I'm sure us been covered but...

[bikeandbrew84]

My apologies as I'm sure this has been covered before:

I brewed a double IPA clone. Within 12 hours the krausen had begun to get towards the top of my car boy and I fixed a blow off tube. After another 48 hours no more krausen had been coming through so I refixed the bubbler and took off for a four day vacation.

When I came home, the krausen had again gone up through the bubbler (not sure why after it had subsided?) and forced out all of the sanitizer. There was no other mess other than a little krausen lining the carboy stopper and a little around the rim (thank god as very pregnant wife is still way supportive of this hobby). I grabbed another bubbler fixed it tightly after sanitizing and fermentation is again bubbling fairly regularly.

To recap:
Bubbler still on
Fermentation holding at 66 degrees
No visible infection (although Krause is thick)
Smells a little like stale beer but not experienced enough to trust my nose on a IIpa
Started fermenting fast (4 hours) after pitch

Is there anything else I need to be doing in order to try and better prevent infection of this beer?

 

[bransona]

You should be just fine

 

[lowtones84]

It sounds like it could possibly be fermenting a little bit too warm, but there's probably not much you can do about it now. What temperature is the area that you have it fermenting in?

 

[bikeandbrew84]

Lowtone,

It had not been above 68. It was holding at 66 when I left and 66 when I got back.

I had read sometimes you might want to transfer it to secondary but fermentation after a week is still steady so I would think you wouldn't want to kill that by transferring.

 

[lowtones84]

66-68 is pretty warm. Fermentation can increase the temperature of the liquid inside the bucket a few degrees, even more than 5 degrees in some cases. So, your IIPA could be fermenting at 70+.

Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not! I don't doubt that your beer will be just fine, but in the future there are a number of ways to cool it as it ferments. Look up "swamp cooler" on this site before your next brew. As for now, I would just let it ride another week or so before bottling, and skip the secondary. Keeping your fermentation just a little cooler will not only make better beer, but will decrease the chances of a bigger mess than you had this time.

Good luck!

 

[bikeandbrew84]

Look up "swamp cooler" on this site before your next brew. As for now, I would just let it ride another week or so before bottling, and skip the secondary. Keeping your fermentation just a little cooler will not only make better beer, but will decrease the chances of a bigger mess than you had this time.

Good luck!

Thx

 

[Firewalker11]

Relax, go have a homebrew.

Try a blow off tube next time.

 

[afro_lou]

You're fine! Just keep that blowoff on there next time. I've done the same thing in the past, I almost think that it may be due to slightly increased pressure when the bubbler is on there...