Wyeast 3787 Worries

[blakie21]

Hey guys

Just asking for some advice from people who have used wyeast 3787 before. Being new to brewing I did not create a starter for my 1.066 OG Belgian ale. Around 12 hours after pitching and reading alot on the yeast I realise that this yeast is a 'madman' as people have called it. The krausen has risen to around half of my headspace (30L primary with 21L of wort in it).

My question to you guys is should I be worried? I can't make it home to check on it until late tonight and am worried it will clog the airlock and explode or leak everywhere. It still has another 5L or so of headspace free at the moment and was going pretty strong with a few bubbles every second! Do you think it will get much worse?

I realise it depends on temperature etc but any experiences would be appreciated as I thought that amount of headspace would be sufficient.

 

[Nick JD]

50:50 odds it'll bust the airlock.

You could install a blow off tube (that goes into a bucket of water), or you can just clean it up when it blows.

I've had 3068 need its own volume in headspace before. 3787 is usually okay with 65:35.

1214 is very similar and behaves much more civilised, but that's hindsight advice.

 

[blakie21]

Thanks Nick

Ill have to ask my gf to check on it when she gets home. Until then... the madman has 6 hours to run wild... hopefully not on the carpet! (I do have a towel undeneath it though.)

 

[mikk]

It may make a bit of a mess, but i wouldn't be too concerned about it. Last time i used 3787 i had to clean the airlock out a few times. I used some iodophor in a spray bottle to spray the mess away from the airlock grommet before pulling the airlock out.
Just make sure you clean the airlock whilst the yeast is still fresh & wet- if you let it dry (& you've got the 's' bend airlock), you'll never get it out again.

Also, now the yeast has started, don't be tempted to cool the fermenter down to slow the yeast down. The 3787/WLP530 has a tendency to stall or even stop if you do this. Just let it do it's own thing, & maybe ramp the temp up toward the end of fermentation to ensure good attenuation (assuming the temp is not already too high!)

 

[blakie21]

Cheers Mikk

Do you think it will just get into the airlock and not all over the floor? Only really worried about it spewing foam over the floor or is it quite a slow build up? Just wondering if i should rush home or try and duck home at lunch haha

Good advice on the cooling, might have been tempted to do that so cheers! It is running at around 21-22 degrees at the moment.

 

[mikk]

I would expect a slow buildup- in my experience the yeast spent a few hours bubbling up the airlock before it came up & out. If your fermenter lid has a lip around it, or a depression in it, i would expect the yeast to go no further than that. If your lid is smooth, i'd still be very surprised if the yeast made it all the way to the floor before you got home...

 

[blakie21]

Thats eases my mind a bit. Thanks for the quick responses too guys otherwise I would be stressing all day haha. Will see how it goes when i get home.

Just glad i did some research before and put it in my 30L instead of my 23L..

 

[Nick JD]

It's on the carpet! :blink:

21-22C means the wort is at about 25+C, especially if it's going nuts. That's okay though - expect lots of banana.

For some reason if they are going to blow they always seem do it in the night.

Here's something to make you less worried:

 

[blakie21]

hahaha that video started some pretty bad thoughts in my head, cheers for that! Given me a chain of videos to stir me up all day.

The ambient temp is around 20 degrees and the stick on said 21-22 but not sure how accurate they are so I guess it could be alot more inside.

I actually like the banana so unless it goes wild with banana ill probably still quite enjoy it, might not be true to the style though. I have given up making clones now (meant to be leffe) and just decided to go for a style 'like' commercial beers.

Need to get reading on all grain and give your leffe recipe a try now Nick. Can't wait for uni to finish.

 

[blakie21]

Good news! No exploding madman yeast running up the walls.

In fact the krausen has not moved. I think ill make a blowoff just incase though anyway.. haha.

The airlock is still bubbling like crazy though! Down from 1.066 to 1.040ish in 24 hours.

 

[rich_lamb]

The fact you didn't make a starter has in this case probably saved your carpet; I've used this feral yeast and if you have a good quantity it goes off like a bomb.
I wouldn't worry about it though, and don't interfere if you can avoid it. Just prepare for the mess as best you can.

Makes great beer! (That said I've gone back to 1214, which as somebody else mentioned is far more civilised and I reckon produces even better results. Horses for courses though)

 

[blakie21]

Will have to check out the 1214 for next time.

For some reason if they are going to blow they always seem do it in the night.

Probably the best thing you could have said Nick... I put a blowoff tube made out of a siphon hose (i know its quite thin but all I have atm) into some star san overnight.

This morning i woke up to foam JUST hitting the lid of the fermenter! So by now it could have been leaking out everywhere. I just hope it doesnt block the tube today lol.

What an epic yeast. First liquid yeast experience will not be forgotten

 

[j1gsaw]

I used 3787 in a big belgian strong a couple of year ago, and it went apeshit, had to clean the airlock about 6 times from memory! Not a bad yeast, but oh man it loves to chomp the sugars.

 

[blakie21]

Wow this yeast is weird! Seemed to pretty much stop at 1.030 so I gave it a swirl and it went nuts again (seemingly) but still chugging along slowly. Down to 1.020 3 days after swirling, probably just me only having used dry yeasts and doing fairly standard gravity beers.

Must say this yeast seems to produce some really nice flavours even unfinished. Tasted it side by side with some leffe blonde which I bought for 'comparison' haha. It seems like itll be a decent clone actually surprisingly but only time will tell! I think im converted to liquid yeasts now.

One question though, Do you guys recommend leaving this one in primary for a while? or take it out when it is finished? I planned to have some quick drinking wheat beer ready so there is no temptation to rush this one