think i may have a problem...

[muggs]

My first attempt at a home brew is in process. It's been in the fermentor since Monday night- so this is day 4. It was an extract kit, to make an IPA. I did a 90 minute boil as opposed to the 60 minute the instructions called for. It also had some grains I steepd at 165 degrees for 20 minutes before starting the boil.

At first, it looked like good, active fermentation (as far as I can tell). But now I'm getting a little concerned. The beer is really thick, almost like caramel, but what concerns me the most is the amount of foam it's generating- so much, it was in the airlock this morning....

Am I worrying too much, or should I suspect a bacteria problem...

thanks for any help.

 

[bob1852]

IPA's will foam up a lot (it's called krausen though, not foam )

If the airlock gets too clogged - put your racking cane hose in the grommet and put the other end in a jug of sanitizer -- a home-made blow off tube.

p.s. yes, you're worrying too much! It's doing what it should do.

 

[undallas]

what type of beer are you brewing? Wheat beer tends to have more foams.
Did you brew a 5 gallon in a 5 gallons carboy? that might cause problem with foam in the airlock. The beer will thin down after yeast convert the sugar into ethanol/alcohol..

Just be patient. You may consider put a blow off tube and a glass of water before you put the airlock back on in another 2 days or so.

ok.. .IPA it is.. I didn't read it carefully enough

 

[Dennis1979]

No that's all normal. The foam is krausen. If its getting in the airlock, you may need to rig a blowoff. Thw wort is sticky and carmel like until the yeast eats up the sugar and gives back alcohol.

Dennis

 

[muggs]

Ah-hah...okay, "krausen" it is. I'm as "newb" as newb can get...just working and worrying my way through the process I guess. I'll get there eventually.

I believe the carboy is 6 gallons...there was quite a bit of room after pouring the wort into it. I'll check on it tonight, then I might give the blow off tube a shot.

 

[mr_clean]

Be careful with the blow off tube,if your using a glass carboy.If the tube gets clogged it COULD cause an explosion.Just my .02 cents.

 

[0202]

Use a big enough blow off tube.

Airlock's have more of a chance of exploding and only likely
to a faulty carboy. The quality of carboys, however, has
been brought up several times.

Someone posted not too long ago that his carboy exploded
in his closet.

I clipped the X shaped plastic off the bottom of my 3 piece
airlock because of that.