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Author Topic: Foam!?  (Read 1231 times)

Offline euge

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Foam!?
« on: September 07, 2010, 01:34:23 pm »
Yesterday while recirculating the wort in the chilling cycle it began to foam up. A great deal. Not sure what caused this since I'm fairly sure the outlet was submerged so as to not agitate the wort.

I was at least a gallon over in my volume and with so much thick clingy foam left over I ended up missing my TG by 10 points. Additionally my grain was weevil infested.

A multitude of factors here?

A bonus is that ferment took off like crazy with just dry yeast- well within 12 hours.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline dak0415

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Re: Foam!?
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2010, 02:46:30 pm »
I chill the same way. You probably had a small air leak between the ball valve and pump inlet.  I've seen pictures of it but it has not happened to me.
Dave Koenig
Anything worth doing - is worth overdoing!

Offline richardt

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Re: Foam!?
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2010, 05:19:35 pm »
If so, wouldn't that leak be detected by evidence of fluid leaking when the March pump is off and the ball valves maintained in the opened position?

Offline dak0415

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Re: Foam!?
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2010, 11:20:55 pm »
Not necessarily.  With the pump off you have a positive pressure on the connectors from the weight of the water.  With the pump on, you have a negative pressure (that sucks!) that is much stronger.  On the bright side, you are aerating the crap out of the wort.
Dave Koenig
Anything worth doing - is worth overdoing!

Offline euge

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Re: Foam!?
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2010, 11:52:37 am »
Thanks for the replies. I'll look for a leak in the ball-valve/barb connection. Might have been a few small drips from there. Will have to bust out the teflon...

Certainly don't want this to happen again aerated wort or not. A real PITA.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis