Foam!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SMOKEU

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
370
Reaction score
23
Location
NZ
Whenever I make an extract brew, when I top up the fermenter with cold water after I have added the malt extract it always develops a ****load of foam on top. It's always worse with stouts than with IPA's. I don't want to wait for an hour for the foam to subside, so next time should I just scoop the layer of foam off and get rid of it?
 
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Why do you care about the foam? Does it hurt your feelings? Give you funny looks? Leave the foam alone. Foam is beer too man! Just pitch your yeast into the foam, stir, and cap. Done. We'll see you again in 21 days. Have a good 3 weeks. Foam means good aeration. You have to have good aeration to feed the yeast. Leave it. Don't scoop it.
 
There was so much foam I couldn't fill the fermenter more than 1/2 way with water without the foam spilling out from the top. Stirring it didn't seem to have much effect.
 
I've never seen that and I brew all grain and aerate through a strainer, so I have some serious foaming. I'd just let it settle with the lid on and make sure when you reopen it that you remain sterile. Are you pooring over ice with your wort?
 
If you are using a plastic pail you could try misting the foam with a sprayer. It works to hold down the level of hot break so it might work for your purposes.
 
I've never seen that and I brew all grain and aerate through a strainer, so I have some serious foaming. I'd just let it settle with the lid on and make sure when you reopen it that you remain sterile. Are you pooring over ice with your wort?

No, I'm just filling up with cold water straight from the bath tap after adding LME and a few litres of boiling water.
 
Would suggest getting either a bottling bucket or regular food-grade bucket that's at least 7 gallons deep. I use my bottling bucket to mix & aerate my wort (with water already in it), and never had issues with over-foam. Plus if you use a bottling bucket, it's easy to transfer to your primary-just use a length of tube and let 'er rip. You should be able to avoid moving most of the foam into your primary that way if it really bothers you.
 
Hi Smokeu, you could try getting the extract mixed with hot water first. I usually use about 4 or 5 litres of hot water to mix the extract then pour that into the fermenter and top with cold from there.....
 
(smokeu wrote)

No, I'm just filling up with cold water straight from the bath tap after adding LME and a few litres of boiling water

I'm not sure if that's what you're doing, or scarcasm. Usually when brewing with lme, you boil water and lme together for a period of time, then either chill with a chiller and add water to the vessel, or pour the wort over 8 lbs of ice in the fermenter and top with water. Anytime I've poured over ice (when I did extract brewing) I had a foam issue, and that was without aeration. That's why I asked.
 
Back
Top