Aggressive fermentation and yeast in airlock

[Steve Russell]

My fourth brew is an American style brown ale, I brewed it on a Monday and pitched the yeast on Tuesday once the temp was right. I noticed bubbling in my airlock the next day after I pitched the yeast which was Wednesday. Today when I checked its still bubbling but noticed the airlock was filled with what looks like yeast or some of the wort. I am surprised its still fermenting so strong after 3.5 days, but assume its ok? I guess my question is has anyone seen this happen before? My first three batches had very little airlock activity so I was surprised to see it so aggressive this time. Should I be concerned if somehow this substance in the airlock gets sucked back into the beer or should I change out the air lock once I see no bubbling? I attached a pic of the airlock. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

 

[Sunfire96]

My fourth brew is an American style brown ale, I brewed it on a Monday and pitched the yeast on Tuesday once the temp was right. I noticed bubbling in my airlock the next day after I pitched the yeast which was Wednesday. Today when I checked its still bubbling but noticed the airlock was filled with what looks like yeast or some of the wort. I am surprised its still fermenting so strong after 3.5 days, but assume its ok? I guess my question is has anyone seen this happen before? My first three batches had very little airlock activity so I was surprised to see it so aggressive this time. Should I be concerned if somehow this substance in the airlock gets sucked back into the beer or should I change out the air lock once I see no bubbling? I attached a pic of the airlock. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

It's likely the vigorous part of fermentation is over by now or will be soon. Some primary fermentations last up to a week. If it hasn't gotten worse clean out the airlock and refill and replace. Google blow off tube for your next batch

 

[Herm brews]

It's likely the vigorous part of fermentation is over by now or will be soon. Some primary fermentations last up to a week. If it hasn't gotten worse clean out the airlock and refill and replace. Google blow off tube for your next batch

My primary fermentations last 3 weeks usually, sometimes longer
Don’t forget that yeast are still working long after signs of active fermentation have ceased.

 

[Josh Hughes]

It’s fine clean and replace.

 

[Bubba Wade]

I keep a spare airlock and drilled stopper for just such an emergency.

It happens occasionally. Sometimes due to vigorous fermentation, sometimes due to not quite enough head space.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Same, I keep one and my star San squirt bottle near the fermenter.

 

[Donoroto]

I've had it happen with a blowoff tube, so yes, sometimes the yeasties get really frisky and the krausen rises all the way to the top of the fermenter. Clean and replace the airlock, it'll be fine.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Could be fresh healthy yeast an active strain. The cream ale I'm bottling tomorrow is the first time I've used WYeast Kölsch 2565 and the expiration date was pretty far out so it was pretty fresh yeast. So, while I rarely get kreuzen in the airlock, this time I had to replace the airlock twice. There isn't much risk in replacing the airlock during active fermentation because outward pressure of the CO2 will keep the nasty stuff from getting in.

 

[RoadRoach]

Been there, done that. Like Barbarian, I had to replace one airlock 3 times on a brew that had a pretty high OG, and during the summer when my fermenting temps are slightly higher. Like you, it worried me the first time I saw it. The overflow not only got in the airlock but also pushed out and left a nice gelatinous goo all over the top of the fermenter. I was impressed at how much yeast will reproduce in open air. That's the one time I'm glad I was using a bucket fermenter. It contained most of the yeast escapees and didn't get on the floor. That one got my attention, so now I keep my fermenters in spill containment. Beyond the external mess, I don't worry about it much because there's still slight positive pressure in the fermenter, and nothing's going in past that airlock. I've had ferments bubble for 2+ weeks, vigorously, and have left batches sitting nearly 4 weeks.

