Consequences of an overly active fermentation?

MrStacy

MrStacy

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So, I brewed a cream ale, all grain, this Friday. Everything went great. I was able to do everything correctly this time without little mistakes. I was excited to use my new Erlenmeyer flask and stir plate for the first time. I had created a yeast starter the day prior using a can of Propper Starter, 16 oz of bottled water, and two packets of Lallemand BRY-97 dry yeast. The yeast was in the flask at a temp of about 66 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 hours. I hit my O.G. estimation, plus a point, and pitched my yeast. The bubbling in the airlock started within 6 hours and was looking great all day yesterday (Saturday). My wife and I went to our local brewery (shout out to Fredonia Brewery in Nacogdoches, TX) for an afternoon of good brew, food, and music. When we came back home at 6pm, the yeast had escaped the top of the airlock and spilled down the sides and onto the lid of the fermenting bucket. A very active ferment was taking place and I knew I needed to keep an eye on it in case it blew the lid. This morning, Sunday, I check on it and the airlock was completely clogged with sludge! I've never seen such. The yeast had created like a dough that had pushed through the airlock and spilled all over the lid. It's the consistency of toothpaste, putty colored, and smells wonderful. I replaced the airlock with a fresh one and saw through the hole that the krausen was taking up the 6 inches of headspace in the fermenter.

Here's my question: Is an overly active fermentation likely to have any consequences for the finished product? I know what I did wrong... I used two packets of yeast instead of one and gave it every advantage possible, creating way more yeast than needed. So I think I need to go back to using one packet of yeast now that I'm making starters.
 
MrStacy said:
So, I brewed a cream ale, all grain, this Friday. Everything went great. I was able to do everything correctly this time without little mistakes. I was excited to use my new Erlenmeyer flask and stir plate for the first time. I had created a yeast starter the day prior using a can of Propper Starter, 16 oz of bottled water, and two packets of Lallemand BRY-97 dry yeast. The yeast was in the flask at a temp of about 66 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 hours. I hit my O.G. estimation, plus a point, and pitched my yeast. The bubbling in the airlock started within 6 hours and was looking great all day yesterday (Saturday). My wife and I went to our local brewery (shout out to Fredonia Brewery in Nacogdoches, TX) for an afternoon of good brew, food, and music. When we came back home at 6pm, the yeast had escaped the top of the airlock and spilled down the sides and onto the lid of the fermenting bucket. A very active ferment was taking place and I knew I needed to keep an eye on it in case it blew the lid. This morning, Sunday, I check on it and the airlock was completely clogged with sludge! I've never seen such. The yeast had created like a dough that had pushed through the airlock and spilled all over the lid. It's the consistency of toothpaste, putty colored, and smells wonderful. I replaced the airlock with a fresh one and saw through the hole that the krausen was taking up the 6 inches of headspace in the fermenter.

Here's my question: Is an overly active fermentation likely to have any consequences for the finished product? I know what I did wrong... I used two packets of yeast instead of one and gave it every advantage possible, creating way more yeast than needed. So I think I need to go back to using one packet of yeast now that I'm making starters.
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I've had multiple "active" fermentations over my short couple years brewing. Two of those came up though the airlock like you're describing. The first one tasted great. The second one is actually finishing up primary right now and is waiting for me to have time to bottle it. Clean up the outside the best you can and reseal the fermenter, it should be fine. If you think it's past peak fermentation then put a new airlock on, if it's still going strong then go with a blowoff tube. If you have 3-peice airlocks I like to just put the tube into the center post of the airlock cause it makes it easy to switch it out for the airlock after peak (not that you have to, I just worry about the tube getting pulled or the bowl getting knocked over in my house).

Here would be my advice going forward (keep in mind these are just my opinions):
1) I probably wouldn't bother with the starter for dry yeast, it's probably cheaper in most cases to pitch a second pack than build a starter. Liquid yeast is a different story but I don't even always use a starter for it.
2) Some brewers will tell you not to chance it and use a blowoff tube on every fermentation. I don't like to use it more than necessary for reasons mentioned above. However I will start with a blowoff if
a) I have a high OG (usually above 1.050) or
b) I'm using a yeast I know is very active such as a hefewiezen yeast or Nottingham which always likes to give me trouble.
3) headspace is also key. I have a 6 gallon fermonster and I typically try to cap it at 5 gallons of wort. This time I miscalculated the water due to a shorter boil and using a different cooking surface due to weather and wound up at like 5.75. Despite using a blowoff the krausen came up and pushed out the bung and started overflowing. I ended up duck taping everything in place.

But yeah bottom line if you got to it quick enough and you probably did, to limit any oxygen exposure it'll be fine. It's just that you have to deal with a mess and maybe some loss of product.
 
