BaldApe
Well-Known Member
(Warning, long post)
I'm fermenting a Witbier with Whitelabs WLP400. I've used this yeast before multiple times, but I have never seen a fermentation like this one.
It's an 11 gallon batch- 10 gallons of post-boil wort, plus a gallon starter. I have it in a 15 gallon plastic drum, 13 inches wide with 9 inches of headspace, so no blowoff worries, right?
Not so much.
It had the normal amount of krausen for the first couple of days, that died down, and the airlock quit bubbling after a week. I checked the gravity, and it had only fallen from 1.050 to 1.036. I knew the yeast has a reputation for working slowly, so I rocked the fermenter to rouse the yeast.
Early next morning, (day 8 of fermentation) there was yeast coming out of the fermentation lock. I cleaned it out and went to work. When I came home, I had to clean it again. It was about to blow.
It calmed down, and I gave it a little shake yesterday and today (day 14 of fermentation) it's blowing out of the airlock again. Gravity is now 1.020
The only thing I did differently is that I used a direct fired adjunct mash with the flaked wheat and 2 lb of 6-row malt, protein rest at 136 F (higher than I intended) 30 minutes, stepped up to 144 F for 10 minutes, to 146 for 15 minutes, to 154 for 15 minutes, to 160 for 10 minutes, to 170 for 15 minutes.
I used that as my mash water for the Pilsner malt, and proceeded as normal from there.
I'm fermenting a Witbier with Whitelabs WLP400. I've used this yeast before multiple times, but I have never seen a fermentation like this one.
It's an 11 gallon batch- 10 gallons of post-boil wort, plus a gallon starter. I have it in a 15 gallon plastic drum, 13 inches wide with 9 inches of headspace, so no blowoff worries, right?
Not so much.
It had the normal amount of krausen for the first couple of days, that died down, and the airlock quit bubbling after a week. I checked the gravity, and it had only fallen from 1.050 to 1.036. I knew the yeast has a reputation for working slowly, so I rocked the fermenter to rouse the yeast.
Early next morning, (day 8 of fermentation) there was yeast coming out of the fermentation lock. I cleaned it out and went to work. When I came home, I had to clean it again. It was about to blow.
It calmed down, and I gave it a little shake yesterday and today (day 14 of fermentation) it's blowing out of the airlock again. Gravity is now 1.020
The only thing I did differently is that I used a direct fired adjunct mash with the flaked wheat and 2 lb of 6-row malt, protein rest at 136 F (higher than I intended) 30 minutes, stepped up to 144 F for 10 minutes, to 146 for 15 minutes, to 154 for 15 minutes, to 160 for 10 minutes, to 170 for 15 minutes.
I used that as my mash water for the Pilsner malt, and proceeded as normal from there.
