Multiple Boilover

[CentralNJBrew]

During my last brewday, I had an extremely tough fight with boilover.

It did the normal boilover routine at the start of boiling, and I dealt with it accordingly with my spray bottle.

However, at around the 30 min mark of a planned 60 min boil, it started flaring up again. And it wouldn't stop!

This has never happened to me before.

The facts

I sparged BK up to my normal volume, just like any other brew day I had.

This was my first stout. I just used 2-Row and Roasted Malt to keep it simple.

My burner I believe is 65K BTU. I call it my jet engine. I've never used it full blast, and this brew day was no different. I tried lowering it a bit during this boilover ordeal, but to no avail.

This happened as I was readying my hops, so it started before I added them.

I had to nix the spray bottle, and switch to a hose spray setting to hold it back because it was rising so fast. It would recede, then flare right back up after a few seconds. It actually overflowed a few times. Not horribly, but still overflowed. It didn't help that the hose water spray was filling the BK gradually higher. I'm very aware I did not do myself any favors by doing this, but I felt I had no choice at this time due to Mt. Vesuvius rising.

I was forced to literally bail out my brew kettle a few times with a pitcher before the level got too high. I don't even want to think about how that warped my Gravity.

Question

Anybody have any idea what might have happened?

I'm hoping it's just "the burner may have been too high and I didn't realize it" situation.

But could there be anything else that could have caused this? Like grain bill and corresponding proteins/enzymes, sparge temps/timing (I sparged way to fast this round), or some kind of chemical/microbiological situation?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[brewshki]

This has never happened to me except at the beginning of the boil and sometimes when additions are added at various times. I almost never use a spray bottle to control the foam anymore. I find that lowering the flame and stirring like crazy is much more effective.

 

[pshankstar]

I'm not sure what could be the cause, but have you looked into using Ferm-Cap? I think that's how it's spelled. Anyhow, I used it for the first time last month and it is amazing.

Sorry I couldn't be of anymore help. Good luck!

 

[flars]

The amount of heat applied could be the major part of the problem. Turning off the heat momentarily will help. I've found that stirring with a lifting motion to bring wort up through the surface works better than trying to cool the surface with a spray of water. Bringing wort up breaks the cap of foam which is acting like a cover holding heat in. Once the surface tension is broken the foaming subsides rather quickly.

 

[behindthetimes]

My boils develop random flareups like this on occasion, I'm not sure of the cause and I don't think it matters that much. Controlling it is what's important here, and for that purpose I use Fermcap on all my boils. Works like a charm.

 

[pvpeacock]

Fermcap!!!!!

 

[day_trippr]

I've always found having at least some bittering hops at the beginning of the boil helps keep everything under control...

Cheers!

 

[CentralNJBrew]

Thanks everyone. Seems ferm-cap is in the majority. Guess I'll pick some up next trip to the homebrew shop. Though I'd be willing to try the lower heat and stir it method as well.

 

[Easycreeper]

The amount of heat applied could be the major part of the problem. Turning off the heat momentarily will help. I've found that stirring with a lifting motion to bring wort up through the surface works better than trying to cool the surface with a spray of water. Bringing wort up breaks the cap of foam which is acting like a cover holding heat in. Once the surface tension is broken the foaming subsides rather quickly.

^This, at least for me.

If I turn the burner up too much during the boil, I have trouble with boilovers outside of the hot break. Usually happens when I'm trying to speed up the boiloff rate to get to my desired volume.