Help! super violent fermentation!

[scarfaceshim]

So i woke up this morning came downstairs to check my Russian Imperial Stout in the primary out and it looked like a war zone. foam was coming out of the top of the fermenter the airlock was all gummed up and the lid looked like it was going to exploded. I took off the top lid of the airlock because there is no point because foam is comin out so fast and i dont want my primary to expode! what is happening to cause such a violent fermentation? is there any saving it? I swear to god Im not trolling!

 

[Beardedterror]

It's a Russian imperial stout. That's what happened! Higher OG = more sugars to consume, and the yeast can really go to town on big brews. If I were you, I'd get a blow-off tube. Put it around the inside ring of a 3-piece airlock and run the tube into a jar of sanitizer solution. Things should die down in a few days.

 

[ThreeBrothersBrewery]

Could be the yeast too. Even on our low gravity beers the Trappist Ale from wyeast goes nuts. Combine that with high OG and it's all over! Definitely would use a blowoff next time around as previous poster said.

 

[pksmitty]

+1. Blow-off tube is the answer. Either put the tube straight into the grommet, or on top of the center tube in the airlock. If you attach the tube to the airlock, be sure the "little x" of plastic is removed from the bottom of the airlock tube. That x can get clogged up easy! Put the other end of the tube in a bucket of sanitizer or water and be sure it's lower than the top of the bucket. That will prevent a reverse siphon!

 

[homebrewdad]

Nothing is wrong, just good fermentation. If you have a blowoff tube, use it now.

If you don't, make one. You mentioned taking the top off your airlock, so you have a 3 piece style.

Grab your siphon hose. Sanitize it, and cram it down over the nipple on the airlock. Drop the other end in a bowl/buckt of sanitizer solution. I had to make a small slit in my hose to get it to fit on my airlock nipple.

Keep an eye on it and clean the airlock if it starts to get blocked.

A couple of days from now, things will settle down, and you can go back to the regular airlock, if so desired.

 

[scarfaceshim]

thanks everyone! I was freaked when I came downstairs and saw my fermentor hissing beer all over my drums, wall and couch with foam pourin out like I just mixed baking soad and vinegar

 

[homebrewdad]

thanks everyone! I was freaked when I came downstairs and saw my fermentor hissing beer all over my drums, wall and couch with foam pourin out like I just mixed baking soad and vinegar

I think that we all have had that moment. I did the same thing two months ago, made a panicked post here.

Now, you can help give advice to other newbies.

 

[BrewChem]

Did you take a photo of the carnage..? Sounds like a good "don't let this happen to you" poster...!

 

[scarfaceshim]

I should have, but my camera is broken. I was quite a horror scene!

 

[bk0]

Did it look like this:

..because that's what happened with my 'enhanced' RIS I just did.

 

[scarfaceshim]

yup haha I really couldn't believe my eyes!

 

[sweetcell]

Grab your siphon hose. Sanitize it, and cram it down over the nipple on the airlock. Drop the other end in a bowl/buckt of sanitizer solution. I had to make a small slit in my hose to get it to fit on my airlock nipple.

heating up the hose in hot water will soften it up and help with slipping it on the nib/nipple/inner tube/etc of the air-lock.

 

[BMan1029]

After scrubbing a bunch of crap off my ceiling, blow off tubes it was from then on out. Its amazing to see such a powerful fermentation, just not when its on your stuff......

 

[cheezydemon3]

Blow offs are nice, but since I got a handle on ferment temps, even my BIG beers haven't needed a BO.

Honestly, If you need a blowoff, I bet temps are a little too high, and off flavors would be more of a concern to me.

Slow and low is the way on ANY beer. (except that wierd belgian one where you ferment at 80F)

 

[Camride]

Hey, at least you didn't get a brewkkake: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/belgian-yeast-no-joke-314054/

 

[Jsmith82]

In Mother Russia, stout ferment you!

 

[dankhops]

that's awesome bk0!

i had this happen to me last weekend @scarface. scared me too!! all is good though. part of the fun.

 

[carrolte]

Blow offs are nice, but since I got a handle on ferment temps, even my BIG beers haven't needed a BO.

Honestly, If you need a blowoff, I bet temps are a little too high, and off flavors would be more of a concern to me.

Slow and low is the way on ANY beer. (except that wierd belgian one where you ferment at 80F)

Right on. On my barley wine in my fermentation chamber I made sure it fermented ~63 for the first 3-4 days. never came close to blowing out. Then I just raised the temp 1 degree per day after that until getting up to 68. Still haven't checked my FG but surely it's all good.

 

[NotSoNew2Brew]

Temperature Can always control those violent, volcano like fermentations. In the beginning I would cool down by putting carboy or plastic fermenter in one of those large red picnic pales with rope handle. Filled halfway w water and throw a towel over it (wet as well and the towel falling in to water in the bucket to keep it from drying) and it will drop the temp significantly, if that was the issue. If you want to go a step further, have a small fan pointed at the wet towel on the carboy. Remember how cold it get when the wind blows when you are wearing something wet? Although not perfectly accurate, I would add a taped thermometer on the side of carboy as a guideline to where temp is.

I preffer a slow controlled ferment. I'd wait two weeks to ferment vs 2 days in a fast ferment. Much better brew so I have a chest freezer w temp control although that may not be an option for everyone

One exception is a Belgian style beer... Warmer ferment (mid 70's to low 80's) works well). Keep in mind a vigorous ferment noticibley raises the temperature of the wort during ferment the first few days. Consider this as well. Temps are hard to control without a chest cooler and temperature control IMO, although during winter in CA the garage is perfect for a good ferment. If too cold, try Pacman Yeast from Wyeast (I think). It ferments well in cooler temps than the recommended for your average ale yeast....happy brewing