Beginner Problem

[deafil]

Hello! My first Pale Ale is fermenting/bubbling like crazy since for like 8 hours now. I have decided to install a blow-off to reduce the mess on the floor. The main problem is that I have noticed the huge white foam on the top of carboy. is it just yeast or that bad infected thing will sour my BEER?!?!?

help me please. Pictures below!

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/img0685dg.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/651/img0689qs.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/img0690w.jpg/

 

[Revvy]

It's called krausen....it's the yeast that is fermenting your beer. You WANT krausen...

And, that's why you install a blowoff tube, to keep the "huge white foam on top of the carboy" from going out the airlock.

 

[deafil]

aha yes thank you! your other old post about the blow off hose is what made me to do the same thing. Thank you again. I feel happy.

 

[scottland]

If there was ever a case for: Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew, this is it. That's exactly what fermentation looks like.

 

[beerman0001]

WOW why are you using a 5gal carboy to ferment in?

 

[deafil]

Hey the 5 gallon carboy comes with a beer kit I got for my gift. I want to buy a couple more. I can see the quality of glass is superb. thumb up

 

[crazyseany]

WOW why are you using a 5gal carboy to ferment in?

why not?

 

[Cltroutman]

from what I understand you should use a 6.5 gal. carboy as a primary for 5 gal. of beer. Perhaps it might prevent some of the overflow issues.

 

[deafil]

Ah I see.. that's a good idea to upgrade up mine to 6.5gal for the next batch. thanks. i can use 5 gal for more brew!

 

[cigarmitch]

That 5 gallon is good for a secondary fermenter. There is considerably less of a chance of overflow in a secondary.

 

[birvine]

It's good for now, for sure. In the future you can use a slightly larger one. Or, you can use it for somewhat smaller batches.

The hobby is a fairly flexible one - it's all good.

B

 

[Unibrow]

I'm wondering why the blow off hose is going to another monstrous container...

It's not wrong, but you can probably get away with a mason jar for that job.

Either way - congrats on your first brew!

 

[deafil]

The monstrous container was filled with kickass water which is now in about 90% of my beer. I figured why not to reuse container instead of touching my kitchen supplies.

Scottland told me to relax, dont worry, and have a beer. I can understand now. I think any beginner would never get it until he/she makes a brew! Thank you all. If you guys have any concerns about my pictures. let me know. This place rocks.



from iphone 4

 

[deafil]

Here's the update guys...

Just bottled my pale ale beer today! I've decided to skip the secondary process. Screw it. Let me know if you guys have any advices. Thanks!

 

[unionrdr]

As was said,use the 5G carboy as a secondary for 5G of beer. You want less head space in secondary so there's less chance of air getting in to mix with what little co2 will be present. Contrary to popular belief,a scientist type brewer on here had a long thread about it a while back.

 

[statseeker]

So....that Select bottle isnt your beer is it? From the way I understand it, you dont want any stickers or anything on the bottle you're going to put your beer in. Makes sanitizing the bottle much more difficult. Did you at least try to sanitize the bottle? Process?

 

[jaycount]

I'd be more worried about the fact that Bud Select comes in twist off bottles (I think?) You really want to use pry-off bottles.

 

[theveganbrewer]

I thought having stickers on the bottles was just a personal preference, don't see how that would effect the inner sanitation of the bottle.

Yes, Bud Select is a twist-off, and clear, so there's two things going wrong with these bottles. Try to pick up some pry top amber bottles.

 

[rycov]

the stickers shouldn't affect the the inside of the bottle being sanitized. twist offs are kind of a crap shoot. i've used them before and about 1/3 of my bottles didn't get sealed properly (as evidenced by low carbonation). also brown glass is better as it keeps light off of you're beer. congratulations on you're first batch! welcome to the addiction!

 

[rycov]

You want less head space in secondary so there's less chance of air getting in to mix with what little co2 will be present. Contrary to popular belief,a scientist type brewer on here had a long thread about it a while back.

thats not contrary to popular belief, that IS popular belief?

 

[unionrdr]

Guess I didn't express that very well. He had a more scientific way of explaining how o2 mixes with co2 till enough co2 is produced to make the o2 amount negligible. Something to that effect.

 

[deafil]

Wow cool I didn't realize the twist off bottles do not mix with regular caps. Lucky me I only did two select beer bottles to see the color of beer. Rest of em re in the amber colored bottles.

 

[unionrdr]

Also,competition submissions have to be in brown,unmarked bottles. Always good to be prepared when that most worthy of brews shows itself to you.

 

[rycov]

Guess I didn't express that very well. He had a more scientific way of explaining how o2 mixes with co2 till enough co2 is produced to make the o2 amount negligible. Something to that effect.

OIC. i thought you were saying that 5gal secondaries were not normal.

Wow cool I didn't realize the twist off bottles do not mix with regular caps. Lucky me I only did two select beer bottles to see the color of beer. Rest of em re in the amber colored bottles.

to be fair, the time i used twist bottles i just saved the caps and screwed them back on. i didn't realize you used a capper and regular caps. i have heard that you're way works fine for some people and not so well for others.

Also,competition submissions have to be in brown,unmarked bottles. Always good to be prepared when that most worthy of brews shows itself to you.

+1