I've been pondering this for a while now. My fermentation temps are consistently 68 degrees, and I always brew 5 gallon batches. I ferment in your standard 6.5 gallon "ale pale". I cannot recall a single batch where I didn't fill a blow off tube with foam. Any ideas?
Why do I ALWAYS need a blow off tube? (bucket)
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Suthrncomfrt1884
Well-Known Member
It all depends on your yeast. You must be using the same strains of yeast a majority of the time?
maida7
Well-Known Member
There is nothing wrong with blow off. It's usualy a sign that your fermentation is going well. If it really bothers you try some foam control drops.
What kind of yeast are you using? How much wort is there in the pail? Is the fermenting liquid at 68 or is that the air temp?
What kind of yeast are you using? How much wort is there in the pail? Is the fermenting liquid at 68 or is that the air temp?
It doesn't bother me except when the lid seems like it's going to blow off because the tube is so full of foam. This has happened with Safale, Nottingham, White Labs, and Wyeast. The air temp is 68.
PseudoChef
Well-Known Member
dwarven_stout
Well-Known Member
If the air temp is 68, then the beer temp is 70+. Most yeasts will blow off in that case if they don't have a lot of headspace (say if you put 5 gal in a 5gal carboy). I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you're getting off flavors.
maida7
Well-Known Member
Get a bigger hose that won't clog as easy.
The yeast activity produces heat. The fermenting liquid could be 10 degrees hotter then the air in the room. You absolutly must get one of those stick on thermometers to monitor the temp of the fermentor. Fermentation temp control is a HUGE factor in making great beer. 78 is wicked hot and will result in bad off flavors.
I you use foam control in your boil (something such as FermCap), it will greatly reduce your chances of blowoff. I've never had a blowoff (yet). In fact, my last 2 brews were 6 gallons going into 6.5 and 7 gallon fermenters and still no krausen in the airlock.
Edcculus
Well-Known Member
+1 Your temps aren't bad, but lowering them could reduce blowoff. You could also try lower pitching temp.
Sounds like mostly a non-issue.
I would take your fermenting temperature down a few degrees. If you are fermenting at 68 degrees ambient, actual beer temperature is several degrees warmer, esp at the beginning. Depending on the yeast strain, you are right at the edge for possible off-flavors.
However, if you haven't had any issues yet, then keep doing what you are doing.
I would take your fermenting temperature down a few degrees. If you are fermenting at 68 degrees ambient, actual beer temperature is several degrees warmer, esp at the beginning. Depending on the yeast strain, you are right at the edge for possible off-flavors.
However, if you haven't had any issues yet, then keep doing what you are doing.
maida7
Well-Known Member
I would think that is high temp to pitch. I usualy start most ales in the low to mid 60's and let them warm slowly. But if it works for you then go for it.
If your ferment size is reasonably close to your fermenting vessel size you should ALWAYS be worried about yeast blowoff. If you aren't you probably aren't pitching enough yeast to begin with.
As already mentioned, ambient air temperature is much lower than fermentation temperature, and you will want to be careful with your fermentation temps so you don't get fusels or other off flavors. The hotter the yeast gets, the faster it works. The faster it works the more krausen is built.
I use fermcap, lets me get by with 5.5g in my 7g conical and I don't have to use a blowoff tube. Its pretty touch and go with possibly needing a little bit more fermcap when I've got belgian yeasts fermenting with the actual fermentatino temp in the high 70s low 80s, but it stays in the fermenter.
As already mentioned, ambient air temperature is much lower than fermentation temperature, and you will want to be careful with your fermentation temps so you don't get fusels or other off flavors. The hotter the yeast gets, the faster it works. The faster it works the more krausen is built.
I use fermcap, lets me get by with 5.5g in my 7g conical and I don't have to use a blowoff tube. Its pretty touch and go with possibly needing a little bit more fermcap when I've got belgian yeasts fermenting with the actual fermentatino temp in the high 70s low 80s, but it stays in the fermenter.
Isn't this a good thing? Doesn't this mean you are pitching plenty of yeast and it's a good fermentation? The only times I've had big blowoff have been when I used more than enough yeast (according to Mr Malty calc), although they have been big beers as well.
bja
Well-Known Member
I've always heard to rehydrate dry yeast with 90ish degree water before pitching. Since I don't do that, I pitch at 75 degrees, then let it cool down gradually. Will dry yeast be able to get started in 65 degree wort?
If it works great AND tastes great, how can the temp be too high?
If it works great AND tastes great, how can the temp be too high?
With the yeasts that you've used in the temperature ranges you've listed I have a pretty hard time believing you don't have fusels or other off flavors. I had fusels from letting my fermentation temp get up to 69f with PacMan yeast.
Take it to a local homebrew club meeting and get some other opinions.
Take it to a local homebrew club meeting and get some other opinions.
If you're not getting off-flavors when pitching at 75 degrees, and an ambient air temperature of 68, I'd say that yes, you're lucky. If you have vigorous enough fermentation to have blow offs and it's done in three days, I'd guess that your fermentation temperature is approaching 80 degrees.
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I have had off flavors with Nottingham over 70 degrees. Not ambient temperature, but the actual temperature of the fermenting beer. You can use a stick on thermometer to get an idea of the temperature inside the fermenter. My beers fermented at 70 or over were alright, but not nearly as good as the ones fermented at 65 degrees or lower. (Again, not ambient temperature, which is usually 5-7 degrees lower). The warmer ferments caused some esters and fusels that I didn't care for, but it was still drinkable.
I like to pitch my yeast when my wort is about 60 degrees, and then let it warm up to fermentation temperatures. It gives the "cleanest" flavor for ales for me.
maida7
Well-Known Member
DavidSteel
Well-Known Member
YooperBrew said:
Yeah, those thermometer strips are crucial for knowing what temperature your beer is actually fermenting at!
My beer that had some fusels (a light amount, no judges didn't notice it in a comp) was at 69 and it was hard for me to tell I had a problem, something just tasted a little off and I couldn't put my finger on it. I took it to a club meeting when we had a pretty big name professional brewer who was also BJCP certified there and I had her try my beer, after a few sips to anaylze it she noticed the fusels and it all made sense.
I rebrewed the beer and took the fermentation temp down to 64f and its flawless and certainly is a LOT more enjoyable, despite barely being able to detect the fusels before.
