I am getting back into this after a long time and have made seven batches in the last few months.
Using Papazian (1991 ed), I made Toad Spit Stout following the recipe except 0.7 less pounds of malt extract and 1/4 pound more crystal malt. According to Papazian, the ending gravity should be 1015 - 1019. Soon (12 hr) after pitching the yeast into a large (7 gallon?) plastic fermenting bucket, fermentation was violent with foam coming out the airlock. This has not happened in any of my recent batches. I replaced the airlock after a couple of days total time, and it happened again, although much less radically. After four days total fermentation time, nothing - the water in the airlock did not budge. I depressed the lid of the fermenter and could make it bubble, but it went right back to level.
Today, after eight days in the plastic fermenter, I racked it to a glass carboy. The SG was 1013 and within minutes the airlock is bubbling at a rate that I would expect for an eight day old fermentation. It tastes fine.
Any thoughts on what's up? I am not so much worried as curious. Perhaps it's simply the natural variation in a natural system?
Thank you,
Jeff
Using Papazian (1991 ed), I made Toad Spit Stout following the recipe except 0.7 less pounds of malt extract and 1/4 pound more crystal malt. According to Papazian, the ending gravity should be 1015 - 1019. Soon (12 hr) after pitching the yeast into a large (7 gallon?) plastic fermenting bucket, fermentation was violent with foam coming out the airlock. This has not happened in any of my recent batches. I replaced the airlock after a couple of days total time, and it happened again, although much less radically. After four days total fermentation time, nothing - the water in the airlock did not budge. I depressed the lid of the fermenter and could make it bubble, but it went right back to level.
Today, after eight days in the plastic fermenter, I racked it to a glass carboy. The SG was 1013 and within minutes the airlock is bubbling at a rate that I would expect for an eight day old fermentation. It tastes fine.
Any thoughts on what's up? I am not so much worried as curious. Perhaps it's simply the natural variation in a natural system?
Thank you,
Jeff