Couple Questions

[Don223]

Brewed a few batches 10 years ago, brewed one last year, and recently brewed the following Norther Brewer kits:

-Dry Irish Stout (6lbs Gold LME, 1lbs roasted barley, 2oz cluster, Safale S-04, 1.040 OG)
-Cream Ale (6lbs Pilsen LME, .75lbs honey malt, .25lbs Dingemans Biscuit, Safale US-05, 1.038 OG)

So I made both of these pretty much the same way. I pitched the yeast dry into the 5 gallon carboys. They both showed activity in the air lock within the first 2 hours.
I made the stout a week ago and the airlock bubbled quite vigorously. It seemed to peak around 36- 48 hours and tapered off. The krausen rose maybe 2 inches so I never came close to needing a blowoff tube.
I made the cream ale on Sunday. On Monday morning, the krausen rose around 2-3 inches. Tuesday morning it rose another inch but looked like it was falling back down a bit so I figured I wouldn't need a blowoff tube. Got home after work today and the airlock was full and some ran over onto the table. I pulled the airlock and installed a sanitized blowoff tube.

Questions:
1) Is this an amateur mistake? Yes, I'm an amateur, but do you experienced guys every get your airlocks gooked up?
2) Do I need to clean out the carboy neck where the cork goes? It was wet from the overflow and I just stuck the cork/tube in there. If yes, how? Could I wet a paper towel with iodophor/water mixture like I use to sanitize, and carefully wipe the area of the neck where the cork goes? Then stick the airlock back in?
3) Why did the cream ale foam up way more than the stout?
4) Why is the cream ale still going strong after 50+ hours when the stout was slowing down by this time.

I would like to try Fermcap (anitfoam drops) on the next batch to prevent this. Any opinions on this?


Thanks guys!
Don

 

[Yooper]

Brewed a few batches 10 years ago, brewed one last year, and recently brewed the following Norther Brewer kits:

-Dry Irish Stout (6lbs Gold LME, 1lbs roasted barley, 2oz cluster, Safale S-04, 1.040 OG)
-Cream Ale (6lbs Pilsen LME, .75lbs honey malt, .25lbs Dingemans Biscuit, Safale US-05, 1.038 OG)

So I made both of these pretty much the same way. I pitched the yeast dry into the 5 gallon carboys. They both showed activity in the air lock within the first 2 hours.
I made the stout a week ago and the airlock bubbled quite vigorously. It seemed to peak around 36- 48 hours and tapered off. The krausen rose maybe 2 inches so I never came close to needing a blowoff tube.
I made the cream ale on Sunday. On Monday morning, the krausen rose around 2-3 inches. Tuesday morning it rose another inch but looked like it was falling back down a bit so I figured I wouldn't need a blowoff tube. Got home after work today and the airlock was full and some ran over onto the table. I pulled the airlock and installed a sanitized blowoff tube.

Questions:
1) Is this an amateur mistake? Yes, I'm an amateur, but do you experienced guys every get your airlocks gooked up?
2) Do I need to clean out the carboy neck where the cork goes? It was wet from the overflow and I just stuck the cork/tube in there. If yes, how? Could I wet a paper towel with iodophor/water mixture like I use to sanitize, and carefully wipe the area of the neck where the cork goes? Then stick the airlock back in?
3) Why did the cream ale foam up way more than the stout?
4) Why is the cream ale still going strong after 50+ hours when the stout was slowing down by this time.

I would like to try Fermcap (anitfoam drops) on the next batch to prevent this. Any opinions on this?


Thanks guys!
Don

1. I use a 7.9 gallon bucket for primary, so I generally don't have any issues or need a blow off tube. A 5 gallon carboy is simply too small for a 5 gallon batch, in my opinion. You want the headspace, and even though using a blow off tube works, you can lose quite a bit of beer.

2. I would resanitize and put it back. I wouldn't clean anything inside- you already sanitized it once!

3. Each fermentation is different. Yeast strain, ingredients, temperature all play a role, but it's impossible to predict.

4. See number #3 answer!

Check the temperatures, that's my biggest concern A very vigorous fermentation can produce a ton of heat, and make the beer inside the fermenter hotter than you'd want. A "stick on" thermometer is a great tool to have.

 

[Bob]

1) Is this an amateur mistake? Yes, I'm an amateur, but do you experienced guys every get your airlocks gooked up?

Yup. Hell, you should see some of the messes at micro- and pub-breweries I see.

I second what The Ineffable Yoop says - consider fermenting in buckets. That's what I do. Easier to clean with less mess during the ferment.

2) Do I need to clean out the carboy neck where the cork goes?

Nope. Just make sure you get a good seal.

3) Why did the cream ale foam up way more than the stout?

No idea. It's a different strain of yeast, for one. There are many more possible variables, too many to really cover here.

4) Why is the cream ale still going strong after 50+ hours when the stout was slowing down by this time.

Same answer. S-04 is a very fast, strong fermenter in my experience. In my brewery, 48 hours and the ferment is done when I use S-04. S-05 takes a bit longer.

I would like to try Fermcap (anitfoam drops) on the next batch to prevent this. Any opinions on this?

That's one solution. Another is to use a fermenter with enough headspace to accomodate the krauesen. Yoop and I use buckets, but you can get larger carboys or Better Bottles if that's what you prefer. I think it's better to accomodate the krauesen than try to suppress it. Opinions differ.

Cheers!

Bob

P.S. Welcome back!

 

[Don223]

Check the temperatures, that's my biggest concern A very vigorous fermentation can produce a ton of heat, and make the beer inside the fermenter hotter than you'd want. A "stick on" thermometer is a great tool to have.

I have stick-on thermometers on both carboys. The stout, which is 11 days old, shows 65F and the 2 day old cream ale shows 67F.

 

[Yooper]

Perfect! Then all you have to do is wait. (That's the hardest part!)