivated to make it all the way.

I did get a ton of yeast in my pyrex for my Pliny clone, but that was using T-05

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ChshreCat

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Fermcap anyone?

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Yooper

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I use a 7.9 gallon bucket for primary, and I've never had a blow off. When I used a 6.5 gallon carboy for primary, I had a blow off (wheat beer) about 4 years ago. That's the only one so far, though.

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Shooter

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I've had at least half a dozen beers blow off, some were wheat beers, some weren't, some used liquid yeast, some used dry, some were temp controlled, some were not. They were all done in a bucket. Wheat beers seem more susceptible, as do warmer fermentations, but, the lesson to be learned here, ALWAYS rig a blow off tube! Oh, and as ChshreCat notes, once I started using fermentation control in the fermenter I haven't had a problem, but I still rig a tube, just in case.

What makes one batch blow off and another seemingly identical one not? My guess, it's probably related to either voodoo or witchcraft!

__________________
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. - C. S. Lewis, English essayist & juvenile novelist (1898 - 1963)