First time Brewing problem?

[smarks9373]

Ok, so I brewed my first batch of beer on Sat. after noon. And am fermenting in a glass carboy. The temp was around 80-85 when i pitched my yeast. Everything seemed to be going fine. I checked it on Sunday morning and evidently through the night I had started fermentation. So much so that foam had started to come out of the airlock. it must have blocked the holes in the air lock cause I had wart all over the walls of the closet that I had it sitting in. But everything looked fine other than that. I look at it today, Monday. and I have almost no foam in the carboy and it doesnt look like there is much co2 coming out of it. Do I need to be worried? I was kind of exspecting the air lock to be bubbleing for a week.

 

[Bensiff]

That's the first and hopefully last time you will do that. Use a blow off tube in the future. Don't worry, let it keep going.

 

[Wellshooter]

Leave it alone for a few more days and then check the gravity. That explosion used up most of the sugar so you would expect a sharp decline in activity. That doesn't mean there isn't anything going on, you just can't see it anymore.

 

[smarks9373]

ok. So am I still on track? I was thinking the primary fermentation would be about a week. Would that explosion shorten that time, or am I still looking at racking after a week?

 

[beninan]

most likely it did shorten the time due to the rapid fermentation, but still go a week at least and double check the last couple days to make sure the gravity isn't still dropping

 

[Strangebird]

The bulk of primary fermentation can complete in just 2-3 days depending upon yeast and ambient temperature. But it slows down and continues for several more days. The only way to be sure is to take hydrometer readings over a few days to see if there is any change. What is your expected FG? Unless you take a reading, you just don't know what's actually going on. Airlock activity is not an accurate indicator.

 

[Frodo]

Ok, so I brewed my first batch of beer on Sat. after noon. And am fermenting in a glass carboy. The temp was around 80-85 when i pitched my yeast. Everything seemed to be going fine. I checked it on Sunday morning and evidently through the night I had started fermentation. So much so that foam had started to come out of the airlock. it must have blocked the holes in the air lock cause I had wart all over the walls of the closet that I had it sitting in. But everything looked fine other than that. I look at it today, Monday. and I have almost no foam in the carboy and it doesnt look like there is much co2 coming out of it. Do I need to be worried? I was kind of exspecting the air lock to be bubbleing for a week.

Oh man, sorry to hear that but you had me rolling. Not sure it would have helped in this case, but for the future maybe cool the wort all the way down to fermentation temp before pitching the yeast. The fermentation will actually cause more heat, so once it's started at a high temp it's tougher to cool it down to what the fermentation temp should be. At high temps the yeast will produce off-flavors.

 

[Wellshooter]

Close the door and set the alarm for next Saturday. Then take a hydrometer reading and see if you are at your expected FG. Don't open the door until Saturday

In brewing there are two levers.

Lever A: 'messing with it'

Usually the best choice is Lever B

 

[Beer_Guy]

Pitching at 80-85* is why you had such a BIG beginning. The yeast more than likely have produced a few off flavors. Some of these will cleanup with time. Some will not. I would leave it alone for at least 2 weeks.

I started my last batch around 57* and let it slowly warm up to 65*. It took 48+ hours to show any sign of fermenting. I did it because I am really tired of drinking fusel alcohol. (And no, I did not start an “Is my beer OK?” thread.)

A controlled fermentation temp is best. Next time shoot for below 70* at pitch time.

 

[smarks9373]

Strangebird
The fg of the beer kit i got says it should be 1.01-1.012. How long should I wait to check it? Is it safe to pop the cork on it before im ready to bottle it?

 

[Beer_Guy]

…
Is it safe to pop the cork on it before im ready to bottle it?

Unless you can figure another way to fill the hydrometer tube, you HAVE to.

Seriously, the first thing I did with my hydrometer tube was fill it with water to where hydrometer was floating. Then I removed the hydrometer stick and marked the water line with clear tape. I poured this into a measuring cup. On mine it is just under 200ml. Now I gently pour 200ml from my carboy into a measuring cup and then reseal the fermenter and from there into the hydrometer tube. Once I have a reading, I pour this into a glass to check color and then drink the sample.

 

[Jamison]

Just wondering, how big is your glass carboy? If it is only 5 gallons you probably ran out of headspace.

 

[Frodo]

Now I gently pour 200ml from my carboy into a measuring cup and then reseal the fermenter and from there into the hydrometer tube.

Why not get a wine thief? Even a chunk of higher diameter tubing would work... So you'd dip it into the beer, put finger over top of tubing, pull from beer, and empty into sample container; repeat if necessary... Pouring beer from the carboy for a sample seems a bit crazy.