Fermentation Problem...

[Pachyderm]

This is a total noob question, so I apologize in advance.

I made the wort for a british porter using a recipe sheet completely without incident, but instead of putting it in the plastic fermentation bucket, I put it in the carboy instead. I talked to a guy at my homebrew shop today who said I needed to just transfer everything into the fermentation bucket and add more water.

My questions are: Do I siphon it into the carboy? Do I boil the water I add to it to make 5 gallons? Do I make sure all of the sediment goes into the 5 gallong bucket, or do I try and keep that stuff out?

Hope someone can help!

 

[Joker]

Fermentation bucket compared to carboy makes no difference at all. Either works just fine.

Did you not boil a full batch (5 gallons)?

 

[Pachyderm]

No, I didn't.

I only have a five gallon stock pot, so my recipe says to boil the ingredients in 3.5 gallons of water, and then add more water later. The guy on the phone told me that there wasn't enough room in the carboy for five gallons, so I guess there simply isn't enough water now.

I thought I had some kind of idea of what I was doing, but now I'm totally confused.

What do you think?

 

[Yooper]

Well, if you have a 5 gallon carboy, it really isn't enough room to ferment 5 gallons. You'll get a krausen and you'll need some room for that. You could rig up something called a "blow off tube", but then you'll lose some beer out of the top. You have a bucket to use? When did you pitch the yeast?

 

[Pachyderm]

I added the yeast right after I siphoned the wort into the carboy. My recipe sheet ended after the wort was finished, and reffered me to my brewing book, which appeared to reccommend using a carboy "if possible".

But yes, it's only a 5 gallon carboy, and the wort has been fermenting since yesterday. I have a big giant bucket that the guy at the homebrew shop told me to transfer all of the wort into. Is that a good idea?

 

[Pachyderm]

The silence gives me an unpleasant feeling that my beer is doomed...

 

[uglygoat]

if it is fermenting, leave it be. you will just have a stronger beer than the recipe predicted.

i would be hesitant to transfer it if it is actively fermenting.

it by no means is ruined, just different than the recipe.

 

[Pachyderm]

Okay, so basically, since there's less water than the recipe called for, it will just be a darker, stronger porter.

The beer won't expand too much?

 

[uglygoat]

right now, you have a more concentrated wort, so it is darker and stronger.

how full is the carboy? about 3.5 gallons? you could prolly add a gallon or so of water durning the ferment, but you could be looking at a mess if/when the ferment gets going.

i'd just ride it out, and chalk it up as experience.

you might also boil up some water after the ferment(cool it), and top off in the bottling bucket, but i've no experience with that. i don't see what it would harm, just make sure you mix it well before you bottle.

 

[Pachyderm]

It's about 4.5 gallons full. That's why I think the guy at the homebrew shop said to transfer it over.

 

[uglygoat]

just leave it then. if the foam starts to creep up and push the airlock out, just jam a siphon tube into the drilled stopper and put the other end in a bottle of sanitizer. that's a blow off, and you'll be fine.

 

[Pachyderm]

Dude, thanks so much for your help...I was in a panic here at work, helpless to do anything. Whew! I owe you a drink!

I'll let you know how it turns out.