| Author |
Message |
    
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 1941
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 98.192.2.38
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 05:06 pm: | 
|
It is now 36 hours since pitching and I came home for lunch to find my airlock clogged and about 1/4 cup's worth of beer on the floor of my fermentor.
This yeast took a good 12-18 hours before noticeable activity and the smack-packs were a bit slow to expand. They were swollen but not tight like the Chico strain and some others I have used.
Anyway, does anyone have any experience with this yeast? Seems like a slow starter, but it gathers up momentum as it goes.
(edited foe splling)
(Message edited by BrewDudeBob on October 21, 2008) |
Paul Edwards
Senior Member
Username: Pedwards
Post Number: 1640
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 70.225.131.64
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 05:42 pm: |
|
Bob,
I've had the same experience with 1275, so I'll either add a small bit of Fermcap to the fermenter, or I'll hook up a blow-off tube.
Depends on my mood. |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 1942
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 24.248.74.254
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 05:58 pm: |
|
I think I'm out of the woods on the foam-over, we'll see when I get home from work. It must have been one heck of a krausen as I guess I put 11 gallons in the fermentor (Blichmann 14.5g) |
aleman
Member
Username: Aleman
Post Number: 174
Registered: 04-2003
Posted From: 24.230.101.247
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 09:56 pm: |
|
I find Thames Valley to have very low floc characteristics. If you bump the fermenter when racking the entire volume of beer can suddenly look like egg drop soup. |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 1944
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 98.192.2.38
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:16 pm: |
|
Paul,
I thought I was out of the woods. Came home tonight and it was worse than before. After cleaning it up, I added some foam control. If I hook up a blow-off tube, I can't use my thermo-well.
:::crossing my fingers:::
 |
davidw
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 1878
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 65.163.6.62
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 02:01 pm: |
|
This is a perfect example why I quit using airlocks on primary fermenters until the initial surge slows down. Soak a clean wash cloth in starsan, fold it in half twice, lay it over the airlock hole. No worries. It seems to me that the pressure in the fermenter actually induces a larger krausen. At least it has been my observation that I don't get the kind of head on a fermenting wort without an airlock as I use to get when I used them. |
Destroyer
Member
Username: Destroyer
Post Number: 135
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 69.74.172.196
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 02:18 pm: |
|
I'm with davidw on this. If I know it's a big krausen yeast, I'll even just lay a clean towel on top of the fermenter. Even if the krausen pushes up to the top, all you have is a dirty towel.
Btw, in my old apartment I had a Belgian beer blow the lid off a} fermenter and indent an airlock into a recessed ceiling that was 16 feet high. |
Paul Erbe
Senior Member
Username: Perbe
Post Number: 1253
Registered: 05-2001
Posted From: 64.233.251.195
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 02:58 pm: |
|
Really no need to cover the hole. If you pitch a good starter and have reasonable lag time the CO2 blanket will protect your beer just fine. The only times I ever airlock a primary is if I was unable to get a starter done or if I am leaving the beer in the primary past the active ferment stage. |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 1952
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 98.192.2.38
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 04:38 pm: |
|
My fermenting fridge is a glass door commercial display cooler. When it turns on, it has a fan that circulates the air. Even with a healthy starter, I would be concerned with infection as the top of my fermenter is about 8 inches from the fan. If you look close at the photo, you can see the fan cover:
 |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2069
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 05:38 pm: |
|
what a pretty sight. |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 2055
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 98.192.2.38
| | Posted on Monday, November 03, 2008 - 12:48 am: |
|
Ok, it's been 2 weeks, OG was 1.078. Current gravity is 1.016. that calculates to 8.23 %ABV with an attenuation of 78.4%. Not bad, Wyeast gives it an Attenuation rate of 77%.
It is starting to dry out so I will be dropping the temp by 10 degrees tonight. I already dumped what yeast was in the bottom of the cone and I will tap the fermenter with a rubber mallet a couple times a day to assist in settling. Since aleman has warned me of the "egg-drop soup" issue, I figure a few taps will help it settle out. Tomorrow night, I will drop it another 10 degrees and try dumping out the yeast again next weekend. Then 2 more weeks lagering.
Pretty tasty now, but I did notice it is beginning to dry out from attenuation. The cinnamon also can have a drying effect on the tongue. I may consider adding a few drops of real vanilla extract when I keg it if it's mouthfeel is too dry.
Anyone have any other suggestions to knock the edges off the dryness? It is not real pronounced, but it is there just so you'd notice if you were looking for it. |
aleman
Member
Username: Aleman
Post Number: 176
Registered: 04-2003
Posted From: 24.230.101.248
| | Posted on Monday, November 03, 2008 - 01:48 am: |
|
8 ounces of lactose boiled up in a sauce pan, cooled, and then gently added to finished product. |
Brews and Views Archive 2008 
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page