Came Home To A Little Problem (HELP)

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JayTeeDee

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Hi,

Yesterday I started brewing a Stone Brewing IPA after I got done I let the wort cool naturally and then I put it in the bucket and added 2 Gallons of cold spring water to make 5 Gallons. I tested the temp after it settled and I pitched the yeast at about 72º. I put my top on and tightened down (which may have been my first mistake) and let it be.

I didn't notice any fermentation activity before I went to bed and I didn't check it this morning before I went to work. So I got home at about 6:30 and I take a look at it. I first noticed that there was some activity in my airlock and then I look to the right and I see that I got foam and hop residue leaking out the side. Yikes. So I cleaned up re-sanitized my top and airlock and set it back on the bucket. I also placed the bucket in a ice bath to try to get the temp down because its was at about 75º according to the strip thermometer. But its still kind of foaming up around the top and I don't have a blow off tube.

I would like to save this batch if at all possible, what else can I do? Please help.

I've included a couple pics of what it's doing right now.

Thanks in advance.

photo 1.jpg


photo 2.jpg
 
I don't see a problem. Just looks like some vigorous fermentation.
If you don't have a blowoff just lift the lid every so often to vent. The krausen and co2 pushing out will keep the beer okay.
RDWHAHB
 
Same thing has happened 2 me before. I did exactly what you did resealed everything asnd still had lots of activity. the beer surprisingly came out great still. I would just seal it up and let it be.
 
It'll be fine.

I blew the top off my fermenter more than once and the beer has always turned out. Not to say that it couldn't end badly, but there's a whole lot of Co2 coming off at this point and a nice layer of foam.
 
Easy. Blow off tube and/or Fermcap-S. A blowoff tube is just a section of tubing that replaces your airlock. You run the tubing from your lid to a bucket half filled with sanitizer so that if the foam gushes out the fermenter, it just empties into the bucket of sanitizer.

I like using Fermcap-S. It's a food grade anti-foaming agent that can be used both in the boil to end a vigorous hot break or in the fermenter to limit the size of the krausen foam. I've brewed some very high gravity beers using two drops per gallon of Fermcap and the krausen in the fermenter was limited to about an inch, maybe two. It also settles out into the trub after a few days.
 
Keep it cool, 75 is pretty high. For most ales I like to stay in the low to mid sixties. Check the suggested range for the yeast and stay on the low end of the range.

You will get a more vigorous fermentation with higher temperatures but also risk off flavors.

I suggest that you start EVERY fermentation with a blow off tube set up.

What you have done so far is good. You should have no problems.
 
75* isn't necessarily ideal but I wouldn't be concerned with it appreciably affecting the flavor. The kit might not taste exactly like it's namesake but you probably won't notice any off flavors.
 
It's going to be OK!

I'll just repeat what everyone else already said, use a blowoff tube and/or consider getting the fermentation temp into the 60's (for ales). Regarding Fermcap-S, it didn't help me in the fermentor (though it is MAGIC in the boil pot).
 
Maybe if you turn the buckets right side up you would have less of a problem....

Np really, no problem at all like everyone else has mentioned.
 
The leak around the lid doesn't concern me at all; I'd be far more concerned about the temperature. 75° is a little high for an ale, and is a big part of the reason your fermentation is going so vigorously. If you can get it down to 65°, both problems will be solved.
 
Thanks to everyone for the quick responses it was all good advice. Since I didn't have a blow off tube what I ended up doing was pretty much just leaving it alone in the ice bucket to get the temp back down when after a while it calmed down and got to 65 and it's holding steady right there as of this morning before I left for work. I made sure to keep the fan on and set my home thermostat low to keep the ambient temperature in the room at about 60 as well.

I'm didn't notice any activity in the airlock which was a little concerning I chose not to stir it before securing the top back I thought the best course of action would just be to leave it alone and let it do it's thing. It's only going to be in primary for one week and then I will siphon it to secondary for two weeks for the dry hopping. I hope it turns out with no more issues.

Thanks again guys.
 
I'll add to the chorus on this one! I'm still a very new home brewer (started in '11 but didn't brew at all in '13) and this has happened to me more than once. Never had it come to be an issue. I'd invest in an overflow tube (just get a spare bung and go to home depot and find about 4 feet of the proper gauge tubing
 
They are so cute at this age............

This borderline condescending b.s. is pretty silly considering that (like many threads I see on here), the OP had legitimate questions that were missed by nearly everybody who replied.

