Holy Fermentation!!!!!

So I brewed a Belgian Tripel today, finishing around 1pm this afternoon. I walked down to the basement this evening to check on it and krausen had already spilled out of the 6 gallon carboy, throught the airlock and everywhere!

I'm a little concerned about such a fierce fermentation so soon. I only chilled the wort to about 85 degrees before putting the yeast in, a little warmer than I normally like but it was hot today and I figured it was about the best I could do. It is a pretty high gravity wort (1.074) and I typically experience very fast fermentations anyway, but this is just too fast for comfort.

Should I be concerned at all with contamination? I typically ahve very clean brewing habits... would there be something else that caused this? Is it typical of higher gravity worts?

I brewed a tripel that had similar results. What yeast did you use? I used the 3787 and mine was everywhere in less than 10 hours. I was fermenting around 70 degrees and pitched around there as well. I cleaned it up, hooked up a blow off and I had no issues. The only time I seen that fast of a fermentation was on top of a yeast cake from a previous batch. I wouldn't worry too much, but maybe someone else would have a better explanation than I do.

I used Safbrew S-33 dry yeast.... I don't have a tube to make a blowoff on my carboy, it's too late to go to home depot or anything. I'll hit it up tomorrow, but it's going so crazy that I just took off the airlock completely. I'll just have to leave an open fermentation overnight in the least. I figure with it expelling that much air and krausen that nothing is getting in there... but there's really nothing else I can do.

You can possibly use smaller tubing attached to the bung/stopper if that is an option or even put the airlock in and use tubing on that into a bucket of sanitizer. I've never tried the open fermentation but you may be ok.

ok, I think that worked. I used the three piece airlock with 1/2" tubing connected to the inside. It seems to be working quite well.... I think this will do nicely for now. Thanks!

Nice glad that worked.

Next time in a pinch you can soak a hand towel in sanitizer and drape it over the opening until you can get a blow-off set up.

Never thought of that, sounds like a good idea.

Yeah, it happens with higher gravity beers. Sometimes even with careful temperature control. I'm sure your beer will be fine. These guys survived their ordeal.





-Joe

Damn Joe, you lost some hops there!

Here are 5 of them in a temp-controlled environment, all blowing or getting ready to blow (all wheat beers!). If you have a freezer, you can drop the temp slightly and control this.

Yea, I think I'm going to start putting on the blowoff tube in the beginning. This is only the second time I used my 6 gallon carboy for primary, and the same thing happened (on a much smaller scale) the first time.

You have to respect the Belgian yeast. They are fiery and temperamental little buggers. 85 is a little hot. That's probably why it took off so fast and violently. I just brewed with the Belgian Ardennes yeast. I thought the lid was going to blow off the top of my bucket. I unseated the lid to relieve some of the pressure for a day. Seemed to do the trick

Sounds like the crisis has been resolved for this time. I would sure use a blow off every time. One clean up will change thinking for a lifetime. Also if you can pitch at a lower temp that would help a lot. I am not aware of any yeast that ferments at 80 without some off flavor effect. For sure try and get to 70 or below. 65 is common and helpful especially if you don't want ester production....not so much an issue withmost Belgians.

badhabit said:

Sounds like the crisis has been resolved for this time. I would sure use a blow off every time. One clean up will change thinking for a lifetime. Also if you can pitch at a lower temp that would help a lot. I am not aware of any yeast that ferments at 80 without some off flavor effect. For sure try and get to 70 or below. 65 is common and helpful especially if you don't want ester production....not so much an issue withmost Belgians.

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A lot of Belgian yeast have a 65-85 temp range. You actually want it towards the upper range to get the spice esters with say a Saison or farmhouse style beer. Good time of the year to make these kinds of beer

well that's good to know... I've got it stored down in the unfinished part of my basement, which hangs around 70 ambient temp typically in the summer. But with the aggressive fermentation the carboy is still reading about 80-82*. So still a pretty warm internal temperature.

All I can do is wait and see what happens!

passedpawn said:

Damn Joe, you lost some hops there!

Here are 5 of them in a temp-controlled environment, all blowing or getting ready to blow (all wheat beers!). If you have a freezer, you can drop the temp slightly and control this.

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What size freezer is this would live to have that many going at once!

calebawilson said:

What size freezer is this would live to have that many going at once!

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14.8 cu.ft.

It replaced a 15.8 cu.ft! I have 4 carboys of pale ale in there now Made them all yesterday morning