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Author Topic: Lack of head space  (Read 1080 times)

Offline James K

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Lack of head space
« on: May 26, 2018, 02:31:54 am »
I kinda filled my carboy a bit higher than typical. Then I added my starter.
Let’s just say there is not much space in the carboy. 5 gallon carboy, beer is 4” from the top.
Should I be worried?
I use a blow off tube so I’m not worried about an air lock filling with kausen.  Primary fermentation has not taken off yet. 
Vice President of Flagstaff Mountain-Top Mashers
2017 Homebrewer of the year
"One mouth doesn't taste the beer."

Offline KellerBrauer

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Re: Lack of head space
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2018, 05:30:46 am »
Greetings Kirk ham - I have made the same mistake before, especially if my starter is large. You will, no doubt, blow out a bit of the kraeusen as I have done.  However, I have never realized any adverse affects as a result.

What I do now when I have a large starter is to turn off my stir plate a couple hours before pitching to allow the yeast to settle at the bottom.  Then I pour off a good portion of the liquid leaving just enough to swirl around to loosen the slurry.  Then I pitch.  I’m sure I loose some good viable yeast in the process, so I intentionally make my starters slightly larger than nessary to compensate.
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Offline James K

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Re: Lack of head space
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2018, 09:26:02 am »
Greetings Kirk ham - I have made the same mistake before, especially if my starter is large. You will, no doubt, blow out a bit of the kraeusen as I have done.  However, I have never realized any adverse affects as a result.

What I do now when I have a large starter is to turn off my stir plate a couple hours before pitching to allow the yeast to settle at the bottom.  Then I pour off a good portion of the liquid leaving just enough to swirl around to loosen the slurry.  Then I pitch.  I’m sure I loose some good viable yeast in the process, so I intentionally make my starters slightly larger than nessary to compensate.

I hear yea. I started with 200b cells. Make a 16oz starter and a half cup of dme. I used a stir plate and had it cranked for maybe 30 minutes.  Walked to and from a brewery for one beer (an hour) and it was starting to go.  I then left to work for 7-8 hours and pitched it all when I got home. Some has definitely blown off over night and my carboy has the volume where it typically is now.

Starting gravity was 1.071 but I also plan on adding some Candi sugar. Lol.
Fun mistakes.
Vice President of Flagstaff Mountain-Top Mashers
2017 Homebrewer of the year
"One mouth doesn't taste the beer."

Offline James K

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Re: Lack of head space
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2018, 08:14:05 pm »
In other news, it was a very rigorous fermentation. Completely slowed down now and I added candy sugar last night. This morning it was still slow. I also probably lost/blew off about a gallon to a gallon n half of liquid volume.

What does that mean for me/ and the beer in terms of the effects on the final product? I have not read gravity yet. Starting was 1.071.
Vice President of Flagstaff Mountain-Top Mashers
2017 Homebrewer of the year
"One mouth doesn't taste the beer."