A stoutly coopers shed explosion haha

[ringsingding]

hihi

Put my first Coopers Stout on yesterday in the shed and WOW! 12 hours later - airlock replaced with a beerlock!!!

Shed under pressure haha- replaced and refilled airlock with a nice sterilised one today and 1 hour later.... beerlock again!!!

I have replaced the beerlock with another airlock lol and cracked open the youngs FV lid open to allow me brew to brew...

Please Help...

Have I done the right thing?

As a newbie (this is only my 4th beer kit...) do I need to scrape the lid to get the yeasties back into the brew or am I thinking wrong?
(My reasoning is that if the yeast is a top fermenter then the yeast is now stuck to the top of the lid and not in the brew where it needs to be???)

Any advice from you expert brewers will be taken on board and followed. This is a top forum and for a newbie without it I would not be joining in the fun...

PS - Tasted my bottled Wherry and now much better after a couple of weeks in the bottle... can't wait for a couple more weeks to pass for more improvement I hope...

Yours in Beer
ringsingding

[jonewer]

As a newbie (this is only my 4th beer kit...) do I need to scrape the lid to get the yeasties back into the brew or am I thinking wrong?
(My reasoning is that if the yeast is a top fermenter then the yeast is now stuck to the top of the lid and not in the brew where it needs to be???)

Nooo! Thats just asking for an infection! Besides, sounds like theres more than enough yeast there to be getting on with You will probably find the yeast is not a top-fermentor anyway. Turns out many of the popular ale yeasts are actually bottom-suckers.

[Jack Hackett]

How big is your FV? Sounds like you dont have enough head space in it.

[dunc]

I suspect you'd need as much headspace as beerspace for one of these buggers not to froth over, having seen the beast at work.

[ringsingding]

Hi fellow brewers

Thanks for the tips...

Bugger, On the first overflow I (now I know) foolishly scrapped the biggest blobs back into the brew...fingers crossed on the infection... How will I know if I have one?

My FV is a Youngs one I got with the starter kit I bought from my HBS, it is graded to 20 litres/5 gallons... plus a bit more room. The head space is tight on this one mind... I have exactly 5 gallons of brew. I tried to make sure the airlock was only just in the bung on the second and subsequent ones and it still flowed though the 'lock... moved quickly as I watched it - facinated by it really - imagining how it may taste in a few weeks :O)

Yours in Beer
ringsingding

[KevP]

As a newbie (this is only my 4th beer kit...) do I need to scrape the lid to get the yeasties back into the brew or am I thinking wrong?
(My reasoning is that if the yeast is a top fermenter then the yeast is now stuck to the top of the lid and not in the brew where it needs to be???)

You will probably find the yeast is not a top-fermentor anyway. Turns out many of the popular ale yeasts are actually bottom-suckers.

Care to elaborate?

[WishboneBrewery]

Bigger bucket needed!!

[Dances]

Hi

I had exactly the same problem - bigger FV next time! I just kept cleaning the lock until eventually it calmed down and I then left it alone.

It fermented really well and after being in a corny keg for 3 weeks+ it tasted great.

[ringsingding]

Mine has now calmed down - no more beerlocks at the mo anyway , bubbling away happily in the shed. I will bottle it next week and will test Starsan out on the bottles too, so looking forward to more newbie fun next week....

Thanks to all the good people on this forum in helping a newbie find fledging feet in this fun

Yours in Beer
ringsingding

[mickhew]

fingers crossed on the infection... How will I know if I have one?

It will smell, and taste of vinegar, not phappened to me yet, but by all accounts, as though you were swiggin from a bottle of Sarsons.

[ringsingding]

Hi mickhew

I hope you mean that that is what an infection does to the brew and not the Starsan - expensive stuff that no-rinse cleaner...

Thanks for the advice and fingers crossed that is not what I am drinking at the end of Sept...

Yours in Beer
ringsingding

[mickhew]

Yes, I mean that's what happens, if you get a bacterial infection. Putrid vinegar smell and taste, BUT sometimes fermenting brews can give off a slight vinegar smell, that HAS happened to me, but it was normal, and all turned out fine.

[Chase24]

Money saving tip: rather than get a bigger bucket next time I'd just suggest you don't add the airlock until after the initial burst. Some yeasts just go crazy (especially if you've added a lot of sugar) but the risk of infection early on are minimal. Once its died down, pop an airlock on and keep the lid closed.

[ringsingding]

HI

Do you mean to let the initial burst come out of the hole I drilled for the lock or crack open the lid and let the juices flow (into a bin bag?)

Yours in Beer
ringsingding

[johnston]

Yes, I mean that's what happens, if you get a bacterial infection. Putrid vinegar smell and taste, BUT sometimes fermenting brews can give off a slight vinegar smell, that HAS happened to me, but it was normal, and all turned out fine.

My last brew was like that I t would have burnt the nostrils while checking the hydro.

But when it came to bottling it it tasted grand :D

As for the overflow I got one of them big flexi tubs from tesco. Which also has the advantage of being able to fill it with cold water and ice blocks when the temperature went up .