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Author Topic: Flammable Fermentation!  (Read 4499 times)

Offline witsok

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Flammable Fermentation!
« on: October 14, 2010, 06:53:36 pm »
I just brewed a no boil Berliner Weisse ten days ago.  I let the wort spontaneously ferment for two days beore adding #1007 German Ale.  The OG was 1.031, close to target.  Yesterday a new fermentation become very active.  The large krausen is made of large thin bubbles.  The krausen is blowing out the airlock.  The krausen is stringy and muscul like and has a very pungent sour aroma that is not pleasent.  This is were it gets weird.  I removed the airlock and cleaned it.  I also cleaned the carboy with water.  The aroma from the carboy was much better the the funky mucus coming out.  It was fruit and sour.  Before replacing the air lock, I flamed the top of the carboy.  THE KRAUSEN BURNS!  The flame continued down into the carboy and lasted a few seconds before it was snuffed out by lack of oxygen.  So what ever is fermenting in there must be producing methane or other flammable gas.  I've been brewing since 1992, but this is my first no boil beer.  I never seen anything like this.  I skimmed Wild Brews, but there were no clues in there.  Any ideas what might be working in there and what the byproduct of the fermentation are?
« Last Edit: October 14, 2010, 07:47:09 pm by witsok »

Offline euge

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Re: Flamable Fermentation!
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2010, 07:01:57 pm »
Methane? Woohoo. Sounds nasty. I've let stuff spontaneously ferment before. Even tried a berliner-weisse but ended up tossing it out. Good luck it's supposed to end up great.
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Offline ryang

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Re: Flammable Fermentation!
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2010, 08:39:08 am »
make sure to flame it before serving. 

Offline karlh

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Re: Flammable Fermentation!
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2010, 01:54:49 pm »
It might be hydrogen, sometimes produced as a byproduct of acid fermentations.
Karl
Mundelein, IL  USA

Offline capozzoli

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Re: Flammable Fermentation!
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2010, 02:37:49 pm »
I wonder what it would be like brewing with this water.

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Offline witsok

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Re: Flammable Fermentation!
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2010, 08:15:00 pm »
I toke a video in of the flame today to work to show some friends.  It has really tamed down today.  Regarless, I think I'll change the name of the beer to Flaming Bung Hole.

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Flammable Fermentation!
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2010, 11:18:28 pm »
I toke a video in of the flame today to work to show some friends.  It has really tamed down today.  Regarless, I think I'll change the name of the beer to Flaming Bung Hole.
That sounds more like a beer with a couple of pounds of habeneros added . . .  :o  ;D
Tom Schmidlin

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Flammable Fermentation!
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2010, 08:18:06 am »
I toke a video in of the flame today to work to show some friends.  It has really tamed down today.  Regarless, I think I'll change the name of the beer to Flaming Bung Hole.
That sounds more like a beer with a couple of pounds of habeneros added . . .  :o  ;D

Or maybe something other than habeneros if he "toke" a video
Joe