Are my huge fermentations normal?

I alway do starters no matter what the beer. Anywhere from 2 liters to 4 liters and with a stir plate, depending on OG.

I could never do use an airlock. It would blow it off. I use 1" PVC blow-off into water. Within 18 hours the water for the blowoff is bubbling like a hottub. Tons of krausen ends up in the blowoff bucket too.

I am just wondering if this is normal to have such huge fermentations whether a 1.050 or 1.090 beer?

Thanks all.

I think your starters might have something to do with it.

Could I be losing something by having so much krausen ending up in the blowoff bucket?

Doubt you could be loosing much, I believe you are far more ahead by making a adequate starter. As long as our in a degree or so of you target fermentation temp. you should be better than good.


Cheers...

I'm a big believer in proper yeast pitching rates and I feel that it gives you the best beer.

The big blow offs are fine, but I'd just mention to keep an eye on the fermenting temperature. One thing I've noticed is that if I have an ale at 65 degrees, and it's that active, it'll get really hot in there in a very short while! I've had my fermenting ales in the summer get as much as 10 degrees warmer than the air temperature. Of course, the fermentation produces heat, and the yeast go even crazier and produce more heat. It's a vicious cycle.

If your beer is staying under 70 degrees even with all of that activity, you're absolutely fine. You may not have much headspace in your fermenter, so you'd be more likely to need a blow off tube.

I never get blow offs. Well, I can't say never- I think I've used a blow off tube twice. But I rarely make wheat beers which seem to be likely to blow, and I use 8 gallon fermenters so there is plenty of headspace. I also keep my fermenter no higher than 65 degrees, and often less. It seems like I get a slower and steadier fermentation at cooler temperatures, with less temperature fluctuation. But as long as you're at optimum fermentation temperatures, of course my cautions about temperature don't apply.