From: slndw@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: Fast fermentation
Date: 28 Jul 92 12:54:20 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

In article <1992Jul28.133305.14336@cci632.cci.com>, adw@cci632.cci.com (Allen Williams (co-op)) writes:
> 
>  Last Saturday I tried out the "Sun Has Gone Down On Us Steam Beer" recipe
> from "The New Home Brewer's Guide". As my local homebrewer didn't have 
> Alexander's Light ME, I substituted Cooper's Light. Here's a summary of
> my recipe:
> 
>  2 cans (7.5 lbs) Cooper's Light
>  1/2 lb Crystal malt
>  1.5 oz Northern brewer's hops (boiling)
>  0.5 oz Cascade hops (aroma)
>  24 grams (2 pkgs) Whitbread Lager yeast 
>  Yeast nutrient
> 
>  The initial SG was 1.041
>  
>  As I followed SOP with the wort, pitched it, and put the fermenter aside,
> I settled down on the sofa with a book and a glass of Guiness Extra Stout.
> Four hours later, I heard this noise that sounded like a miniture Creature
> Of the Black Lagoon was mucking around the kitchen.
> 
>  Much to my surprise, the krausean had blown past the fermentation lock, and
> there was this horrible, icky mess all over the kitchen floor. I removed the
> lock, and put in a blow tube. After the foam activity died down, I put the
> fermentation lock back in. 
> 
>  In the next day (Sunday), the fermentation lock was bubbling actively, like
> nothing I've seen before. Not just a few bubbles at a time, but a continuous
> frothing action as if the water was boiling.
> 
>  On Monday, the fermentation lock only gave a morose "bloop" every five minutes
> or so, so I racked it to a secondary carboy and put it aside. The SG was
> 1.012
> 
>  Although I know I shouldn't worry, I've never seen anything like it before.
> It's the first time I've used Whitbread yeast, but all other yeasts I've used
> usually took about four or five days to ferment out. 
> 
>  - Is this behavior normal, or is my beer possesed?


This is what happens with a steam beer.  You are forcing
the yeast at "higher than normal" temperature.  For this
reason, steam beers will go through fermentation faster
than ales.  At least that's my understanding.

Not to worry.  Bottle it when fermentation has stopped, and
enjoy it when ready.

>  
>  - Will it taste good given the fast acting yeast?
> 
>  -  I plan to keep it in the secondary fermenter for about three weeks before
>     bottling. Is this a good idea?
There is no reason it will be bad to leave it that long, buty
you can bottle when fermentation stops (probably sooner than three weeks)
> 
>  -  Should I strain my beer when racking? I have a stopper on my wand when I
>     siphon the wort that filters only big chunks of debris, but not the little
>     particles.
                                   
I usually rack my beer back to a plastic bucket befre I bottle.
I add the priming sugar (boiled) to the bucket, then siphon the
brew into it.  The first bit will be killed, but the temp. of the
sugar solution is soon low enough that it is no prob.  (I do this 
with the stopper tip off using a pinch clamp on the tubing)
This process usually leaves very few "chunks" (small or large)
in the beer.  Afterwords, I put the stopper tip back on the
bottle wand and siphon beer into the bottles.

The tip is very easy to clean.  Just take it apart.  
HOWEVER...don't loose the spring.  If it is dirty, it can
cause contamiation, and also slows down bottling.

> 
>  -  Has anyone used "Dogbiter" ME? I saw it on display at my local homebrew
>     supply place, and it looks interesting. Apparently, it has a higher SG
>     so as to brew beer with a higher alcohol content. 
> 
> 
>   Well, that's a lot of questions, so I'll stop now. Thanks all for being
> so wise and sagely and putting up with novices like me! Any help would be
> deeply appreciated.
> 
>                                                           Derrick


Brew on fellow fermenter

--Tootarat
Utah State University 
Watershed Science
DoD#3323