Fermenting too fast/blowout

[basker561]

This is my first batch ever so pardon my newbie-ness. I brewed a caribou slobber brown ale in a one gallon fermenting jug. I think I did it pretty well for being my first time but I guess we have to wait until I try it. Anyways, when I starting fermenting it was bubbling like crazy through the airlock which was a good sign to me. However, it started bubbling too much and spewing through the airlock. I took it out and replaced the water in the airlock after sanitizing it. This happened twice. On the second time I changed the water, it stopped bubbling completely with only being two days into my fermentation. My questions are 1) was it bad for me to remove the airlock and replace the water? 2) is my beer fermented completely with only being two days in?

I don't have a hydrometer to test the gravity. But one thing I also did when I saw it stop bubbling is I swirled the beer around a little in the jug. Is that bad too?

 

[duboman]

you really did not do anything wrong, it happens. Next time though use vodka in the airlock, it's just more sanitary.

Better yet, next time use a blow off tube set up instead and then you don't have to worry about the airlock getting plugged up

 

[basker561]

Ok. And do you think it's ready to bottle? Tomorrow will be 7 days. I haven't seen any bubbles since the second or third day but I read forums saying you should let it set despite the bubbles not forming.

 

[FlapjackAM]

Ok. And do you think it's ready to bottle? Tomorrow will be 7 days. I haven't seen any bubbles since the second or third day but I read forums saying you should let it set despite the bubbles not forming.

Let it sit another two weeks at least. Gives the beer time condition and the yeast time to clean up after itself. Time only helps beer oh and definitely get a hydrometer, then you'll really know when fermentation is complete, not likely after two days.

 

[Mozart]

Ok. And do you think it's ready to bottle? Tomorrow will be 7 days. I haven't seen any bubbles since the second or third day but I read forums saying you should let it set despite the bubbles not forming.

The general consensus is to leave the beer in primary for at least two weeks. While the initial fermentation might finish in 7 days, the second week allows the yeasties to 'clean up' after themselves, consuming some of their own waste products and leaving behind a better beer.

The best way to tell when beer is ready to bottle is to use a hydrometer. If the gravity is unchanged over a three day period, it's safe to bottle.

 

[JBOGAN]

If you have already went seven days let it go another seven.Let your hydrometer be the judge of how things are going and just for the future, use a blow off on everything and save yourself the headache.Even if the Beer has reached final gravity in two to three days that does not mean the yeast are done doing their job and cleaning up after themselves.Above all else patience is your friend and so are the yeast,so give them time to do their job and treat them well and you will have good beer.

 

[basker561]

Ok. But just to clarify, I didn't mess anything up by swirling it or removing the airlock/replacing the water?

 

[Mozart]

Ok. But just to clarify, I didn't mess anything up by swirling it or removing the airlock/replacing the water?

I'd think it highly unlikely.

 

[kombat]

I don't think you messed anything up with regard to the airlock; my concern would be WHY you had such a violent, rapid fermentation. That's usually indicative of fermenting too warm. Did you employ any form of temperature control on the batch? If not, what was the ambient temperature of the room in which the batch fermented? What strain of yeast was it? Did you overpitch?

 

[basker561]

I'm sorry. I'm really a noob but I'm trying to learn because I find it so much fun and interesting. I just got the brew kit from a friend for free and followed the instructions. I'm not sure which type of yeast. And it's in my closet with a room temperature of about 72F maybe a little warmer when the AC shuts off but it's usually always comfortable. Does light really affect the fermentation? because I could move it closer to an air vent to make it cooler.

Thanks so much guys for the help. I really appreciate it. I just want to learn some basics like what you were asking. Sorry I can't be more helpful

 

[kombat]

Light will affect beer (it causes the hop oils to oxidize, causing "skunking"), but unless direct sunlight is hitting your carboy, you're probably fine. If you're worried about it, cover the carboy with a black t-shirt.

Of far more importance is fermentation temperature. Fermentation is an exothermic reaction, meaning it generates its own heat. Active fermentations can raise the temperature of the wort up to 10° F above the ambient room temperature. The ideal range for most ale yeasts is in the low-to-mid 60's. So if the room temperature is 72° F, the beer temperature could actually be as high as 82° F, which is much too high. The result will be high fusel alcohols and other off flavours.

