opening the fermenter

Welcome to BA. Glad you found us.

You can open the fermentor. Many classic breweries use open air fermentors in fact, and there is some merit to the design.

The reason you are being told to keep the lid on is because an unsealed fermentor is an invitation for bugs and critters as well as oxygen. Just be sure to practice all of your sanitation procedures. Even still once wort has gone on the become beer it is not a particularly favorable environment for most beer spoiling creatures. At least a lot less so then sweet wort.

Cheers.

 

I have no idea why the recipe would instruct you to open the fermenter after 7 days of primary fermentation. At this point in time it will be beer and opening the fermenter now would let in air (oxygen) and lead to oxidation of the beer.

I would advise that you do not do this.

Cheers!

 

@Chris40 what does the recipe suggest you do after opening the fermentor after day 7….add pumpkin meat, add pumpkin concentrate flavorings, prep for packaging?

 

...take a hydrometer sample?

 

I'm with @riptorn here....there's gotta be a point to opening the fermenter...or are they just saying to leave the fermenter lid off? If that's the case, sounds like a shady recipe. Otherwise, taking the lid off to perform a specific task isn't going to ruin the beer. To Jack's point, you just want to minimize this exposure and recognize that oxygen is beer's enemy.

 

Yeah, I think you're going to have to open the fermenter to add the pumpkin puree.

 

The alternative is to put the puree in a secondary fermenter and rack on top of it, but you'd probably get even more oxygen exposure that way. Just add it to primary and try to minimize splashing.

 

I don’t like the idea of adding something as starchy as pumpkin purée to a fermenter.

 

Me neither, fwiw.

 

You beat me to actually posting this. Earlier I typed up a post that pumpkin puree should be mashed because otherwise you are adding starch to the beer. I then did a quick websearch and read where folks discussed adding pumpkin post the mash (e.g., in the boil and via a secondary). I deleted my post prior to posting after reading this stuff.

I have not brewed a beer with pumpkin (yet) but if I do I will make sure to add it to the mash since the concept of adding starch to a beer does not sit properly with me.

Cheers!

 

The occasions I have brewed pumpkin beer (I was brewing in 2009 when it was fashionable. ST Pumking anyone?.) I took the advice of professional friends and avoided puree entirely. It's the pumpkin spice most people want and expect anyway. Just add the powder after fermentation. I am not entirely convinced pumpkin puree brings anything to the show other than mashing headaches. And tradition.

Cheers.

 

About that point in time, I was making a batch of pumpkin butter (cooked down pumpkin spread with spices and brown sugar; no actual butter) and I had the bright idea to put it in the mash of a saison recipe. As a spread on toast, delicious. But as a beer adjunct? For one reason or another, this was the most tannic beer I ever made.

 

There are many strains of ale yeasts, with a wide variety of characteristics. Do you know which strain?

 

S-23 maybe? If so, that's a lager strain, not an ale strain. Ideally, you would use S-23 at temps well below 60F.

 

I've personally never heard of a recipe where you open the fermenter after 7 days unless for some magical reason your fermentation is complete that fast.

As the others here, I probably wouldn't touch the fermenter for at least 2 weeks.