BirkdaleBob Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 I make two brews at a time, not necessarily the same types at each brewing session. I use white barrels, about 27 litres. However...for the last three sessions I have made Lager, and on each occasion the krausen has blown all of the water out of my airlocks on the first night after brewing. After the first time I downsized to 21 litres, and then to 20. I keg and have run out of bottles to fill, so the lesser amount didn't really waste much. I'm in Qld so daytime temps are in the high 20s, but I put about a litre of ice in each brew to cool it down. Can anybody tell me what may be causing this volcanic reaction? The resulting brews are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 A common question - I should include it in the FAQ section of the Home Brew page. Foaming, apart from the mess, is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a good indicator of a strong fermentation. A list of contributors toward excessive foaming (or krausen) in the early period of the fermentation process:- Temperature - the higher the temp the more foam, Yeast - generally ale yeast strains, some more so than others create more foam, Colour of the brew - darker brews are more likely to foam, Available sugars - higher gravity brews tend to foam more, Nitrogen levels - brews with higher levels of nitrogen foam more (nitrogen levels of the barley crops can vary from year to year).[/list:u] To reduce the chances of foaming over, get bigger fermenting vessels, reduce the total volume to 18litres then top up with cool boiled water once the krausen has subsided and start the ferment at 21degC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 I've also heard that running a hose from the hole in the lid into a bucket of water acts as a big airlock and is not as messy when you have a foam over. Luke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Smurto Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 lager should be brewed at 9 degC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Dr Smurto, Yes you can ferment a lager at 9degC. However, not all Lager yeast strains perform well at 9degC and not all lager beers styles are fermented at 9degC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Smurto Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Purists would argue..... What temperature is the Coopers Lager brewed at then? True- some yeasts cant handle the 9 degC. The general held belief on making lagers is you ferment at 9, CC at as close to 0 for a few months, then raise to 18-20 degC (diacetyl rest) then bottle/keg as normal. Something that cant be done without a brew fridge to control these temps. I realise that some lager yeasts are meant to ferment outside of this range but the purists will argue that to maintain the clean, crisp flavour of a lager 9degC is your ideal temp. I have brewed lagers at anywhere between 14 and 24 and all are average when compared to ales/porters or stouts which can handle a bot more temp range. But at the end of the day - its your beer so if you like it then its all that matters! Just offering up information. But would really like to know what temp coopers lager is brewed at... Paul? Cheers DrSmurto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I appreciate your good will, enthusiasm and participation in our forum. Generally, allowing for variations in personal preferences and opinions, I look to ensure that accurate information resides on this forum (this is the only forum in which I am active - a management decision). Having said that, the statement: lager should be brewed at 9 degC is not true in all cases. eg. I have made a lager fermented at 13degC (the particular yeast strain used supresses ester production at 15decC and below) that received glowing comments from Master Brewers. I am yet to see a home brew forum or book that does not contain incorrect information. A "general held belief" is not automatically the only way, nor is it assured to be the correct way! As for the ferment temp of our commercial lagers - currently, we start it at 13C and gradually draw it up to 16C as it ferments out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Smurto Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I am yet to see a home brew forum or book that does not contain incorrect information. Or under the lid of home brew kits for that matter......... :shock: :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I am responsible for writing the under-lid instructions. Any feedback about inaccuracy or other suggested improvements is appreciated. Please e-mail me directly; I guess you still have my e-mail address?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipsy Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 The general held belief on making lagers is you ferment at 9, CC at as close to 0 for a few months, then raise to 18-20 degC (diacetyl rest) I ferment most of my lagers at 12c and then do a diacetyl rest (15-16c) before lagering at 2c. But I'm no purist :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirkdaleBob Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 Getting back to the original thread, I mentioned my problem to my local home brew supplier. His answer was: "Yeah, mainly Coopers, and some Brigalow because they use the same yeast. It's because of the high temps lately. They know that if they reduce the amount of yeast they are currently packaging the problem will go away. Instead, they are recommending 30l containers." ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Yes there is a lot of incorrect information out there! We use a number of different strains of yeast with our Home Brew Kits - our own yeast and commercially available yeast. The main yeast we pack is our own strain, found with all the original series kits and only in sachets with the Coopers logo. DO NOT reduce the quantity of yeast, if anything, increase it!! Would like to know the store details so that I might be able to help them out with accurate information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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