Another foam-over

[Torchiest]

Damn, I just can't seem to hit the sweet spot with my fermentations. A month and a half ago, I had a 40hr lag time on my first wit. Last week, I had a severe blow-off with my second wit. Of course, I overfilled the carboy, and I anticipated that one, putting the blow-off tube on from the start.

Yesterday I brewed my second IPA. I left more than a gallon of headspace, and I figured it would be fine, and yet I check this morning, and the airlock is full of crud, with foam gushing out of it. Sheesh. I've heard good things about WLP001 having a fast ferment, but this is ridiculous!

Does anyone else get the feeling sometimes that they'll never get the perfect ferment? Everything is either too vigorous or too mild. Probably it's one of those things you only think about when it's not going right. Still, I'm clearly having more success lately getting good fermentations, too good. My last three have needed the blow-off tube now.

 

[WOP31]

I use a blow off every time just to be on the safe side. I haven't had a beer not blow off, untill my stout last week (low OG), for a couple of years now. I don't think that there could ever be the perfect fermentation. As far as being too vigorous, I don't think that can happen. a good strong ferment is ussually what I am looking for. It means proper attenuation.

Cheers

 

[Hops-4-Life]

I went to this homemade airlock for this brew - 15+ lbs of grain and right on top of a fresh and hungry cake.

Its made of 3/4" PVC - two 90 degree fittings - and 3" of clear hose that fits snuggly into the carboy neck. Easy to break down and clean since it is just "pressed" together.

Its airtight and allows for a very vigorous fermentation with good blow off capacity.

 

[david_42]

I only get "perfect" ferments in the smaller, lighter beers. Big beers, I just put it in the sink and let it rip.

 

[sirsloop]

I went to an 8 gallon primary w/ airlock after one of my old chocolate stouts exploded to the ceiling. No problems since, even with some REAL crazy activity

Blow off = wasted beer

 

[Torchiest]

Eight gallon primary, eh? So you use plastic buckets for primary?

 

[sirsloop]

yes...

http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/4,7687.htm

 

[Torchiest]

If I did that, I'd probably make six gallon batches and then use a 6gal carboy for secondary. :rockin:

 

[sirsloop]

I usually end up stretching the batch out to about 5.5 gallons, which turns out to be around 5 gallons after you rack it. Homebrew is very rich beer, and I can't really tell the difference between 5 gallon and 5.5 gallon batches of the same recipe. I use my old 6.5 gallon primary as a secondary, which works very well.

lol... the point of using the 8 gallon fermenter is to avoid blow off... so making 6 gallon batches would put you back in the same spot you started! HAHH!

 

[Torchiest]

Yeah, that's pretty much how I operate.

Luckily, my IPA has calmed down. The blow-off tube was filthy from the previous batch, and I didn't feel like cleaning it out, so I just switched out my two airlocks a couple times after they got wort/beer in them. It's all good now though.

 

[JacktheKnife]

Torchiest,

The carbouys in the pictures on your 'Gallery' are way too full.
In see that they are marked with tape but are filled way over the mark, and they are marked 'way over' 5- 5.5 gallons. ie.
Marked too high an filled too high too!
I use 7 gallon carbouys for primarys and 5 gallon carbouys for secondarys, the primarys are marked at 5 gallons and get filled to about 1/2 gallon over the mark. Plenty of room for krausen.
With a blow off hose, for insurance, I never have much 'foam over'.
With Fermintis Safale 56, I don't need a blow off hose, and go right to the lock.
but with Safale - 04, I need a blow off hose!

I leave the cork with no hole in it, ie. the shaking cork,
in the carbouy as long as I can, 6-7 hours,
opening it every once in a while to let the air off so that it doesn't blow off the cork.
{after shaking 5 minutes.}
Let the yeast get going before inserting anything.
Then insert the blow off hose to guard against accidents.
Soon as the Krausen stops rising, but before it lays down,
I pull the overflow hose & insert the fermintation lock.

Minimize the time oxygen is in contact with your wort.
Leave the shaking cork in place till the wort 'gets to' working and producing 'oxygen displacing' gas.
And then remove the blow off hose as soon as danger of a 'foam over' is
past.

Luck
J. Knife

 

[dmorris3333]

Torchy,

I have had the same problem this week with an Oatmeal Stout that I brewed. I have never had any problems at all with my plastic fermenter with foamovers. My current batch is an oatmeal stout and it fermented like crazy after about 48 hours in the fermenter. It finally calmed down after about 12 hours. I talked to a friend of mine that brews and he said it was probably the oatmeal or the brown sugar in the recipe, but now I think it might be the liquid yeast I used (WL001) or a combination of both. I have never had this happen before so I wasn't prepared to attach a blowoff tube. I have tried to keep it clean and have removed and sanitized the airlock twice now. I'm hoping the CO2 produced keeps the beer safe. Good luck with your beer.

Darren