I would recommend you cover the carboy in a black t-shirt and move it closer to the air vent, or even better, rig up a "swamp cooler," which is essentially just a plastic laundry tub ($7 at Wal-Mart) big enough to set the carboy in, filled with cold water. This will "sink" some of the heat out of the carboy. If you cover the carboy in a wet t-shirt, then the water will wick up into the shirt and evaporate, enhancing the cooling effect. If you're finding your temperature is still too high, you can drop some frozen water/juice bottles into the water bath to cool it further.

Bottom line is, you'll notice a huge improvement in the flavour of your beer if you're able to get those fermentation temperatures down into the mid-to-low 60's.

EDIT: Just remembered you said you were doing 1 gallon batches, not full 5 gallon batches. In that case, you can probably just use a simple bucket from Home Depot as your swamp cooler, instead of the full-size laundry tub. I'm not sure what you could use to cover the jug to protect it from light and wick up the water - maybe a scarf of some sort? Hand towel?

 

[austinb]

The best way to tell when beer is ready to bottle is to use a hydrometer. If the gravity is unchanged over a three day period, it's safe to bottle.

He said he didn't have a hydrometer and yes he can get one but he also said he was doing a 1 gallon batch. If I was doing only one gallon I wouldn't want to waste 3 hydrometer readings worth of beer. I guess he could sanitize everything and return the beer but that sounds to me like 3 opportunities to infect the beer.

 

[austinb]

Light will affect beer (it causes the hop oils to oxidize, causing "skunking"), but unless direct sunlight is hitting your carboy, you're probably fine. If you're worried about it, cover the carboy with a black t-shirt.

Of far more importance is fermentation temperature. Fermentation is an exothermic reaction, meaning it generates its own heat. Active fermentations can raise the temperature of the wort up to 10° F above the ambient room temperature. The ideal range for most ale yeasts is in the low-to-mid 60's. So if the room temperature is 72° F, the beer temperature could actually be as high as 82° F, which is much too high. The result will be high fusel alcohols and other off flavours.

I would recommend you cover the carboy in a black t-shirt and move it closer to the air vent, or even better, rig up a "swamp cooler," which is essentially just a plastic laundry tub ($7 at Wal-Mart) big enough to set the carboy in, filled with cold water. This will "sink" some of the heat out of the carboy. If you cover the carboy in a wet t-shirt, then the water will wick up into the shirt and evaporate, enhancing the cooling effect. If you're finding your temperature is still too high, you can drop some frozen water/juice bottles into the water bath to cool it further.

Bottom line is, you'll notice a huge improvement in the flavour of your beer if you're able to get those fermentation temperatures down into the mid-to-low 60's.

EDIT: Just remembered you said you were doing 1 gallon batches, not full 5 gallon batches. In that case, you can probably just use a simple bucket from Home Depot as your swamp cooler, instead of the full-size laundry tub. I'm not sure what you could use to cover the jug to protect it from light and wick up the water - maybe a scarf of some sort? Hand towel?

Some good suggestions on keeping the beer cool. I agree with most of this but I don't think he needs to get it to the low 60's. I think he should just shoot for a below 70 ferm temp. Most commercial breweries ferment around 67-68 degrees because with a standard clean ale yeast it produces good clean beer at this temperature in less time than if you fermented it in the low 60's.

 

[basker561]

You guys are awesome. Thank you so much! Any more advice or tips? I want to master the one gallon batches and then ill upgrade to a bugger carboy.

 

[ChefRex]

I'm sorry. I'm really a noob but I'm trying to learn because I find it so much fun and interesting. I just got the brew kit from a friend for free and followed the instructions. I'm not sure which type of yeast. And it's in my closet with a room temperature of about 72F maybe a little warmer when the AC shuts off but it's usually always comfortable. Does light really affect the fermentation? because I could move it closer to an air vent to make it cooler.

Thanks so much guys for the help. I really appreciate it. I just want to learn some basics like what you were asking. Sorry I can't be more helpful

Comfortable for you or your yeast! just kidding, fermentation can raise the temperature 10 degrees F, search swamp cooler or some other form of temperature control, light will skunk your beer, especially if you have a lot of hops in it.