Taking the plunge. Open Fermentation. Yes I'm willing to dump a batch.

[dragonbreath11]

Hey guys. Anyone else here take the plunge? Your thoughts & experiences would be appreciated.

 

[shoreman]

Are you looking for wild yeast or just pitching and leaving open?

 

[dragonbreath11]

Are you looking for wild yeast or just pitching and leaving open?

No Wild yeast this time. I just pitched WL002. It will be in my garage which is fairly clean and no wind. It won't be completely open. I put a paint strainer type bag to keep any big particles from dropping in.

 

[Stauffbier]

What do you intend on gaining from doing an open fermentation? One of my favorite craft brews is Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout which is open fermented I believe..

 

[blacksailj]

I know that the Ringwood yeast strain works best (requires rather) open fermentation.

 

[dragonbreath11]

What do you intend on gaining from doing an open fermentation? One of my favorite craft brews is Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout which is open fermented I believe..

My aim is to make good beer as all homebrewers. Specifically I want to pay attention to the fermentation and how the yeast breathes and behaves without being under constant CO2 pressure as in an airlock situation. I've read that open fermentation is easier on the yeast which to me means happy yeast which in turn leads to better beer.

 

[drocu]

Is "open fermentation" a misnomer? If there's oxygen around, the yeast inherently won't ferment and will instead undergo aerobic respiration.

I've heard about using wild yeast with an open vessel and then closing for fermentation before but this sounds intriguing.

 

[dragonbreath11]

Is "open fermentation" a misnomer? If there's oxygen around, the yeast inherently won't ferment and will instead undergo aerobic respiration.

I've heard about using wild yeast with an open vessel and then closing for fermentation before but this sounds intriguing.

Not a misnomer. Closed-fermentation is relatively new in the beer world. In fact many breweries world-wide still ferment in open vessels. I'm not talking about open fermentation with wild yeast but brewing with brewer's yeast. Instead of using my trusty carboy, I racked the wort into my stainless steel pot, pitched some yeast (WL 002) and just placed fine mesh over the opening to semi-protect it from airborne stuff.

 

[Stauffbier]

Is "open fermentation" a misnomer? If there's oxygen around, the yeast inherently won't ferment and will instead undergo aerobic respiration.

I've heard about using wild yeast with an open vessel and then closing for fermentation before but this sounds intriguing.

A lot of old world beers were fermented in open vessels.

EDIT: Dragonbreath beat me to it..

 

[drocu]

Hmm, interesting. I guess there isn't enough oxygen diffusing into the wort so the yeast below the surface must be fermenting despite the open air at the top.

 

[osagedr]

You will get the exact same beer but with a slightly increased risk of something infecting your batch. To each their own. Some people are religious about not letting anything foreign get into their beer. I ferment lots of batches (including every single one of my lagers) in a 10g wine fermenter with a loose fitting lid and I peek quite a bit.

 

[dragonbreath11]

You will get the exact same beer but with a slightly increased risk of something infecting your batch. To each their own. Some people are religious about not letting anything foreign get into their beer. I ferment lots of batches (including every single one of my lagers) in a 10g wine fermenter with a loose fitting lid and I peek quite a bit.

Exact beer? I don't know. I'm changing 2 pretty big variables here. Fermenter geometry and keeping it open, both of which from my study have effects on yeast metabolism and the resulting beer. But who knows?

 

[shoreman]

Id only leave it open for a few days then close it up. You will get the benefits butmifmyou leave it open too long mold & bugs may be an issue. Ive always left the lid on my bucket loose for the first 4-5 days - then coner up and airlock - i like to let them breathe it out a bit

 

[rockfish42]

Brewing TV has a couple of episodes on open fermentation

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I've done a small amount of open fermentation (by accident) where I split a batch and half was open and half was closed. There is a very noticeable difference in yeast flavors. The open portion is dramatically lower in esters. However after aging the closed portion ended up being the better tasting beer.

 

[Hermit]

Chris White suggests leaving the top covered loosely with aluminum foil until the krausen falls. I think that is a better idea than the stainer. You will still get oxygen diffusing in.

 

[DarthMalt]

OP: try to keep this going and report back with your results. I'm interested in the outcome. Thanks!

 

[dragonbreath11]

Chris White suggests leaving the top covered loosely with aluminum foil until the krausen falls. I think that is a better idea than the stainer. You will still get oxygen diffusing in.

