Second batch, lotsa foam

[Dunkelman]

Hi all,

This is the second batch I did, and the first batch where my kit had both a can of LME and two bags of DME. My first batch was just two cans of LME. Anyway, this time I wanted to try something different and ferment in my carboy with a blow-off tube. Everything went well, I was really careful with keeping everything sanitized.

But them something unexpected happened. As I was pouring my wort, which was cooled to about 75 degrees with my new IC, the wort began to foam big time in the carboy. It got to the point that the foam (as well as the trub) interfered with my ability to top off the carboy. I had to use a santized spoon to move the trub away from the filter screen in the funnel, and move the funnel a little bit to allow the foam to escape from the carboy. The wort flowed into into the carboy better once I did that. Here is a picture.

Shortly after I added the yeast the foam simmered down to what I suspect is normal. Will the beer turn out okay? Is this normal? When I brewed my first batch and poured the wort into my fermenter bucket it didn't foam like this.

Also, the OG was 1.038, but the recipe, True Brew Oktoberfest, called for a starting gravity of 1.040 to 1.042. Why would my OG be lower?

My plan is to let this batch stay in the carboy for about four weeks before bottling.

Thanks all!

 

[chickypad]

Looks to me like you just got some aeration pouring through the filter screen (which is a good thing). If you topped off with water it could be inadequate mixing leading to the OG being off.

 

[Dunkelman]

I didn't top off with water, but with more wort.

 

[unionrdr]

I get 3-5" of foam in my fermenters from pouring wort & top off water through a fine mesh strainer. you just aerated it well. Shake,stir,etc for 5 minutes straight to really get it oxygenated & mixed well. Then test & pitch. You'd be surprised how hard it is to get wort & top off water to mix. That's most likely the reason for the OG being off a little. It's all in there,you just didn't mix it enough. The yeast will take care of it.

 

[chickypad]

was your volume at the end of the boil what the recipe called for? was this extract only or did you have some grains?

 

[Dunkelman]

I had a bag of grain that I steeped for a half hour. Once steeping was finished, I brought the water to a boil, turned off the burner, then poured in and mixed thoroughly the LME, then per the directions the two bags of DME and two packets of hops. Then brought it all back to a boil for, again per instructions, 30 minutes.

I started my boil with about 5 1/2 gallons of water, to account for some boil off. Once I topped the carboy off with the rest of the wort, I still had maybe a cup or two of liquid among the trub.

Thanks all. I gotta say, everyone here is very helpful and you make this new hobby not nearly as intimidating as it could be.

 

[Dunkelman]

Here's the level I got the wort to in the carboy, with the carboy sitting where it'll be for the next four weeks.

 

[chickypad]

How big is that carboy, it looks a little full (good thing you have a blowoff on that thing!). I suspect you ended with more than 5 gal of wort which would account for a slightly different OG than the recipe called for. Good news is you made beer!
Cheers

 

[Dunkelman]

Yes, the carboy is a bit on the small side, only five gallons. That's why the blow-off tube. I wish I had gotten a larger carboy, but I didn't know what I was doing when I bought my kit.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, the carboy is a bit on the small side, only five gallons. That's why the blow-off tube. I wish I had gotten a larger carboy, but I didn't know what I was doing when I bought my kit.

You're probably going to lose quite a bit to blow off. keep it cool (62-65 degrees) and maybe it won't get too fierce on you.

 

[Dunkelman]

I moved the carboy to the cold concrete floor. Hopefully that'll keep the tempurature low enough.