When pitching one single packet of, say, Nottingham yeast into 5 gallons of 1.070 beer, does a vigorous crazy ferment prove the yeast are overworked? I get these insane ferments with all my ales, any kind of yeast, really, and basement ambient temps range from 61F to 65F. I always pitch around 70-75F and I used to aerate but tried a non-aerated batch and still got as violent a ferment as ever. Yes these ferments blow trub through the airlock and blowoff tube. I built a stir plate to increase pitch volume for future batches and look forward to less violent ferments. Am I correct in thinking that a pitch of lots more viable yeast will result in consistent, slow and low ferments, vs quick, vigorous and violent?
Vigor in relation to pitch volume
- Thread starter McNulty
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Part of the problem is pitching at 70-75F. Even if basement ambient is more in the 61-65F range, exothermic fermentation will warm you up quite a bit. Cooler temps will slow you down. Underpitching and underoxygenating might as well in theory, but there are other negative consequences to those options.
That's what I was thinking too. Nottingham works well at 59-70 degrees. Well, it "works" even better at higher temperatures, in that it can be explosive, but it tastes best when fermented at lower temperatures. Explosive ferments aren't harmful in themselves, but they can get "hot" fast. What happens is that fermentation produces heat, which makes the yeast work harder and faster, which makes the fermentation go even harder, which produces more heat, etc.
I'd suggest a stick-on thermometer on the fermenter, and keeping the actual beer temperature at 60-65 if possible. That will give the best flavor.
