Wart loss during primary fermentation

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jefferym09

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I brewed a seasonal two days ago and it's fermenting very vigorously. The krousen is coming out of the blow off tube ànd all. 1 had the wart up at the 5 gallon mark now it looks like the liquid is only at 4.5 gallons. What do I do about this? This happened last brew too and the only thing I did different on these last two was sparge enough to where I had enough wart to fill to 5 gallons without topping off with tap water...
 
Not much you can do this time around. I'd just bottle the volume you have left after fermentation. The only other option depending on how far into fermentation you are you could top off with water but that will dilute your beer leaving it more watery and less alcoholic. For next batch you might want to ferment in 6-7gallon container that will give you more headspace so the krausen won't blow out so much.
 
I would just bottle/keg what you have left. Collect little more so that you end up with 5.5g of wort after the boil next time. Trub will always claim some wort too.
 
Well I have a 6.5 gallon carboy too but I've been told not to use it for 5 gallon batches because more headroom means more potential oxygen to infect it...
 
Well I have a 6.5 gallon carboy too but I've been told not to use it for 5 gallon batches because more headroom means more potential oxygen to infect it...

When you dump your wort into the fermenter you want oxygen. As soon as fermentation begins the CO2 forms and since it is heavier than air it pushes the air up and out leaving a layer of CO2.:)

My fermenter tops off at 30+ liters and my usual brew is 23 liters. Never have blow offs or problems with oxygen and usually leave it in the fermenter for 3-4 weeks..

bosco
 
ok, so at this point all i can hope for is for the fermentation to slow down soon i guess. But as far as future brews go, should i always put it into my 6.5 gallon carboy for primary? or is there some way to tell if i will need to do that (yeast attenuation, OG reading, etc...)?
 
Best answer.. yes. And you may still need a blowoff tube at times. Especially with bigger, high gravity beers.
 
ok, so at this point all i can hope for is for the fermentation to slow down soon i guess. But as far as future brews go, should i always put it into my 6.5 gallon carboy for primary? or is there some way to tell if i will need to do that (yeast attenuation, OG reading, etc...)?

Krausen during fermentation depends on so many variables.

Yeast- Some go volcanic and some are tame (depending on even more variables.) Age-Starter vs dry pitch-etc.

Temperature- Even a two or three degree increase or decrease can give you huge differences in the amount of krausen.

What's in the fermenter- The amount and kind of fermentables and non-fermentables will give different results.

And last but not least: Even when everything seems to be the same as a previous brew things can and often do give different results.

Use a sensibly over-sized fermenter, and until you have a good working knowledge of the particular yeast's characteristics with different temperatures and brew ingredients always use a blow off.

The yeast has to work on the fermentables and whether it does so at a rapid rate or a slower more controlled rate it will produce the same amout of CO2. The CO2 can either gently bubble to the surface or can (think Mentos in a bottle of soda) froth out all over the place. ;)

I use a lot of Nottingham yeast and it has the reputation of going ballistic. Cool temperatures in the low 60's tends to tame it and I do not get more than two or so inches of krausen in my ales. The krausen eventually dissipates and falls to the bottom and isn't pumped out only to be discarded.

bosco
 
ok, yea there was plenty of fermentables,

it had lots of 2-row, 1 lb crystal 40, 1lb wheat malt, and .8 lbs roasted barley. then there was a fair amount of cinnamon, but most importantly there was 1.25 lbs orange blossom honey. Im assuming the honey could have been what made it go so crazy. but maybe im wrong. i think i am just gonna use my 6.5 carboy for primary from now on. Thanks Guys! Merry Christmas!
 
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