Can anyone confirm/comment on this technique: 2 weeks in the primary, 24 horus...

[abefroman]

Can anyone confirm/comment on this technique: 2 weeks in the primary, 24 hours without the air lock, then add the air lock for the remainder, then after the two weeks are up siphon to a primary with spout add sugar and bottle.

Will this work as a general rule of thumb for ales? (Using liquid wyeast)

 

[McGarnigle]

Where does 24 hours without an airlock come from?

Many would go longer than two weeks in primary, especially for bigger beers. And the very first step should probably be making a starter.

 

[Kaz]

Why 24 hours with no air lock? I would cover the opening with something, all it takes is a speck of dust to fall in and you could have bug city.

 

[emjay]

Why 24 hours with no air lock? I would cover the opening with something, all it takes is a speck of dust to fall in and you could have bug city.

Bah... don't even try to look at how British homebrewers do things then, it would probably make your brain implode.

 

[abefroman]

I thought it might have too much gas released for the first 24 hours.

 

[johnnyspade]

I know what you're getting at ... Airlock off while the crazy fermentation is happening. Trying to put a time against the process is a bad idea though as the beer will start fermentation when it's ready and finish the same way. Better to seal it from the beginning add a blow off tube.

 

[Vance71975]

Can anyone confirm/comment on this technique: 2 weeks in the primary, 24 hours without the air lock, then add the air lock for the remainder, then after the two weeks are up siphon to a primary with spout add sugar and bottle.

Will this work as a general rule of thumb for ales? (Using liquid wyeast)

I do 30 days primary, with an air lock the whole time. If its a big beer over 1.080 ill sometimes do a 30-90 days in secondary then bottle. This has worked VERY well for me, i would never let a brew sit with no air lock, its asking for trouble, unless your trying to make a "wild brew".

 

[jaycount]

I'd leave it longer than 2 weeks and I wouldn't bother with running without an airlock, use a blow off tube if you think it's going to be an over-active fermentation.

I leave my beers (low gravity) a minimum of 3 weeks, longer on anything higher grav

 

[phenry]

Yeah I make my schedule around the yeast, not the other way around. If they want to take their dear sweet time in making beer, that's fine. I'm not going to be the one to rush a process I can't even begin to comprehend the entirety of.

 

[abefroman]

I'd leave it longer than 2 weeks and I wouldn't bother with running without an airlock, use a blow off tube if you think it's going to be an over-active fermentation.

I leave my beers (low gravity) a minimum of 3 weeks, longer on anything higher grav

What is a blow off tube?

And what woudl be the SG of a high gravity? 1.07+?

 

[Double_D]

Bah... don't even try to look at how British homebrewers do things then, it would probably make your brain implode.

I'm curious about this thing on british homebrewers. A blow off tube is a tube that you stick in the top of your carboy or attach to your bucket to allow the krausen to go where you want it instead of spraying out through your airlock and making a huge mess (which I'm very fimilar with unfortunately).

 

[abefroman]

I'm curious about this. A blow off tube is a tube that you stick in the top of your carboy or attach to your bucket to allow the krausen to go where you want it instead of spraying out through your airlock and making a huge mess (which I'm very fimilar with unfortunately).

Ah, so just a piece of siphoning tube then?

 

[Double_D]

I'd go bigger. I tried the siphoning tube and the krausen just started coming out around it because it wasn't a large enough diameter. I had it work succesfully with the tubing that has a 1/2" I.D.

 

[emjay]

1/2" tube connected to an airlock seems to work best (obviously, without the cap, and in a 3-piece airlock, the dome as well).

If using a carboy, you need something more along the lines of 1" tubing, just stuffed right inside the neck.

 

[jaycount]

I'm curious about this thing on british homebrewers. A blow off tube is a tube that you stick in the top of your carboy or attach to your bucket to allow the krausen to go where you want it instead of spraying out through your airlock and making a huge mess (which I'm very fimilar with unfortunately).

Not to get too far OT but:
http://www.brewingtv.com/episodes/?currentPage=8

The episode on open fermentation will open your eyes to some interesting stuff. It would be a fun experiment but I don't think I would want to rely on it for consistent beer in an uncontrolled environment.

 

[Double_D]

1/2" tube connected to an airlock seems to work best (obviously, without the cap, and in a 3-piece airlock, the dome as well).

If using a carboy, you need something more along the lines of 1" tubing, just stuffed right inside the neck.

I think the one that I stuffed in the neck of my carboy was 3/4" O.D. but that's what I was getting at. It was a smaller carboy (5gal/smaller neck).

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Not to get too far OT but:
http://www.brewingtv.com/episodes/?currentPage=8

The episode on open fermentation will open your eyes to some interesting stuff. It would be a fun experiment but I don't think I would want to rely on it for consistent beer in an uncontrolled environment.

THIS!

Keep the airlock on the entire time, or use a blowoff tube.

The thing about open fermentation breweries is that they have sealed-off fermentation rooms in which the wild yeasts and bacteria (that the brewery wants) are in abundance and able to keep out unwanted buggies.

Open fermentation at home in fine... but I would, personally, do it in a cabinet/chamber/room dedicated to open fermentation.

 

[emjay]

I think the one that I stuffed in the neck of my carboy was 3/4" O.D. but that's what I was getting at. It was a smaller carboy (5gal/smaller neck).

I use a 1" ID (1.25" OD) tube even in my 5gal carboy... the inner diameter of the necks should be the same AFAIK, assuming you're using a glass carboy. But I believe Better Bottles require 3/4" blowoffs - is that what you're using?

This is where I got my 1" ID blow-off tube: Austin Homebrew

 

[Double_D]

Think I would have any problems in a refrigerator dedicated to brewing?

 

[Double_D]

I don't remember. I'm procrastinating at work right now.

 

[Peterock]

Pilsner Urquel is fermented in open tanks. Like what was said already these breweries have special rooms that they open ferment in. I thought about trying it myself. Then I found out that the benefits are minamal (slightly different monthfeel, I think It's got to be cleaner) Anyways When I pitch yeast into wine I'll leave the top on my primary, but on loosely. Same goes for making starters. As I'm learning I'm find out that wine and Beer are 2 totaly different animals. Could someone ferment without airlock/sealed....Yes would I...no
Without proper prep and equipment you may be able to get awawy with it once or twice but to ferment like that frequently be prepared to dump some batches. Unless your going to build a sterile room with air scrubbers,etc