Blowoff tubes let this happen on purpose, collecting the spill in a bowl of water/sanitizer. Blowoffs and airlocks work exactly the same way, but the blowoff lets you better collect an expected mess into a larger vessel without getting it on the floor. If you make the same recipe again, perhaps reduce the volume by about a quart to keep more headspace in the carboy. If you can, without harming the recipe too much, cut the extra water before putting it in to reduce the volume slightly. You'll keep all the sugars/malts in your wort, and wind up with a slightly elevated OG. FG will depend on whether the yeast can handle the higher alcohol concentration (ABV). Beware, though, a higher OG may make the yeast more active, too. There's a pretty fine line that varies all over the place depending on yeast strains and wort composition.

 

[Steve Russell]

Wow, thank you all for the responses, I have a couple extra airlocks and I just replaces it. Still bubbling but I guess it's all good. I think my headspace is ok, i am using a SS Brewtech Chronical and I only had about 5.25 gallons in the fermenter. I guess since my first three batches had minimal or no airlock activity this one caught me off guard! Thanks again and I hope you have Hoppy Holidays !!

 

[RoadRoach]

Foamy krausen and lots of bubbles in the first few days is a good thing, as long as it isn't too much. Too much usually means the batch is too warm, and you may get some funky flavors. Slow/no activity in the airlock may indicate you weren't getting a complete ferment. Can't say I've had that happen, but I have had a few that wanted to stall. The only way to know how good the fermentation is to measure the OG (Original Gravity, just before pitching the yeast) and FG (Final Gravity, just before you package it).readings. I take it you did a no-cool batch, since you say you let it sit overnight. Haven't tried that method yet. I'm thinking it has it's merits, but I went through the trouble to make an immersion chiller from 50 feet of 3/8" soft drawn copper tubing. I figure I better use it now.

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

The cream ale I'm bottling tomorrow is the first time I've used WYeast Kölsch 2565 and the expiration date was pretty far out so it was pretty fresh yeast

This is the key. Not all yeasts will "puke" out the airlock. It has to do with how the yeast flocculates. "Top Crop" is often used to describe these yeasts and they will flocculate upward first, trapping escaping c02. The c02 in turn will create a huge krausen and push the yeast out. A large head space is required for these yeasts.

2565 is a true "Top Crop" and will puke nearly every time. Other "puking" yeast are Wyeast 1318, S04 (if it's over pitched), WLP029, Wyeast 1007 to name a few. Other yeasts behave themselves even when over pitched, such as WLP007. The krausen on that yeast will stay within an inch or so even with a extremely hard and fast fermentation.

Once the fermentation is done and the beer hits its final gravity, the yeast is done. The yeast can't really do much without some sugar present for food. Keeping beer on the yeast cake after fermentation is done for more then a couple of days doesn't really help anything. Even when the yeast is in suspension and has no sugars left, it's really not doing anything and needs to be dropped.

 

[Steve Russell]

Foamy krausen and lots of bubbles in the first few days is a good thing, as long as it isn't too much. Too much usually means the batch is too warm, and you may get some funky flavors. Slow/no activity in the airlock may indicate you weren't getting a complete ferment. Can't say I've had that happen, but I have had a few that wanted to stall. The only way to know how good the fermentation is to measure the OG (Original Gravity, just before pitching the yeast) and FG (Final Gravity, just before you package it).readings. I take it you did a no-cool batch, since you say you let it sit overnight. Haven't tried that method yet. I'm thinking it has it's merits, but I went through the trouble to make an immersion chiller from 50 feet of 3/8" soft drawn copper tubing. I figure I better use it now.

Thank you for the response, I am hoping the batch wasn't to warm, I had a second batch under temperature control so could only use the temp guage on the fermenter which said 66 F so I think the temp was ok. Yes I waited a day for it to cool down, I have a grainfather and not a fan of the counter chiller because it cools the wort down to a good temp but the heating element in the grainfather will quickly warm the wort back up, so I need to keep the chiller going longer I think. I might switch to an immersion chiller myself. Thanks again!

 

[Minbari]

Down side of the no-chill method is that the wort sits longer with contact with oxygen longer, so staling can happen sooner.

Just make sure if you make a copper chiller, it is NOT part of the temp control for the fermentor. Ok to chill after boil but not long term