Here, the OP had an issue with a vigorous and hot fermentation that was blow-off worthy and leaking. The OP clearly stated that he doesn't have a blow off tube and indicated that he knows the temperature was too high, and asked for tips on how to save the batch.

In response, he was told various versions of "use a blow off tube and ferment cooler", both of which is good general advice, but neither of which helps the OP in the situation he was in.

As incredibly helpful and patient people are on this forum, I sometimes I wonder if people on this forum are so excited to say "RDWHAHB" and bask in the glory of their brewing veteran-ness, that they don't actually read the posts they're replying to.

OP, sorry for the mini-derail and I'm glad your beer looks like it's going in the right direction. Yes, RDWHAHB does apply here as it usually does :).

If I could make one suggestion, I would consider giving the beer more time than one week in primary before transferring, particularly in light of the fact that it fermented a bit warm the first few days. It would be nice to give the beer a solid week on the cake after active fermentation has completed so that it can clean up as much as possible.

If you can't test gravity, giving it 2 weeks total in primary would be a safe bet. That being said, most or all of that same conditioning can happen in secondary, and depending on the yeast and style it may not matter anyway. Just a thought.
 
Since you said you were going to siphon. You can use the tubing from the siphon for a blowoff. I stick mine in the hole in the lid of the bucket and the other end in a gallon jug half full if sanitizer.
 
@JPrather

Thanks for your reply. I think I was able to save it by lowering the temperature and maintaining it at 65 - 68. I'll take your advice and leave it in the primary for another couple days. My instructions said for 1 week Primary and 2 weeks secondary but I don't think a extra day or so would hurt it. I just hope it turns out well. I'm looking forward to having a home brew IPA for the springtime.
 
Thanks to everyone for the quick responses it was all good advice. Since I didn't have a blow off tube what I ended up doing was pretty much just leaving it alone in the ice bucket to get the temp back down when after a while it calmed down and got to 65 and it's holding steady right there as of this morning before I left for work. I made sure to keep the fan on and set my home thermostat low to keep the ambient temperature in the room at about 60 as well.

I'm didn't notice any activity in the airlock which was a little concerning I chose not to stir it before securing the top back I thought the best course of action would just be to leave it alone and let it do it's thing. It's only going to be in primary for one week and then I will siphon it to secondary for two weeks for the dry hopping. I hope it turns out with no more issues.

Thanks again guys.

You probably are not seeing airloc activity because the bucket might be leaking. Hence the foam on the side of the bucket. I would recomend replacing the bucket, but this batch should be fine. Usually when I get a high kruse like this, I just let it spill threw the air lock. You get the lid a little dirty, but it wipes right up. It probably took off so fast because of the high temp. As long as you drop the temp within 24-48 hrs, it should be fine.
On another note, those foam drops previously stated, work AWSOME. I use them and I can ferment pretty much anything in 5 gal buckets with no blow off problems
 
@JPrather

Thanks for your reply. I think I was able to save it by lowering the temperature and maintaining it at 65 - 68. I'll take your advice and leave it in the primary for another couple days. My instructions said for 1 week Primary and 2 weeks secondary but I don't think a extra day or so would hurt it. I just hope it turns out well. I'm looking forward to having a home brew IPA for the springtime.

I would not secondary, I rarely do unless the beer is going to age over long periods. IPAs are meant to be consumed fresh, if possible I give them 2-3 weeks, keg with dryhop, less then a week on co2 and i'm drinking fresh hoppy beer.
I know you can't keep this schedule if you bottle but I'm just trying to point out that transferring only exposes your beer to one more chance to infection and there is no benefit on such a short ferment. KISS
 
I'm not expert, but the more I read the more I believe in the "no 2ndary fermentation" theory. Extra time to clean up flavors, and one less step for us newbies to cause trouble.

3 weeks in primary and bottle would be pretty darn tasty!


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Just thought I'd give you guys an update. I racked to secondary last night and started my dry hopping process (amarillo hops) The temp is holding steady between 66-68 and I'm getting some steady activity in my carboy. I think it just might be OK. I'm going to leave it in the carboy for 2 1/2 weeks and then keg it up.
 
2.5 weeks dry hopping is a bit longer than most leave there's sit in the hops. Generally I believe around 7 days is the preferred max time in hops as you can get a grassy flavor from leaving them sit too long on the hops. Just my .02. I'm sure others will disagree.


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