Yeast Overflow Problem

[Techniker]

I am new to homebrewing and I am trying to make an apple cider. I am currently using a bottom yeast and I have started off with a 1 gallon glass jar. I researched how to make it and followed some directions online (all of them seemed to agree) and filled it up to the neck of the jar. I rapidly realized this was going to be a problem when the foam head started to form in the neck and started growing pushing yeast up into my airlock. So I poured off a little more of the cider and it seemed to be doing a lot better. However again the foam head has appeared and has pushed the foam (and some yeast) into my airlock again. I feel like if I keep pouring more off, I won't have anything left. Is this a normal problem? I haven't ruined my cider have I?

Thank you in advance,
Techniker

 

[LuckyRVA]

What you need is a blow off tube.

 

[frazier]

You need a blowoff tube. If you are using a 3-piece airlock, simply remove the lid and inner piece, and attach a tube (you can buy tubing at a hardware store, or your LHBS) to the inner stem, and run it down into a jar of sanitizing solution. Then, proceed to not worry about the foam that travels down the tube into the jar. You are only losing foam, as opposed to pouring off the good stuff.

What kind of yeast are you using? I've never gotten much krausen when making apfelwein.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[mr_bell]

Could you post the recipe, including the type of yeast you used?

You may want to look up the recipe for Edwort's Apfelwein, on this website, which is an excellent dry hard cider. It uses a wine yeast (Red Star Montrachet, and I've also used Red Star Cotes De Blanc), neither of which will foam.

Regarding you current situation: obviously a bigger container, or a blowoff hose would solve the problem. You would lose some with the blow off hose. Might also want to look into something called Fermcap. I'm not chemist, but I believe it's simethecone (sp?) which will prevent foaming. It can be used during fermentation to control krausen; I use it for (full) boils for beer to boil 7 gals in a 7.5 gal pot with no boilovers.

 

[wyzazz]

What type of yeast is it? Most wine yeasts won't create too much foam (krauesen). Next time it would be wise next time to split this in to 2 one gallon jugs and possibly use a blow off tube, or some foam control drops.

 

[Techniker]

Thanks all. It seems that my yeast may be my problem. I had talked with others and I had wanted to make a really old-fashioned type ale (something from closer to the early 1700s) which led me to use just regular Coopers brewers yeast (I can hear you all screaming now). I had to do the unthinkable, I drained off some more of the cider and it seems to be holding well now, but unfortunately I've lost probably a bottle's worth of cider. Oh well, lesson learned.

-Techniker

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I have made a few batches of cider with 1338, which is a fairly neutral ale strain. It turned out perfectly fine each time, so there's no harm in using ale yeast. If you don't have room for krausen, you'll want to use wine yeast for sure.