Fermenter Foamplosion

[Jvid]

Hey all! Quick preface.
I brewed my first Heffenwiezen last night. Gravity and volume were spot on and I transfered to my fermenter. fermenter is a ball lock keg with a floating dip tube, and the guts removed from the CO2 post. Gas disconnect with a blowoff tube is connected to the post and it's end sits in a growler filled with starsans solution.

I noticed this morning there was no bubbling occuring in the growler but alot of pressure being released when I pulled the pressure relief valve. I relieved what I could from the valve until it started spraying foam and went to swap gas disconnects with one that I knew worked. During(what a mess) and after swapping disconnects I got a huge rush of foam through the tube that didn't slow for probably a minute.. taking a quick peak after the pressure had relieved I'm thinking i lost at least a 1/2 gallon. I got everything cleaned up, and it appears to be working as intended now.

Aside from the lost volume is anything else I should be worried about or should I be fine letting it ride the rest of the way?

 

[BrewChem]

Outlet got plugged.! Let it ride and plan accordingly next time.! Hefeweizen’s can get quite volcanic with lots of yeast, trub, brew-schmootz.! I use have a 1/2” to prevent the fermenter from pressure buildup. Yeast don’t like to be under pressure

 

[VikeMan]

Aside from the lost volume is anything else I should be worried about or should I be fine letting it ride the rest of the way?

If I understand you correctly, you connected a corny gas QD to a corny gas post that had its poppet assembly removed. Without that poppet assembly in the post, there's nothing for the short end of the stem in the QD to engage with. Are you sure the second QD you tried is allowing CO2 to escape?

 

[Jvid]

The replacement disconnect has its internals removed too so it has a open path. It's bubbling happily now. The first disconnect though.. oops.

Are there any worries about oxygen loss in the wort or yeast loss?

 

[VikeMan]

Are there any worries about oxygen loss in the wort or yeast loss?

About an hour (or less) after you pitch the yeast, they have taken up all the oxygen, and you don't need/want any O2 after that.

Regarding yeast loss, there should be plenty of yeast still in the remaining wort.

 

[BrewChem]

If it’s fermenting, the oxygen is already gone.

 

[hout17]

Pics? Just wondering. Brew on!

 

[Jvid]

Pics? Just wondering. Brew on!

Sure. Don't have pics of the mess, but here's the setup.

 

[hout17]

Nice setup! Would've also been interesting to see the carnage lol.

 

[Jvid]

If it’s fermenting, the oxygen is already gone.

Perfect. Thank you!

Nice setup! Would've also been interesting to see the carnage lol.

Thank you! Pictures were the last thing on my mind at the time lol.

 

[Jvid]

So as a follow up, everything seems good. ABV is where it's supposed to be at 5.03%. SG is at 1.012, down from an OG of 1.051 and has been steady for 2 days now. If it reads the same tomorrow can I assume fermentation is done?

 

[wepeeler]

So as a follow up, everything seems good. ABV is where it's supposed to be at 5.03%. SG is at 1.012, down from an OG of 1.051 and has been steady for 2 days now. If it reads the same tomorrow can I assume fermentation is done?

Hefe yeasts are notorious for blowing out! The only way to really know if ferm is done is to get stable gravity readings 2 or 3 days apart. How long has it been fermenting? Most yeasts calm down near the end of fermentation but can slowly continue to ferment, dropping your gravity a touch more.

 

[Jvid]

Hefe yeasts are notorious for blowing out! The only way to really know if ferm is done is to get stable gravity readings 2 or 3 days apart. How long has it been fermenting? Most yeasts calm down near the end of fermentation but can slowly continue to ferment, dropping your gravity a touch more.

Day 5 now. CO2 activity was over after Day 3 and krausen is now gone from the surface.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Don't go by visible activity. They yeast are still doing their job, just not as vigorously. Get a hydrometer and check gravity. Then check it again every couple days. When you get two readings the same, it's done.

 

[wepeeler]

Day 5 now. CO2 activity was over after Day 3 and krausen is now gone from the surface.

Personally, I would wait a little. I typically go 2 weeks for most everything, unless it's a bigger beer or a lager. The yeast is still in suspension and cleaning up on day 5.

 

[Jvid]

Don't go by visible activity. They yeast are still doing their job, just not as vigorously. Get a hydrometer and check gravity. Then check it again every couple days. When you get two readings the same, it's done.

I've got a tilt hydrometer floating in the fermenter and have been taking daily readings with that.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Personally, I would wait a little. I typically go 2 weeks for most everything, unless it's a bigger beer or a lager. The yeast is still in suspension and cleaning up on day 5.

Two weeks is my minimum. I typically let it go 4 weeks. Longer for big beers and lagers


It looks like you're about done with active fermentation, 2 days at 1.012. But again, I'd leave it for a while. The yeast are cleaning up after themselves.

 

[Jvid]

Two weeks is my minimum. I typically let it go 4 weeks. Longer for big beers and lagers


It looks like you're about done with active fermentation, 2 days at 1.012. But again, I'd leave it for a while. The yeast are cleaning up after themselves.

Is that 4 weeks total or just primary/secondary fermentation for lagers? I have an Oktoberfest that's finished fermenting and per the recipe I'll be lagering for a month now. Just curious!

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I got lazy once, and left my 5.3% ESB in the fermenter for 4 weeks, never even checking it. I thought it was ruined, until I tasted my hydrometer sample. It convinced me that leaving it longer was better for it. I still leave most of my beers for 4 weeks. My 8.6% Scotch ale is left alone for at least 6 weeks, which is also the time frame for my Oktoberfest. I brew a 13% barleywine that I'll leave in the fermenter for up to 6 months.

Edit: To clarify, I don't transfer to secondary. I keg after the 4 week fermentation. The lagers are lagered in the kegs.

 

[wepeeler]

Two weeks is my minimum. I typically let it go 4 weeks. Longer for big beers and lagers


It looks like you're about done with active fermentation, 2 days at 1.012. But again, I'd leave it for a while. The yeast are cleaning up after themselves.

Two weeks is my minimum as well. I was reading through an old thread on here yesterday where most everyone was in agreement about at least 2 weeks. I was actually surprised at how many people only did 2 weeks! I usually go 3, but my neipas go 2.