Quatermass Experiment

Magnadibble · Sep 9, 2011

Help! I've got a a brew of Cooper's Dark Ale on the bubble.

I've got it on a heating mat in an FV with an airlock. The problem is that it's bubbling too much and looks like something out of Quatermass!

This is only my second effort so I need to know what I'm doing wrong and if the cascading foam will taint my brew as a result.

I put it on the heating mat as it's in the Dave Cave (shed) as it's quite cool in there.

Any answers? :wha:

Dave1970 · Sep 9, 2011

I've been fermenting in a cool garage with a heated mat. The temp was a bit high so I've just put the mat on a timer plug, the type that has a load of little pins that you push in for on and out for off.
I then pushed the pins in so it was on for about 30 mins in every 2 hours during the day and about 30 mins in every hour at night.
If it gets a bit cool push more pins in, a bit hot push a few out...it seems to have worked really well and I can get a pretty steady 20 degrees - wouldn't work in summer of course, and might not in winter so I've gone down the STC1000 controlled fridge route now

eggman · Sep 9, 2011

Don't panic as long as its not spilling out it'll be fine : cheers:

Magnadibble · Sep 14, 2011

That's the trouble. It spilled out all over the airlock. Will it be tainted in any way? Anything I can do or is it a case of wait and see?

Pipey · Sep 14, 2011

Don't worry about it when I do the dark ale it does the same but it is always nectar!

graysalchemy · Sep 14, 2011

Just keep an eye on the temperature, you don't really want it to rise above 21-22c.

In the initial fermentation it is exothermic and if you have it on some heat it can quite often rise above this. The problem is that this can lead to the production of fusal alcohols these are the ones that give you a banging headache.

Fermentation can be wild in the first few days. I had a 40l of barley wine in a 60l FV and the beer managed to rise 10" out of the top, I reckon I have lost 5l. But that is all part of the fun of brewing. :thumb: :thumb:

matchles1 · Sep 14, 2011

i never put the lid on my Fermenting buckets just a clean towel over them, then i can have a peak into the bucket if need be and spoon a bit of the excessive head off. never had one go funny this way. :drink: :thumb: