Blown fermentation lock, poor sedimentation

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by khensley, Nov 21, 2015.

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  1. khensley

    khensley Initiate (0) Jul 29, 2012 Washington

    I brewed up five gallons of Imperial Stout last weekend (OG 1.080) and pitched yeast (White Labs English Ale) from three day starter. Within four hours of pitching yeast, my fermentation lock was plugged and had blown off the top. I lost about half a gallon of wort/beer/kruesen out the top. After seven days, I have very poor sedimentation at the bottom, and the fermentation lock is showing no activity. There is still a significant amount of kruesen at the top of the beer floating around. From my past experiences, such an aggressive fermentation settles out. Is this happening because so much kruesen was lost out of the top? Should I take a gravity reading and decide if I need to repitch?
     
    #1 khensley, Nov 21, 2015
    WertMaker likes this.
  2. WertMaker

    WertMaker Initiate (0) Jan 17, 2009 Oregon

    Don't re-pitch, your brew is essentially in secondary. Let it go for another 7 days. Clean out the air lock and have another spare so you can swap them out next time you build a big beer. How much head space did you have in the FV? Fermenting in a carboy? Time to buy a 7 gallon conical... :wink:

    Oh, this has happened to everyone and... If it hasn't, it will.
     
    #2 WertMaker, Nov 21, 2015
  3. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    If it were me, I'd give it another week to try to hit FG. If the best yeast blew out the top, the rest of the yeast might take a little longer to finish up. It's not the end of the world. Slap some sanitized aluminum foil around the top of the (carboy?) or over the hole of the grommet, depending on what vessel you are in. A rubber band or a weight isn't a bad idea to help hold the alum in place.

    I don't hold much stock in where the krausen is, if it's floating, or if it all flocculates to the bottom. If it were my beer it would still have 2 weeks to figure itself out in primary. Hopefully everything will settle to the bottom by then. After a week and before 2 weeks, take a gravity reading and see where you stand. If you're at 1.040, repitch with some dry yeast and let it finish up. If you're FG is where you want it, prepare to package.
     
    #3 inchrisin, Nov 22, 2015
  4. khensley

    khensley Initiate (0) Jul 29, 2012 Washington

    It was my first time doing a primary fermentation in a 6.5 gallon big mouth bubbler. I have only used it prior as a secondary, but last weekI was out of my larger 7.9 gallons that I typically use. And, yes, I have blown plenty of locks to this one as well, but on all of those I could see ample sedimentation form, and all the top-cropping had settled out. Not on this one.
     
    #4 khensley, Nov 22, 2015
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