Funny

I know this is probably nothing. . .

well, here goes....

I brewed a schwarzbier yesterday (see my schwarzbier thread under Recipes/Ingredients for details).

I'm fermenting it in my lagering fridge at 46 degrees F. Its bubbling like mad. I split the batch into two 6.5 gallon carboys, used the same yeast. One is about one gallon more full than the other. That one is fermenting like mad, and is blowing out the top of my airlock something fierce. The other one doesn't seem to be fermenting so briskly. The krauesen is smaller, and the churning isn't so chaotic, much more what I 'd expect of a lager.

The other thing-- even though I chilled my fermenters to the 50's before pitching, they are both reading in the upper 50's, lower 60's on my fermentemp strip while active fermentation is going on, and they will not budge. I'd like them to be lower. The fridge is held constant at 46 with a Ranco controller.


I really wish I'd been able to ferment this in the conical, since being able to see the fermentation is worrying me a bit.

Here's a picture.



I pitched the yeast into both within 30 seconds of each other.

There's no off aromas, but one is cranking while the other is just puttin' along.

Again, I know its probably nothing.

The only thing I can think of is that I may have aerated a little more in the active one.

That's why I hate splitting my batch into 2 fermenters.

If only I could fit one of my conicals in my fridge.

This makes me wonder if your dry yeast pouches had yeast of similar viability in them. That would be one of the more substantial differences between the beers (assuming that you didn't split the yeast pouches between carboys).

What will be interesting is if the attenuation or taste differs at all. But I bet it won't. Still, very strange.

Ah, the beauty of a conical. One batch, one yeast, no worries. I'm thinking of exchanging my 14.5 for the 27 gallon one just for consistency. 4 kegs of the same beer.

FlyGuy said:

This makes me wonder if your dry yeast pouches had yeast of similar viability in them. That would be one of the more substantial differences between the beers (assuming that you didn't split the yeast pouches between carboys).

What will be interesting is if the attenuation or taste differs at all. But I bet it won't. Still, very strange.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought about that. . .

Aside from that, I do believe I aerated the more active one a little longer than the other (maybe a couple minutes more).

I'm not overly worried-- except that both are so vigorous that its raising the temp of the carboys into the high 50's, when I really want it 46 or so.

The fridge is doing its job and keeping an ambient temp of 46. Oh well, I guess I'll just do a good diacetyl rest.

I just kegged the Kostritzer version from the recipie in BYO and used 10 oz of carafa special ll malt.
I'm going to tell you it is the best dark beer I have ever brewed.
Faintly chocolatly with none of the harshness associated with a stout or porter.
I think although your recipie may turn out ok, it won't be as good as it could have been had you used dehusked carafa.
As soon as my lager fridge is freed up, another one will go in.

Oops also forgot to mention GET A BLOWOFF ON THAT SUCKER.

also can you just lower the fridge temp so your lager temps will go down?

boo boo said:

I just kegged the Kostritzer version from the recipie in BYO and used 10 oz of carafa special ll malt.
I'm going to tell you it is the best dark beer I have ever brewed.
Faintly chocolatly with none of the harshness associated with a stout or porter.
I think although your recipie may turn out ok, it won't be as good as it could have been had you used dehusked carafa.
As soon as my lager fridge is freed up, another one will go in.

Oops also forgot to mention GET A BLOWOFF ON THAT SUCKER.

also can you just lower the fridge temp so your lager temps will go down?

Click to expand...

Well, I wish I had the room for a blow-off, and I wish I had the hose for it. . .

I've been cranking my temps down on my fridge to no avail. I wish I'd never put those fermentation temp strips on my fermenters. Those yeasties can crank out some heat if they want to!!