You have already been extremely helpful and given me a lot to think about for my next brew, which I hope is soon! I need to buy another ferment bucket ASAP..I do have a few questions for you though to get me off onto a better track for the next round.
From here on out I will do my best to curb ferment temps for the first 20-30% or so. Without opening my fermenter and risking oxidation/contamination, what is a good indicator of when to begin the ramp up? Should I wait for the airlock to slow/stop? Or is it a safe assumption that the high growth rate or high krausen is the 20-30%? I ferment in an Ale Pail so I can't easily see whats going on in there.
What do the candi sugars do? Does that just jump-start the yeast again to get them into 'ramp-up mode'? Does that affect the FG/ABV/taste at all?
Lastly and a little off topic. I still have a blowoff tube installed on my fermenter. At what point should I change it back to a standard airlock setup? Or should I? It is still actively bubbling, but it has slowed from when I originally installed it. I no longer think there is a risk of a spillover, but I didn't before!
As always, thanks for the help!
YVW! We all keep learning, there's a lot left that's not said between the lines.
This is a great place for that.
Good questions!
Indeed, buckets don't offer an easy view inside, but I peek down the airlock hole when I want or need visuals of the progress (after removing the airlock), sometime aided with a flashlight. You can also use a strong flashlight or other light through the sides, while peeking.
We should take lack of airlock activity with a large grain of salt, lids are typically not sealing well. But when they do, you can surely use the airlock as some sort of indicator (again, some seepage along the rim may still happen).
While fermentation is very active you can safely lift the lid, make sure to sanitize the lid and especially the underneath of the rim area thoroughly. The headspace will fill back up with CO2 quickly after replacing. When fermentation has slowed down, better leave it be, if you can. I like to limit or avoid that intrusion, and in many cases it's not needed. Use the airlock hole for easy, low intrusive access.
You can siphon out hydrometer and taste samples through the airlock hole with a 2' piece of skinny 5/16" OD vinyl tubing. Suck to get started and drain into a (pint or quart) take out container or so. Pull the tubing out of the bucket quickly without flow back, replace airlock. Or use a long straw, spare diptube, stainless rod, long thermometer stem, etc. through the airlock hole, to pick up a few drops to put on a refractometer. Use the correction formula to calculate
actual gravity and there it is, a virtually intrusion less gravity reading.
12-72 hours after pitching can be enough time to drop the gravity 20-30%, or more... You surely don't want to miss it. I've had beers that were almost done fermenting in 2 days at 65-66F, and in some cases I missed that window of opportunity. So you do need to pay attention and be ready.
Most, if not all Belgian ale recipes include a good dose of sugar product(s) such as plain table sugar, dextrose, or a fancier "Candi" Sugar or Syrup of a certain color. They increase alcohol without adding body, and the darker they are, the more flavor. I make most of my own (Candi) Syrups up to around D-90 (a commercial product) on the stove top. 1 or 2 pounds per batch. There are some good threads and blogs on Candi/Caramel Syrup making.
I usually add sugar products around the 60-70% done point, sometimes later. Fermentation will kick up a little. I feel it prevents yeast from binging early while "forgetting" how to ferment more complex sugars, such as maltotriose. One thing is, I never add them to the boil kettle. In short, after removing the grommet, I add them through the airlock hole using a small funnel with a dip tube on it to avoid splashing. The syrups are thinned down just enough to make them pourable. I even add dry hops through that airlock hole, although I have drilled 1" access holes in some lids to make those things easier. I usually flush the headspace with CO2 afterward, just in case. A 20# tank asks for being used for more than just carbonating and serving beer.
I'm not that well learned about the whole sugar process and how they affect flavors and fermentation at different times in the brew process. I apply a mix of what I've read and understand from various sources. Apparently, kettle caramelization during the boil at typical wort gravities of 1.040-1.070 seems to on the verge of being debunked. Now undoubtedly there
are kettle reactions, so more research and studying is needed, not only on our part.
You can either leave the blow-off tube or replace with a regular airlock after the big krausen period is over. If you leave it in, just make sure you don't get suck back during chilling periods, like cold crashing, or sometimes even when fermentation slows down, or ambient temps drop (overnight).
After a blow off event, clean around well, and re-sanitize as much as you can, especially the rim area and under the grommet. Or better yet, remove the lid, clean the bucket's rim, and replace with a clean(ed) and (re)sanitized lid.
I always fear that after an overflow like that infections could develop in and around those areas. Fine while the lid remains on, but when you pry it off, the infected stuff could end up inside.
So I always clean, then spray and mop those areas well with Starsan and a small washcloth before opening any fermentor lid. The first thing I do after removing the lid is wipe that bucket rim thoroughly (Starsaned washcloths are great!). Then lay a clean and sanitized lid on it.
Perhaps I am paranoid...
