Steam Train Fermentation

[AngelTearsOnMyTongue]

I put a Brew on last Monday night (Midnight) and although it was warmish (28oC), I pitched the yeast dry and thought, thats OK, it will cool down overnight. And it did. By morning it was bubbling nicely at 20oC. Of course I have enjoyed brewing my largers over the winter with no temperature control and they have sat nicely around 12- 15 oC. Well, of course, yesterday was a real warmy and when I got home, my wife said, "I was trying to cool your fermenter down but couldnt. It was at 26 degrees". So I bolt out to check the situation and it is going like a steam train Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! and is sitting at 28oC.

I did my usual coolgardy treatment, wrapping a wet towel around it, and within 2 hrs had it down to 26oC. This morning it was down to 20oC (Still not ideal but I dont have the luxury of a fermenting fridge). I will be keeping the wet towel on it full time now, but I reckon thats it for unassisted largers for the winter brewing season. Its been a really cold one. Its expected to get to 30oC today. I hope I havent completely stuffed the brew.

Any suggestions on what effect this may have on the brew? Is it stuffed?

ATOMT

 

[VeeTwinTorque]

I've had this happen quite a few times during summer. Get home from work and the fermenter is going nuts. Oops....

I had one ready to bottle in 48 hrs once..

It never tastes quite as good when you let it run to hot, but its always still drinkable for sure.

 

[Adamt]

What type of brew did you put down? High ferment temperatures lead to fusel alcohols, heavy alcohols that taste like chemicals and reportedly attribute to hangovers, and lots of fruity esters, sometimes overpowering.

 

[AngelTearsOnMyTongue]

What type of brew did you put down? High ferment temperatures lead to fusel alcohols, heavy alcohols that taste like chemicals and reportedly attribute to hangovers, and lots of fruity esters, sometimes overpowering.

He He..

1 can MSB 2RL
1 can Coopers Larger
1kg Dextrose
150g Maltodextrose

30 g Northern Brewers at 60min
30 g Hallertau at 20Mins.

OG 1065

2 x Satchets Coopers brewing Yeast.

 

[Brewtus]

I just had my first steam train. I did it last night,

Canadian blonde
250 gm LDM
1 kg coopers brewing sugar
saaz hops 5gm at 5min before in the sugar boil
saaz hops 5gm at end of boil
Coopers yeast

Pitched at 28
it was bubbling this morning but I did not check the temp.
Can home at 6:30 and staem train time
I have now got it down to 23 so hope it is ok.

Exothermic little s**ts those yeast are.

Is it a right off?

 

[RobboMC]

To stop those nasty steam trains, next time there's a Council clean up
in your area look around for an old fridge someone has put out for the scrap dealer to collect. It doesn't need to be working to provide plenty of insulation. Then, if you want to cool the old fridge, throw in a few big blocks of ice, like a big esky.

A Coopers brewer told me by email that 'in the context of daily air temperature fluctuations' the amount of heat generated by the fermentation is 'insignificant'. Focus on keeping your environment's temp more stable.

More wet towels and thicker towels means more distance for the heat to travel to get in. I brewed thru my first summer in the shower recess, the bathroom is always cooler. Of course if it gets to 40 deg then it's almost impossible without a working fridge. Look in the trading post for an old one.

I've had a brew last summer go to 28 deg, it wasn't as good as I had hoped, but was still quite drinkable. Bottle it and find out.

 

[lokpikn]

I just got my first brewing fridge and set it up with a temp unit from ross. Cant wait to try it out on a hot day and now i can brew largers in the summer. I just keept asking at all the loacl real estate for a house that done the runner than offerd some small $$$$ to take the fridge off there hands. Took a few mothins to get one and its in pretty poor shape but at least it works and its mine

 

[JSB]

ATOMT,

Lager is the beer we brew here.

Just jokes (to many beers at work listening to the cricket)

Cheers
JSB

 

[blackbock]

What type of brew did you put down? High ferment temperatures lead to fusel alcohols, heavy alcohols that taste like chemicals and reportedly attribute to hangovers, and lots of fruity esters, sometimes overpowering.

..and don't forget the added yeast bite!

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

I pitched Windsor Ale yeast onto a wort recently that was too warm and proved impossible to cool down using my usual method.

The thing sat around 22-24 degrees for the first two days and was fermenting like mad!

Surely it'll taste foul, but I'll just feed it to my mates :lol:

PZ.

 

[Brewtus]

Bottled my steam train ale tonight. I will tell you if is any good in a few weeks.

 

[Slurpdog]

How can anyone NOT afford the luxury of a fermentation fridge?
I have 2 in my garage, both picked up from Ebay for a virtual song!
$32 for one and $45 for the other.
Yeh, I had to pick them up, but they're going strong and, coupled with a temp controller, they are the only way to brew!

 

[Ross]

I agree with slurpdog,
Unless you have a space or power problem to run an extra fridge, there really is no excuse not to have one.
They are available very cheaply from many sources.
Controlling your brew temp IMHO is the No.1 factor for making consistant good beer.

Cheers Ross

 

[Brewtus]

Give me a break, I have only been brewing for 4 months.
When you say power issues, is that domestic political or electrical power?

 

[Bizarre]

How can anyone NOT afford the luxury of a fermentation fridge?
I have 2 in my garage, both picked up from Ebay for a virtual song!
$32 for one and $45 for the other.
Yeh, I had to pick them up, but they're going strong and, coupled with a temp controller, they are the only way to brew!

Sadly, I am one of those "space challenged" brewers - I would love a fermenting fridge but I got no where to stick the bloody thing. Nobody is selling large, cheap houses on Ebay are they? lol

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

My insulated box usually works very well with some ice bricks inside it, but in this instance it was my fault for having the wort so hot...the box simply couldn't cool it down before the yeast started doing their thing in a big way.

Now that it's summer I'll have to start adding some cooled water or ice to the wort and then I'll have no troubles with regards to temperature. The trick with my box is to pitch cool and it'll easily keep it cool.

Unless you have a space or power problem to run an extra fridge, there really is no excuse not to have one.

Why don't I have a fermentation fridge Ross? Because I can't afford the power, don't have the space and need to be able to easily move whatever my fermenters go in, so the box is better for me.

I had a spare keg fridge and could have used it, but it went to Steve for the very reasons outlined above (plus he needed it to start kegging :beerbang: ).

PZ.