what's the sticky goo in krausen?

[scottlindner]

I recently brewed too fairly strong brews and used WLP550. Both of them had massive krausens that ejected my fermenter and produced a seriously sticky goo. What is the goo? Is it sugars that I am going to miss in my beer? Do I need to rush out and get a bigger fermenter to avoid the loss?

 

[WBC]

Yeast

 

[scottlindner]

Yeast

It's 100% yeast? So loosing tons of it isn't a big deal then since I obviously have plenty to spare.

 

[flyangler18]

Yeast, proteins, hop vegetal matter....it's all good.

 

[scottlindner]

I have never produced beers with this much goo before. The past two recipes have produced a ton of it. From the description it sounds healthy. Not sure I'm going to pour myself a bowl of it though.

 

[IrregularPulse]

if it's spouting out all over the place, try a bigger carboy. what size are fermenting in? You are actually loosing beer if it's spewing all over the place. Using a blow off tube?

 

[scottlindner]

if it's spouting out all over the place, try a bigger carboy. what size are fermenting in? You are actually loosing beer if it's spewing all over the place. Using a blow off tube?

That's exactly why I asked the question in the first place. What's in the goo?

I have a 7 gallon fermenter. Obviously not big enough.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Edit...didn't realize this was an intended high temp ferment...sorry. Might you be pushing the upper limits for the yeast! Actual temps not ambient room temps?

Watch your temps, fast and furious ferments might be fun, but not best for overall product quality. Low and slow is the way to go or so I'm told?

 

[sirsloop]

saison!!!!

 

[scottlindner]

Edit...didn't realize this was an intended high temp ferment...sorry. Might you be pushing the upper limits for the yeast! Actual temps not ambient room temps?

Watch your temps, fast and furious ferments might be fun, but not best for overall product quality. Low and slow is the way to go or so I'm told?

You are the first person in my brewing life that has suggested slow fermentations. I've had a fermentation done completely done in 24 hours. Thankfully I have never experienced what I would call quality problems due to either slow or fast fermentation. Could the difference be ales vs lagers? I'm not much of a fan for lagers so I brew strictly ales.

 

[Yooper]

I've had beers (ales) ferment out overnight, and I've had some take nearly two weeks! As long as the yeast is healthy, the time doesn't really matter. One risk from a fast and furious fermentation, though, is that fermentation is exothermic and the temperature of the wort can rise as much as 10 degrees during this time. Fine if you're making a beer that is intended to be fermented that warm, but I ferment most of my ales in the 62-65 degree range. Not room temperature, but the temperature of the wort in the fermenter.

The keys to a good tasting beer are to pitch an appropriate amount of yeast, and keep it in the temperature range indicated by the yeast strain's manufacturer.

I think a nice slow steady fermentation produces a nice smooth beer, but I have not had any off-flavors in quicker fermentations, either.