Lift off!

[DaveDiamond]

Nottingham, we have a problem!

2 grams Nottingham in 5 litre Peach Hydromel pitched about 20 hours ago, it was like this when I got up and has just been getting more eruptive by the minute!

 

[DaveDiamond]

And here goes the Apple Pie Mead!!! Started up just now.

Oh well, this is why I put them in a tub before going to bed. Just going to have to ride it out I guess.

 

[Miraculix]

This little headspace is asking for trouble.

But my guess is, your already know that by now.

 

[DaveDiamond]

2 and a half hours later and I think she's gonna blow!!! Inner seal gone, outer barely hanging in there!

 

[DaveDiamond]

This little headspace is asking for trouble.

But my guess is, your already know that by now.

Yep! I did near the exact same thing as the last batches, the difference is these are apple and peach rather than lemon and berry, the peach actually only has half the honey of the mixed berry one. The Berry was S04, the Lemon Philly Sour, they had too much headroom, they hardly foamed at all, this time I've used Nottingham and added both DAP and Wine Nutrient, the difference is huge!

 

[Maylar]

Thar' she blows!

 

[Yooper]

Yep! I did near the exact same thing as the last batches, the difference is these are apple and peach rather than lemon and berry, the peach actually only has half the honey of the mixed berry one. The Berry was S04, the Lemon Philly Sour, they had too much headroom, they hardly foamed at all, this time I've used Nottingham and added both DAP and Wine Nutrient, the difference is huge!

I'd use a blow off tube right from the start with the little headspace there. But I've also had experience mopping my ceilings, and don't want to do that again! (And have an angry spouse on top of the mess. I'm like, "Hey, you weren't even using that computer or chair anyway!).

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Yup. Been there. Done that. I couldn't find the picture of the one that hit the 12 foot ceiling.

 

[DaveDiamond]

I'd use a blow off tube right from the start with the little headspace there. But I've also had experience mopping my ceilings, and don't want to do that again! (And have an angry spouse on top of the mess. I'm like, "Hey, you weren't even using that computer or chair anyway!).

Thankfully I thought to put them in a tub, so it's sort of a self correcting problem, they now have enough headroom! It's noon the next day now and they're just sedately bubbling away, I'll change the lids, give them a wash and it'll be fine. This picture shows the amount of headroom I left, the two in the plastic were fine with that, hardly any foam at all. They were pitched the same day with the Philly Sour, the other two have Nottingham, totally different reaction. You can see how much headroom there actually was now that the foam has subsided, perhaps it was slightly less but not by much. The last batches in those jars were fine with that amount, I think the Nottingham just really took off because I put a teaspoon of DAP and a teaspoon of wine nutrient in when I pitched it. Still, I'll leave a bit more room next time!

 

[Yooper]

Thankfully I thought to put them in a tub, so it's sort of a self correcting problem, they now have enough headroom! It's noon the next day now and they're just sedately bubbling away, I'll change the lids, give them a wash and it'll be fine. This picture shows the amount of headroom I left, the two in the plastic were fine with that, hardly any foam at all. They were pitched the same day with the Philly Sour, the other two have Nottingham, totally different reaction. You can see how much headroom there actually was now that the foam has subsided, perhaps it was slightly less but not by much. The last batches in those jars were fine with that amount, I think the Nottingham just really took off because I put a teaspoon of DAP and a teaspoon of wine nutrient in when I pitched it. Still, I'll leave a bit more room next time!View attachment 882986

That's really not a lot of headroom- a blow off tube would give piece of mind. For primary, especially with fruit, I give a LOT of headroom, as there is no disadvantage. I got a bunch of frosting buckets from the bakery department at a grocery store (they can't reuse) and never regretted that. For many of my meads and wines, I'll use an 8 gallon bucket for a 3-5 gallon batch, and still can use a blow off tube. Once you mop your ceiling, I'll bet you do the same!

I've been making mead and wine for 30 years. Beer for only about 25 years, but sometimes you just have to learn the hard way.

 

[Miraculix]

That's really not a lot of headroom- a blow off tube would give piece of mind. For primary, especially with fruit, I give a LOT of headroom, as there is no disadvantage. I got a bunch of frosting buckets from the bakery department at a grocery store (they can't reuse) and never regretted that. For many of my meads and wines, I'll use an 8 gallon bucket for a 3-5 gallon batch, and still can use a blow off tube. Once you mop your ceiling, I'll bet you do the same!

I've been making mead and wine for 30 years. Beer for only about 25 years, but sometimes you just have to learn the hard way.

Amen. Been there, done that.

... But actually, luckily didn't have to mop the ceiling.

Another fun thing NOT to do, step feeding honey or worse, sugar, into an active fermentation.

DON'T!!!

STIR THE CO2 OUT OF SOLUTION FIRST!!!

 

[Snuffy]

Notty could be the inspiration for a Stephen King book. "Yeast: The Awakening".

 

[Saunassa]

I always have at least a gallon of headroom in the fermenter to give the krausen somewhere to expand. On my 6.5 gal BMB I will fill it to 5.25 gal.

 

[Raptor99]

I do all of my primary fermentation in a food grade bucket, with plenty of extra room for foam. The yeast needs some oxygen to reproduce, so you don't need an airlock. Just cover it with a towel to keep dust and bugs out.

Once SG is below 1.020, the fermentation is mostly done. Then you can rack it into a carboy with an airlock. You still need to leave extra room for foam until fermentation is completely finished.

 

[DaveDiamond]

I do all of my primary fermentation in a food grade bucket, with plenty of extra room for foam. The yeast needs some oxygen to reproduce, so you don't need an airlock. Just cover it with a towel to keep dust and bugs out.

Once SG is below 1.020, the fermentation is mostly done. Then you can rack it into a carboy with an airlock. You still need to leave extra room for foam until fermentation is completely finished.

I did get hold of some buckets, but they're the small ones, just over 10 litres, so maybe 3 gallons full to the brim. I have been promised the 20 litre version from a guy that works in the pub kitchen, but they have yet to materialise, so I asked at a local bakery and got 6 little ones. I've got cider and hard seltzer in them at the moment. I hadn't had anything run out of headroom since the first brews I did in 2 litre plastic bottles a couple of months ago till these. I think the apple pie one might have been partly because I used ground Allspice and Nutmeg, that's all seemed to be in the foam. That one carried on fermenting at a fast rate after changing the "airlock", but the peach seems to have done very little since swapping lids, the levels in the airlock are the same each side. If I had more of that yeast I'd give it another shot but I'm out.

 

[fluketamer]

Amen. Been there, done that.

... But actually, luckily didn't have to mop the ceiling.

Another fun thing NOT to do, step feeding honey or worse, sugar, into an active fermentation.

DON'T!!!

STIR THE CO2 OUT OF SOLUTION FIRST!!!

sounds like a mentos and coke video.

 

[Miraculix]

sounds like a mentos and coke video.

Yep, it also looks like one!