Why won't my beer blow???

[davidabcd]

I have never even come close to needing a blow-off tube. I check, too, by going down in the basement many, many times with a flashlight during the early days of fermentation. The krausen looks good but never anywhere near the top of the fermenter.

1. I use an ordinary 6.5 gallon bucket.
2. I only ever do 5 gallon batches.
3. Dry yeast, mainly, and up to two packs.
4. High ABVs (up to 11%)
5. No starters.

I just saw a photo yesterday in the "Beginners" forum where OP used liquid yeast but not a starter. I think it was a wheat beer. He needed a blow-off tube and it looked like a 6.5 gallon bucket.

Anyone know what I'm missing?

Thank you.

 

[mongoose33]

Different yeast? Different fermentation temps?

If you ferment warm, the yeast is more active and you'll get more krausen activity. How warm/cool are you fermenting?

I try to hold my ale fermenations at 64 degrees--a couple at 67--and while I have pretty active krausens, I don't have a blowoff.

 

[S-Met]

Sounds like you aren't missing anything. Some yeasts may be more prone to needing a blow off/more head space and temps make a big difference too.

 

[day_trippr]

Temperature plays a huge role wrt the vigor of fermentation...

Cheers!

 

[Rob2010SS]

Additionally, if you think about it, you're fermenting in a bucket. The amount of headspace you have in there is a lot more than what is in a carboy. Since a carboy has a narrow neck, it takes less krausen to have a blow off, whereas in a bucket, you'd need a lot more krausen to fill up that head space. I wouldn't worry about it. Blow off's aren't fun haha.

 

[davidabcd]

Different yeast? Different fermentation temps?

If you ferment warm, the yeast is more active and you'll get more krausen activity. How warm/cool are you fermenting?

I try to hold my ale fermenations at 64 degrees--a couple at 67--and while I have pretty active krausens, I don't have a blowoff.

Thank you.
I don't temp control my fermentations so I get what I get. My last five batches had a room temp of 70-72F. I have done many in the mid 60s and a few in the 58-62 band. I check the yeast pack to make sure I'm in its range.
I've used the smack pack 1056, I think, Wyeast, T-58, US 04 and 05, BRY-97.
Edit: S-04 and not US 04.

 

[specharka]

I’ve never experienced that much krausen with ordinary dry yeasts like US-05 and S-04. True top croppers like certain English, German, and Belgian ale strains will produce a more substantial krausen.

Plus if you’re fermenting 5G in a 6.5G bucket that’s 25% headspace. I ferment 4.5 - 4.75G in a 5G keg and hardly see much blowoff.

 

[davidabcd]

Sounds like you aren't missing anything. Some yeasts may be more prone to needing a blow off/more head space and temps make a big difference too.

Thanks, that makes sense. I thought it was only a combination of added liquid from a large starter and less head space until I saw the photo mentioned in OP.

 

[davidabcd]

Additionally, if you think about it, you're fermenting in a bucket. The amount of headspace you have in there is a lot more than what is in a carboy. Since a carboy has a narrow neck, it takes less krausen to have a blow off, whereas in a bucket, you'd need a lot more krausen to fill up that head space. I wouldn't worry about it. Blow off's aren't fun haha.

Right, thanks. I've seen photos of folks painting their ceilings with beer. I suspected blow-offs weren't just the one thing.
I don't know how big carboys can get but it would be nice to have more space.

 

[davidabcd]

Temperature plays a huge role wrt the vigor of fermentation...

Cheers!

Thanks. I added temps in a response which I should have included in OP. They're all over the board: 58-72, I think. The worst I get is the Starsan being bubbled so actively that it foams and drips out the top of airlock. Easy fix of adding a little more to put it back to its level.

 

[davidabcd]

I’ve never experienced that much krausen with ordinary dry yeasts like US-05 and S-04. True top croppers like certain English, German, and Belgian ale strains will produce a more substantial krausen.

Plus if you’re fermenting 5G in a 6.5G bucket that’s 25% headspace. I ferment 4.5 - 4.75G in a 5G keg and hardly see much blowoff.

A "true top croppers" is top fermenting? The Belgian one I use is T-58. I don't know if that qualifies as one.
Thank you

 

[S-Met]

Right, thanks. I've seen photos of folks painting their ceilings with beer. I suspected blow-offs weren't just the one thing.

Ceiling painting is usually resulting from an obstruction and pressure discharge.

 

[davidabcd]

Ceiling painting is usually resulting from an obstruction and pressure discharge.

Yeah, of course, not necessarily a blow-off tube situation. Clogged something or other, right?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks. I added temps in a response which I should have included in OP. They're all over the board: 58-72, I think. The worst I get is the Starsan being bubbled so actively that it foams and drips out the top of airlock. Easy fix of adding a little more to put it back to its level.

I've been brewing a LONG time. I've had one time I've needed a blow off tube- ever. It was a wheat beer (those are more prone to it), at a fairly warm (70 degrees) temperature. It was in a 6.5 gallon bucket. I think it was about 10 or 11 years ago.

The one suggestion I'd give you is to get a "stick on" thermometer on every bucket. You can get them at a brew store or even at Wal-mart for aquariums. The reason is because I've personally seen fermentation temperatures be 10 degrees warmer than ambient air temperature, and if you're in a 72 degree room with an active fermentation, the fermentation temperature could actually be 80 degrees or more.

You can also stabilize and cool the temperature, stopping fluctuations, simply by putting your bucket in a cooler or bin, and filling it with water to surround the beer. This stops temperature fluctuations because of the mass, and if you add a frozen water bottle or two to the water in the summer or when it's warm in your basement, you'll have a lot more temperature control. The beer will be much better for it, I promise, particularly if you use S04 yeast- that yeast tastes really good at 62 degrees or under but over 67-68 degrees it gets weirdly tart. Once you get some temperature control, even like my red-neck version, the beer will improve dramatically.

 

[S-Met]

Yeah, of course, not necessarily a blow-off tube situation. Clogged something or other, right?

Correct, and usually from someone pushing the bung in too tightly, though sometimes its just the krausen getting stuck in the neck.

Carboys are more prone to ceiling painting do to the narrow neck, but could happen from any fermenter. I usually use a fermonster but occasionally use a bucket. I don't usually secure the lid during primary fermentation. Just placing the lid on loosely is sufficient. Only downside is you don't get to enjoy the percolating of the air lock.

 

[davidabcd]

@S-Met: I feel the same about airlocks. To me, they're beautiful to watch, never get tired of it and I love the smell.
So, with the unsecured lid, are you talking just a tiny opening/crack? Then you count on a continuous production of CO2 to keep the beer protected? That's how I made sense of the method in my head. I know it isn't, but it seems risky. What is the reason to do this? Avoid fermenter explosions?
I read on another site where people are very relaxed about not using airlocks or whatever but that would kind of freak me out trying it.

 

[Lefou]

Heee hee .. what you're missing is the right yeast and cleaning up the potential mess.

One of my first extract beers was a hefe done with liquid yeast. The first thing one of the employees did was advise me I would need a blowoff, then handed me the yeast packet and the orange rubber cap with half-inch tubing. I spent the next week listening to the carboy go "bloop bloop bloop" and laughed as the cats gave the glass jug the stinkeye.