Thanks, SabreSteve. I have had to use blow off tubes before. I had an Irish Red once that blew off the top of the fermenter bucket and I've had active krausen climb up through airlocks a few times, just never had this weird sludge. It really is kind of amazing the amount of gas that gets produced in peak fermentation. I think you're right about pitching dry yeast. I decided a couple of years ago to go strictly with dry yeast as shipping to my area in Texas for liquid yeasts often results in getting yeast packets or tubes that had a long, hot journey to my neck of the woods, even when I order ice packs (they always arrive fully melted). Then I would end up with slow starts due to the yeast either being killed off or stressed out. I don't have a local homebrew supply store. I think the closest one is in Shreveport, La which is about 65 miles away. My fermenter buckets are 6 gallon buckets and I try to get 5.5 gallons of wort in so that I end up with a full 5 gallons in keg, although I'm beginning to understand that is just not always possible due to various variables during the process. I just checked the beer a few minutes ago and it's starting to push krausen through again, so I think I will just go ahead and get the blow off tube ready as it apparently is still in peak.
 
Just a couple additions to what Steve said.

1) Take it or leave it for starters on dry yeast. They have nutrients in it already.
2) for an ale, 1 packet is really enough yeast for a 5 gal batch. Some of the crazy fermentation might have been for over pitching.
3). When you do get a blow out like that, switch to a blow off tube. Air lock will just clog as you saw.
4). More head space, lol. I do 5 gal batches in 7gal ferms. Never had one blow out
 
I concur ;)
I like to keep about 1/3 of the fermenter free (headcspace) just in case
 
What temperature were you fermenting at? Having adequate head space is a good thing, but if you are fermenting on the warm side fermentation can get pretty "active". Having said that, what was your OG? I believe that BRY-97 is a dry yeast. There really is no need to do a starter with dry yeast, and as long as your OG isn't crazy high one packet is plenty.
You may enjoy doing the starter, and there is no harm in it, but it just isn't necessary, and will not make your beer taste better. Controlling fermentation temperature however, can and quite likely will, make you beer taste better:D
 
Dry yeast really is a superior product overall to liquid and doesn't need the same level of help as liquid does. It's cheaper too! The only downside is when you're doing a style that's dependent on the yeast sometimes the selection just isn't there with dry yeast and you need to go liquid
 
Excellent advice from everyone, and that is what I need in order to continue to learn. It sucks that I spent the money for the flask and the stir plate when I don't need it. But that's a product of not having a great knowledge base to start with. I kept seeing/reading about using two packets of yeast, make a yeast starter, etc. I figured that was to get my attenuation within a week of pitching the yeast so I could get in the keg faster. Oh well, live and learn.
 
MrStacy said:
Excellent advice from everyone, and that is what I need in order to continue to learn. It sucks that I spent the money for the flask and the stir plate when I don't need it. But that's a product of not having a great knowledge base to start with. I kept seeing/reading about using two packets of yeast, make a yeast starter, etc. I figured that was to get my attenuation within a week of pitching the yeast so I could get in the keg faster. Oh well, live and learn.
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I wouldnt go that far. if you use liquid yeast, you will want to have it. lots of benefits from liquid, most of those benefits are getting the exact strain you want/like. if you ever get into yeast harvesting, it will play a role in making starters from that too
so not a waste, IMHO

MrStacy said:
By the way where can I buy 7 gallon ferment buckets?
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not sure if they make buckets. but you can find stainless in that size for not crazy expensive, all the way up crazy expensive, lol
 
I would just look for a 7 gallon food grade bucket and then add a spigot or whatever yourself (this is what I did originally). If you buy a fermenter bucket sold by a homebrew store (physical or online) you're going to pay a huge markup off the bat. You should be able to find a food grade bucket for under $10 and a spigot for under $5. Paying upwards of $15 (I've seen them as high as $30) isn't worth it to me to avoid drilling the bucket (which you don't even have to do)

The thing I'd personally suggest in the immediate future is scale down to 4 gallon batches instead of immediately upgrading and think about what you want in a fermenter and then go for it. Buckets get the job done but we all pretty much leave them behind at some point for various reasons. I like my fermonster but you could go stainless, glass, conical, there's a lot of options and I'd just encourage exploring them before making another purchase cause chances are soon after you upgrade your buckets you'll decide you want something else.
 
MrStacy said:
Excellent advice from everyone, and that is what I need in order to continue to learn. It sucks that I spent the money for the flask and the stir plate when I don't need it. But that's a product of not having a great knowledge base to start with. I kept seeing/reading about using two packets of yeast, make a yeast starter, etc. I figured that was to get my attenuation within a week of pitching the yeast so I could get in the keg faster. Oh well, live and learn.
Click to expand...
I feel like a ton of brewers overpitch as a practice because they're afraid of ending up with a stuck fermentation (which isn't always about the pitch rate anyways). In most cases I don't think overpitching hurts anything or affects the final product although you can probably find a dozen opinions that would differ on that. I also don't think an overpitch means it'll necessarily be faster. As long as you aren't under pitching I feel like strain and temperature is a bigger factor in fermentation time than your yeast count
 
A starter will get you from grain to glass a bit quicker with the yeast getting to work more quickly. Pressure fermenting will get you there a bit quicker as well as your beer will be mostly carbonated when fermentation is done. Selecting a yeast that works more quickly like the Kveik strains is another way to speed up the process. Speed however should not be your goal, your goal should be to make the best beer you can. They have beer at the store that you can enjoy while you wait;). The most important ingredient in beer is patience.
 
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