Exploding Fermentation

[SeanFawcett]

Hi:

(I'm reasonably new to home brewing)

I recently brewed a one gallon batch of HBX Red Ale:
http://homebrewexchange.net/content/hbx-red-ale
and I think I was a little over-ambitious with the yeast. After a day or so, the air lock clogged with yeast and the cork blew out of the bottle sending hops and yeast flying.

I re-corked it with a clean air lock and let it ferment for the rest of a week.
The recipe suggests that the fermentation should subside in 5-7 days and calls for an Original Gravity of 1.049 and Final Gravity of 1.013

My Original Gravity was 1.050, the brew stopped fermenting after about 3 days, and when I siphoned into a secondary fermenter this morning, the Final Gravity was 1.020 (tasted good, though).

I have a few questions.

• Did I lose too much yeast when the cork popped?
• Should I have added more?
• Should I add more to the secondary fermentation?
• Should I add more sugar (for the yeast to work with) in the secondary fermentation?

Or... should I just leave it for a few days and bottle it?

Thanks

 

[BigFloyd]

What blew out was krausen. There is some yeast in it. What was your pitch and ferment temperature?

It sounds like you simply haven't given this enough time.

Why are you doing a secondary fermentation? Better to just leave it in the primary for three weeks.

 

[SeanFawcett]

Pitch temperature was about 75. Fermentation temperature about 64.

In the first batch of beer I brewed (a Citra IPA), the recipe called for fermenting 7 days and then bottling. Discussing this with a local brew-shop, they said I should always do a secondary fermentation for about a week or so before bottling (mostly for clarity, I think).... I have ever since.

Just goes to show, I've got a fair bit to learn.

In any case, what would you suggest for this batch... just leave it for another week or so? (Its already in a secondary carboy)

Thanks for your response.

 

[theck]

I used to secondary up until this year... Just how I was taught. Haven't in the last 10 batches and unless I need to dryhop or add fruit won't bother again.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[BigFloyd]

Kit instructions that tell you to bottle after just a week are, to put it bluntly, idiotic.

Always transferring a beer to a secondary is old school. Current brew knowledge is that you should leave it in the primary until finished and cleared unless long-term aging or adding fruit. That ranges from two weeks to a month. When doing a 1 gallon batch, it seems like doing an extra transfer would waste a good percentage of your beer.

 

[fartinmartin]

. NO
. NO
. NO
. NO
Why secondary?

I don't understand, I use a bucket as FV , any over pressure would in the first instance blow foam into the airlock, second blow the top off the airlock, third block the airlock and leak from the lid seal or the air lock hole, the worst I have ever had is foaming up into the airlock, am I just lucky or leaving a sensible head space (7-10 litres ) ?

 

[theck]

I should add almost every beer I leave in the primary for 3 weeks. The higher gravity I leave for longer before kegging.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[SeanFawcett]

Kit instructions that tell you to bottle after just a week are, to put it bluntly, idiotic.

Always transferring a beer to a secondary is old school. Current brew knowledge is that you should leave it in the primary until finished and cleared unless long-term aging or adding fruit. That ranges from two weeks to a month. When doing a 1 gallon batch, it seems like doing an extra transfer would waste a good percentage of your beer.

Well, that's good to know. Now I can use that time (and the second fermenter) to brew a whole new batch. And yes, I seem to get a very low yield out of each batch, about 6 12 oz bottles out of a gallon. Hopefully with a single, longer fermentation that number will improve (maybe to 7)

Do you bother to check specific gravity during those three weeks to see how it's going or do you just let it go three weeks, regardless?

Thanks

 

[theck]

I usually check once a week. Make sure it's going down and wait for the finish.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[fearwig]

Pitch temperature was about 75. Fermentation temperature about 64.

Problem and solution. Pitch 60-65 and let it come up to ferm temp from there. I don't use a carboy anymore for primary, or an airlock--I swear both are the products of the LHBS-industrial complex run amok--but even if you use both of those things because goshdarn you paid for them, if you pitch colder you won't need a blowoff tube or a mop. Warm yeast ferments too fast, makes too big a krausen. It's also probably making heat and bad flavors.

If your beer is 1.080+ you may still have a big krausen, but there is no harm done to pitching even colder and letting it coast up to your target temperature. Ale yeast will not stall before it starts unless you're under like 50F, and there's nothing you actually gain from the immediate gratification of bubbles within four or five hours (I've never pitched dead yeast--why do people worry about that? And if you worry, make a starter.). Just don't keep it that cold for the whole primary.

Like everyone said, don't stress over lost yeast from the blowoff. It's suboptimal but no correction should be needed.

 

[BigFloyd]

Well, that's good to know. Now I can use that time (and the second fermenter) to brew a whole new batch. And yes, I seem to get a very low yield out of each batch, about 6 12 oz bottles out of a gallon. Hopefully with a single, longer fermentation that number will improve (maybe to 7)

Do you bother to check specific gravity during those three weeks to see how it's going or do you just let it go three weeks, regardless?

Thanks

With a one gallon batch, you haven't much to spare. I'd let it go three weeks and check once. If you're at expected FG, bottle it.

Doing 5.25 gallons in a 6.5 gallon bucket, I usually have a bit more than I can fit in the keg anyway, so I don't worry about using beer for samples. I pitch plenty of yeast and control temps so for ales I'll take the first sample at 10-14 days and another 4 days later. If the numbers match, I'll crash it to 35-36*F 5-7 days to clear. Lagers are a bit different. I'm checking gravity on those starting at a week to see when it should go up in temp for a d-rest.

 

[kinesiology2010]

Mine exploded this morning and got all over my ceiling, walls, and bed. The wife was not very pleased but the room smelled great. I did a starter and used a nutrient blend in the wort. Here are some pics.

 

[fartinmartin]

Kinesiology, ugh, I have to think that your brew is too hot. I see it's in a cooler but it's full of water, so eventually it all get to the same temperature. In the cooler is ok, with some water is ok, but only a couple of inches ! Then an old tee shirt to wick up and evaporate off taking the heat with it.
I see the wire in the back right, is that a heater in there?

If you see foaming like this the solution is to get the temperature down, your solution of putting it in water I think you will find kept the temperature up.