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u/Japanuserzero Brewer 5d ago
I’ve had this happen on a high OG ferm that was overfilled given the large liquid pitch on top of the KO volume. We under attenuated most likely because so much viable yeast got ejected before it could do much work.
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u/HordeumVulgare72 Brewer 4d ago
Had that happen on an ESB we were brewing for a mobile canning run (1.060-something was plenty high OG for our house English strain), ended up dumping a bunch of spices in a couple kegs for the holidays, but most of it turned into fish-n'-chips batter.
Was a good lesson about fermenter volumes and how more isn't always better!
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u/Dangerous_Box8845 5d ago
Fuck overfilled fermenters!
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u/Apprehensive_Leg6647 5d ago
i remember having talks with my brewers about leaving 10% headspace and it never being implemented after lol
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u/Ok_Key_4849 5d ago
yeah that's a blowoff tube that got overwhelmed. happens when you fill too high or the yeast goes absolutely nuts. that floor is gonna be a nightmare to hose down.
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u/tulipcooper 4d ago
Retired from brewing. Miss that smell. Personally I would use fermcap and use some sort of hose lifter. Keep your hoes clean. ;-)
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u/Kerzant 5d ago
Still don't understand why so many brewers think this is a point of pride or coolness.
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u/Iampanda96 5d ago
anyone who brews takes pride in any learning experience who is seriously interested in this career!
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u/skibbrewer 5d ago
Learn from this
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u/heyitsed2 5d ago
From someone with a different" set up to op, what's gone on here?
"Feel free to ask...
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u/Iampanda96 5d ago
please tell! i’m new to the industry but practiced in wine. i’m always interested in learning about better styles and ways people make a great product!
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u/Desperate-Falcon-878 5d ago
Aside from things one can do prevent fermentation overflow, the amount of hoses on the floor restricting drainage is a rookie mistake.
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u/Icedpyre lead brewer [Canada] 4d ago
I haaaaate having hoses on the floor. Get a rack or hooks or hang on tanks or something. Even my dirty hoses get wound up on a perforated rack, until CIP tasks happen.
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u/Desperate-Falcon-878 4d ago
Yup! Ask anyone in food science, NOTHING should be stored on the floor. Carts, trolleys, shelves. Things with airflow underneath them.
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u/Funky_Crisp Brewer 5d ago
Get a pressure cooker, Wheaton bottles, autoclave tape and vegetable based anti foam. I've been out of the industry for a while but I think we use Patco.
Test autoclaving the Wheaton bottles so you can create a valid SOP that sterilizes the anti foam.
Add the antifoam to your yeast brink before pitch.
Never worry about this nonsense again. CIPs are easier, floors aren't dirty and your tanks are safer.
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u/ThreeBeersIn Brewer/Owner [Midwest USA] 🍺 5d ago
Does unopened Patco have a microbial specification? I’ve never really considered it as a vector for extra curricular things but I’ll probably have nightmares about it now.
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u/probrwr Management 5d ago
We use patco in our boil and then in the whirlpool. No blowouts and 2 day faster ferments.
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u/ThreeBeersIn Brewer/Owner [Midwest USA] 🍺 5d ago
any sort of diminishing effect using it in the whirlpool vs fermenter? It probably makes the most sense for me to switch to that.
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u/probrwr Management 5d ago
Nope. We still have a small blowout on one of our larger beers but we also don't change the dose for each batch. We could get it under control but usually only d about 4 batch a year of that one.
The lipids in it contribute to better cell wall health also and our yeast stays mich more viable. We harvest and repitch US-05 out to 13+ generations.
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u/Funky_Crisp Brewer 5d ago edited 4d ago
And unopened bottle? Probably not. But once it's open and even using it yeah for sure
Edit: just so I'm clear, if you're using an open bottle in the boil it's not an issue.
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u/Ok-General-6804 5d ago
All of this makes sense. Lets you put more volume in your FV without sticky floor surprises. I’d just add that Fermcap also works well and can be added hot side. Added benefit is prevention of boil-overs
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u/Funky_Crisp Brewer 5d ago
As long as you're not using the silicone based, then yes. Silicone can rapidly bind these cells and inhibited them. So if you were to add silicone based antiphoam directly to your yeast brink you could have problems
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u/i_aint_bobby 5d ago
It's been a while that I've been actively engaged with yeast management, but wasn't it also the case that silicone based antifoam can't be used in the cold side unless you are filtering the beer at the end, due to it not being safe for human consumption?
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u/HordeumVulgare72 Brewer 4d ago
You're thinking of colloidal silicon oxide finings, like BioFine.
Which, there are rules on the books say must be filtered – but which the rules on the books for powdered drinks, like the instant hot chocolate that people give to their children, can contain as an anti-clumping agent at levels approaching what you'd get if you dosed and packaged without letting it settle out at all.
Who knows, maybe they'll find out colloidal silica gives your grandchildren autism and horrible fashion sense, and it shouldn't be in the beer or the hot chocolate, but given we're already making something that's 5%-15% known carcinogen and liver toxin, I can sympathize with the brewers who say "gravitational filtering is fine, send it."
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u/i_aint_bobby 4d ago
Love the "gravitational filtering". Didn't know about it being used as an anti-clumping agent, I'll definitely care less about antifoam on the cold side from now on. And, yes, we in the business of legal drug/cancer agent making have a peculiar sense of what is dangerous or not.
Thanks for the tidbit, appreciate it!
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u/hazycrazey 5d ago
I’m a homebrewer that lurks here, is that pretty much a giant blow off tube?
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u/sniffysippy Head Brewer [PNW USA] 5d ago
Precisely. This fermenter was likely overfilled and possibly over pitched.
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u/whoeezthat 5d ago
That’s like rig up a vertical 1bbl yeast brink and crop the top