Massive foaming problem

[mmead]

I put 4 drops into the 3 gal boil of high gravity ales but every time I lose about 20% to foam out of the 2 inch wide two foot long blow off tube. is this to be accepted with a high gravity batch? Fermaid simply doesn't seem to help here. OG 1.098

 

[eastoak]

use a bigger fermentor if you want to avoid losing so much through the blow off, the head space gets filled with CO2. fermaid is a yeast nutrient do you mean fermcap?

 

[mmead]

Right, Fermcap is what I meant. I'm just going to have to design a vent more difficult for the foam to exit. Wider and taller.

 

[dinnerstick]

do you mix the fermcap in? if you put it into cool wort i think it has a tendency to sink out. i honestly don't know if this can be a problem, or it it will get mixed in as the yeast take off, but it's something i've been concerned about as i watch it sink to the bottom, so i'm suggesting it as a possibility. now i add it early on as i'm filling the fermenter, and then swirl really well to dissipate the drops, and it works well for me. that said, you didn't give any details about how much head space you are allowing, nor what yeast you're using

 

[mmead]

I use a 5 gal. bucket with just 3 inches of head space. Saf Ale SO4 yeast. But this happens no matter which yeast I use. Is it best to add fermcap in the boil or at pitch time? I was told either is OK. I'm going to try the latter next time and give the foam a 2" diameter 3 foot tall "Tower" of a blow off tube to climb. We'll see how that goes. I can't go on losing the usual 7 bottles of rich black stout.

 

[kombat]

You could be fermenting too warm.

 

[dinnerstick]

i assume that fermcap added during the boil is left behind with the break material, so i add it to the fermenter.

 

[mmead]

Next time I'm going to leave half the cooled wort in a second bucket to assure plenty of head space. After the wild foaming is over it will all go into one bucket.