waldzinator
Well-Known Member
Hi,
So I've recently relocated to the Charlotte, NC area from PA and I finally got to do some brewing last Sunday. I made a dark British Mild with some leftover Maris Otter I had. Brew day was uneventful (a good thing) and I hit OG 1.040 (little better efficiency, I was shooting for around 1.036). I pitched one vial of WLP Whitbread II into the carboy at around 72 degF.
The next morning, I noticed it was warm in the house so I swamp coolered it with water and frozen water bottles. I hooked up my temp controller to monitor. Throughout the week, I kept temperature around 64-66 (as measured by probe plumbers puttied to outside of carboy). By the day after brewday, I had a layer of krausen and airlock was bubbling. The krausen wasn't monsterous, but normal. Things settled down, but this Saturday night (almost a week after brew day), I noticed the krausen resurging. This morning (1 full week after brew day), it blew through my airlock! WTF?
I have used Whitbread once before without this behavior, and I do understand every fermentation is different, but this is odd. I didn't take a gravity reading yet, since I wanted the krausen to settle out. Just wondering if other folks have had this happen, especially with british strains. To answer some of the obvious questions, yes I aerated it by stirring while chilling and shaking vigorously in carboy. Also, yes I realize 64 is a bit low for the fermenting temperature. I couldn't seem to find a happy medium.
Thanks!
So I've recently relocated to the Charlotte, NC area from PA and I finally got to do some brewing last Sunday. I made a dark British Mild with some leftover Maris Otter I had. Brew day was uneventful (a good thing) and I hit OG 1.040 (little better efficiency, I was shooting for around 1.036). I pitched one vial of WLP Whitbread II into the carboy at around 72 degF.
The next morning, I noticed it was warm in the house so I swamp coolered it with water and frozen water bottles. I hooked up my temp controller to monitor. Throughout the week, I kept temperature around 64-66 (as measured by probe plumbers puttied to outside of carboy). By the day after brewday, I had a layer of krausen and airlock was bubbling. The krausen wasn't monsterous, but normal. Things settled down, but this Saturday night (almost a week after brew day), I noticed the krausen resurging. This morning (1 full week after brew day), it blew through my airlock! WTF?
I have used Whitbread once before without this behavior, and I do understand every fermentation is different, but this is odd. I didn't take a gravity reading yet, since I wanted the krausen to settle out. Just wondering if other folks have had this happen, especially with british strains. To answer some of the obvious questions, yes I aerated it by stirring while chilling and shaking vigorously in carboy. Also, yes I realize 64 is a bit low for the fermenting temperature. I couldn't seem to find a happy medium.
Thanks!
