Is this a good thing?

For the first time my initial stage of fermentation blew up all the way to the top of my 6 gallon bucket and through my airlock. Is this a bad thing or a good thing? Aside from having to clean and replace the airlock are there any downsides? I guess it represents a strong and quick fermentation which is desirable right?

 

yep, it's ok, high gravity beer? use a blowoff tube next time

 

Pro: You have an active, healthy fermentation.

Con: Every time you have to remove, clean, and replace the airlock there is a theoretical possibility for introducing contamination.

That said, you'll probably be fine. I've had to remove my airlock for cleaning plenty of times due to overactive ferments and never had a problem. I've even had the lid blow off the bucket more than once with no ill effects. Just cleaned it up with some Star San and reattached.

In the future I would recommend A) adding a blow-off tube, or B) using Ferm-Cap, or C) both.

 

Another reason that it might be a bad thing is the fact that it might be pointing to high fermentation temps, which is typically not a good thing for the quality of your beer. If your fermentation temps are good, then it's just a clean-up/contamination issue as mentioned.

 

Very interesting. Hi temps can mean super active fermentation? The temps were higher than I would have liked but we are talking about 77 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 74.

 

When you say 77 degrees do you mean that's the temperature of the room the fermenter is in? Or the temperature of the beer itself?

Fermentation creates heat, so when beer ferments it will usually be anywhere from 5 to 10 degrees hotter than it's surroundings. So, if the room is 77 the beer could be as hot as 87 degrees, which is extremely hot for the majority of styles. Even 77 degree beer is hot for that matter. On most ales my fermentation chamber temp is between 55-60 degrees, and that gives me a beer temp of about 65F more or less.

Fermenting at these lower, stable temps will typically create mild fermentation. It will also give you a cleaner, better tasting beer.

 

To me 70 anything is too high. If the room was 77 then fermentation was in the 80's. Way too high in my opinion, and would lead to the condition you had.

That's not to say the beer will be bad, but try to keep the ferment temps in the mid 60's next time.

 

You betcha! Is there any other kind of gravity?

 

Probably closer to the room than the beer. That was the temperature on the lid of the bucket inside a cool brewing bag about 20 hours after pitching.

 

I was actually wondering about exactly this. The only beer that came out of my fermenter was a high-gravity IPA fermented at RT (in winter time though with heat set to 68-70F). All my other beers that I put into my temp-controlled chamber did not blow out or showed vigorous fermentation. They all came out great though. So my question/guess is - blow-outs will only happen at high temps while at lower temperatures fermentation is slower but steady.

 

Yes and no. What Stauff was saying is that at higher temps you're much more likely to have a really wily krausen and maybe some blowoff depending on headspace. But that doesn't mean that a beer at lower temps won't throw a big krausen or blowoff, it's just not as likely.

Personally, I've had one true blowoff in my home brewing, and that was a moderate gravity ale, using a yeast known for big krausen at room temp. Under temp control, that same yeast still throws a big head, but not quite as aggressively. Conversely, I'm working at an upstart pub, we're just starting to pilot and fermenting in a temp controlled room at ~60º ambient. We've had several beers blow off significantly, one even firing a bung to the ceiling and across the room. Long story not so long, yeah, temps play a role in the vigor of a fermentation, but so do yeast and wort makeup (gravity, proteins, hops, etc.).

 

Probably closer to the room than the beer. That was the temperature on the lid of the bucket inside a cool brewing bag about 20 hours after pitching.

 

I've had brews where they were in the mid 60's ferment temp,& still needed a blow off. It has to do with how vigorous & healthy the yeast pitched is. Temp def has an effect on fermentation,but so does yeast amount/health & wort make up. More simple sugars + healthy yeast pitch makes for vigotous fermentations that go nuts.

 

Now you make me feel like my yeasts were unhappy However, they still made tasty beer in a short time. For my IIPA I actually added 1 lb of sugar after 4 days, i.e. after primary fermentation was already subsiding. Turned out darn good!