Yes but who cares if I have oxygen diffusing in pre-fermentation? As soon as fermentation is 75-80% done, I plan on putting in a closed container to condition.

 

[Hermit]

Yes but who cares if I have oxygen diffusing in pre-fermentation? As soon as fermentation is 75-80% done, I plan on putting in a closed container to condition.

The point is loose foil will let air in and keep out 'nasties' better than the a strainer. That is why White suggests it.

 

[osagedr]

Exact beer? I don't know. I'm changing 2 pretty big variables here. Fermenter geometry and keeping it open, both of which from my study have effects on yeast metabolism and the resulting beer. But who knows?

Hopefully it turns out great!

 

[BradleyBrew]

at what point do you intend to cover the beer? After the initial fermentation?

 

[MalFet]

Hmm, interesting. I guess there isn't enough oxygen diffusing into the wort so the yeast below the surface must be fermenting despite the open air at the top.

Yeast will often ferment even in the presence of oxygen. It's a competitive adaptation called the Crabtree effect.

 

[dragonbreath11]

at what point do you intend to cover the beer? After the initial fermentation?

After fermentation is 70-85% done I was planning on transferring to a carboy to condition for a few days. To update, the fermentation is under way though it was a bit too cold (53F) for an ale. I will most likely move it indoors and probably will put a lid on the kettle.

 

[Biobrewer]

Hmm, interesting. I guess there isn't enough oxygen diffusing into the wort so the yeast below the surface must be fermenting despite the open air at the top.

The krausen on a fermenting beer typically serves as a nice barrier against excessive oxygen, in an open fermentation setup. Yeast will, however, still ferment in the presence of oxygen, as pointed out by MalFet.

I would say that open fermentation for a homebrewer is more of a novelty than anything else. There is much less chance of infection doing a closed fermentation, and I really think that the primary reason homebrewers do an open ferment is simply to say they did.

Something important to keep in mind is that what works in large breweries with impeccable sanitation and a setup specifically geared towards open fermentations may not work well (at all) for the homebrewer. If you are making good clean brews in carboys or conicals, I have trouble understanding why anyone would take on a practice that risks infection and wasted batches.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[erikhild59]

My uncle used to open ferment german lagers in his basement, in square terra cotta fermenters , covered with cheesecloth, set directly on the concrete floor. I don't think he had any issues with infection, but that's way back..a bit fuzzy.

 

[studmonk3y]

I either use sanitized foil on top of my containers (like for a yeast starter) or drilled silicone bungs with a flap that covers the holes. Works well, although I have noticed dead fruit flies floating in a couple of batches, which could lead to infection under the right circumstances.

 

[BradleyBrew]

After fermentation is 70-85% done I was planning on transferring to a carboy to condition for a few days. To update, the fermentation is under way though it was a bit too cold (53F) for an ale. I will most likely move it indoors and probably will put a lid on the kettle.

Well good luck!

 

[passedpawn]

At Im Fuchschen brewery in Dusseldorf, fermentation is in completely open concrete fermenters. After 3 days of very active fermentation, they transfer to brighting tanks for another 7 days. They make altbier there (mmm, delicious altbier!).

 

[TarheelBrew13]

That's a cool picture. I'm pretty intrigued by this. Anyone that know about yeast knows they behave differently in different pressure environments. In fact, there are several posts on these boards about beer made under high pressure. I think the risk of infection is pretty low and the potential loss of a batch is fairly inconsequential for a homebrewer.

Congrats on having the brass to try this, OP. I look forward to your results and trying it myself.

 

[dragonbreath11]

That's a cool picture. I'm pretty intrigued by this. Anyone that know about yeast knows they behave differently in different pressure environments. In fact, there are several posts on these boards about beer made under high pressure. I think the risk of infection is pretty low and the potential loss of a batch is fairly inconsequential for a homebrewer.

Congrats on having the brass to try this, OP. I look forward to your results and trying it myself.

Thanks I will keep let the community know how this beer turns out and if i get any infection off flavors. So far so good, I'm using wlp002 and despite only reaching 50F today there was still bubbling krausen. I'm tempted to move it indoors though, as of right now, it's 35F degrees outside. Way to cold for even a lager. Oh well RDWHAHB.