Ferments like crazy...then nothing

[Allenjoseph5]

Hi,

I'm relatively new to brewing. This is my 7th batch overall, and my first all grain. This was also my first time using a yeast starter. (WLP300)

Yesterday I put a Hefeweizen (O.G. 1.066) in my 6 gallon bucket primary fermenter. When I woke up this morning, the airlock was filled with foam and there was also foam coming out from under the lid. I don't have a blow off tube, but will be getting one tomorrow for future brews. I cleaned the airlock and filled it with star San and water again. When I got home from work today, there were zero bubbles coming through the airlock.

I have a few questions. I've never had such a crazy rapid fermentation. Is it typical for fermentation to slow to a dead stop after such an event?

Also, I really wasn't thinking that I would have such an active fermentation for a few reasons. The first being that it wasn't a super high O.G. beer. I was under the impression that blow off tubes were usually only need on high abv beers. The second reason was that there was plenty of head space. Less than 4 gallons made it into the fermenter.

Should I have skipped the yeast starter and just pitched the liquid yeast by itself?

Final question: is there any negative effects to having this type of fermentation happen?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Kerrbrewer]

AJ, if foam was leaking out of your lid you may have a problem with it sealing good there. You may have a lid leak. If there was always positive pressure during the high krausen then it should be fine.

 

[kingmatt]

Make sure that lid is snapped on air-tight...you shouldn't be getting krausen coming out the sides like that. Your airlock may have become plugged and the built up pressure caused the seal on your lid to pop, which is why you aren't seeing any airlock activity. If the lid is on as tight as it will go then you need a new lid that seals properly.

 

[Allenjoseph5]

Cool. Thanks for the help! I was kinda hoping that it might be a seal issue. The airlock was definitely pretty grimy, so that would make sense if it were clogged.

 

[broadbill]

You are having crazy fermentation really quickly because there is no temperature control. The yeast start fermenting, they produce heat which in-turn increase yeast metabolism, which produces more heat, etc. etc. You get a rapid fermentation and a very warm temperature and likely many off-flavors (some of which are desirable in a hefe).

This has nothing to do with lid leaks. In fact it was probably good it leaks, otherwise the whole top may have blown off after the airlock got clogged.

 

[Double_D]

I'd add a hefe yeasts usually needs 30% headspace. A "properly" pitched beer usually won't have an explosive fermentation but a beer with hefe yeast (as apposed to regular ale yeast for american wheat beer) will always need more head room.

As everyone else has said, your lid probably isn't sealed. Generally, a bubbling air lock isn't a good indication of active fermentation. If you must, you can check a sample with a hydrometer to see if it's done fermenting.

 

[kh54s10]

1.066 is a fairly big beer. Different yeast will produce differing amounts of krausen. Warm fermentation temperatures will go quicker, though not necessarily better.

Your lid leaked krausen so it will be leaking co2, thus no airlock activity.

Having a lid that leaks is not going to ruin your beer. It is really only a concern if you are going to bulk age the beer for a long time.

Personally, I dislike buckets because of the lid. It is a PITA to get on and off, you cannot see the action inside, and IMO, my Better Bottles are even easier to clean.

I also suggest that you start every fermentation with a blow off tube set up.

What temperature is your wort during fermentation. Too warm will make it quick, violent and possibly create off flavors.

 

[Allenjoseph5]

You are having crazy fermentation really quickly because there is no temperature control. The yeast start fermenting, they produce heat which in-turn increase yeast metabolism, which produces more heat, etc. etc.

As you can see, the only way I have to control the temp is my thermostat. I have that set at 72, which is a few degrees higher than I would ideally have it, but setting it any lower could get pricey here in Florida. I wouldn't think the few degrees would make such a big difference, but I get that the yeast would also raise the temp as it munches on the sugar. I haven't had this issue with any other beers in the past, some of which had a higher gravity. Do you think it has something to do with using a yeast starter this time? I'm planning on using a starter most of the time going forward to ensure yeast health. Should I setup a swamp cooler for future batches then?

I get that these kind of issues happen from time to time. I'm just trying to make sense of it. Thanks.

 

[Allenjoseph5]

Thanks for the help everyone. I have a much clearer idea of what's going on now. This was also my first batch using a Hefeweizen yeast. A bunch of firsts for me with this batch, so I appreciate the help with my questions.

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

72 is a perfect temp for saison strains. I would try my hand at a few saisons if I were you!

 

[ncbrewer]

Yes, I'd say a swamp cooler would be a really good idea. You can do the traditional kind with a towel or T-shirt over it, or just add ice bottles to the water as needed - or you could do both. I like the ice bottle method because I can get good temperature control, but a towel probably needs less attention.

 

[kombat]

I wouldn't think the few degrees would make such a big difference

It absolutely does. Temperature is a huge factor in the resulting beer. A few degrees can make a world of difference.