Hi I'm new to the forum. I brew cask conditioned ales.I have a problem that seems to happen in the summer over the past two years. Out of a batch of beer I will get a certian number of casks that won't clear down and are extremely lively. I use fermentis S04 yeast and transfer to conditioning tanks before racking off to casks.I fine the beer with Adjunct finnings and Allkleer.
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Gushing Beer
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Is there anything that connects the problem brews / problem casks?
i.e. could you have a couple of hard-to-clean casks causing problems of bacteria/wild yeast giving extra cask-fermentation & haze? (wild yeast doesn't tend to fine well).
do you check your gravities at rack to determine what fermentability is left for cask-conditioning? (i.e. too much fermentability giving gushing & poor settling - but if so, I'd think this would be for the whole batch, not just a few casks?)
(& ideally, also check your "wort attenuation limit" in order to be more precise about this figure? - I realise this isn't always easy for a micro to do, but I'm planning on doing it when we're up & running)
otherwise, if it's not happening on the whole batch, then it doesn't sound like fusarium (a malt fungus that can cause gushing) then I'm a bit stumped!
Have you got a microscope? or a friendly bigger brewery / brew-consultant that can take a look & give you a clue?
good luck,
MikeMcG.
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No problem - yes Murphy's should be able to rule a few things either in or out.
At least with SO4, you're using a yeast that shouldn't be causing you any major hassles (although that is a bit debatable, as it leaves no protective layer of yeast on top of the beer at the end of fermentation.
I take it you don't repitch the SO4? (a tricky thing to do given the above, unless you have cylindroconical FVs)
good luck,
Mike McG
Betwixt Beer Co, Wirral, nr Liverpool, UK
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could be risky (there's rumours that dried yeast isn't as clean/uniform as it's made out to be) but also tricky - as you've prob noticed, if you have open FVs - the yeast head drops straight into the beer before it's created any useful (harvestable) head on it!
I have 'bottom-cropped' it, but only from closed cylindro-conical fermenters, where you can drop out the dirtier trubby first part of the yeast & then collect the middle healthy third or so.
Let us know how you get on with Murphy's etc though - it's always good to pick up on someone else's experiences!
cheers
Mike.
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Gushing beer
I would side with Mic Mac on this one....What is your protocol for cleaning casks ? Do you clean and fill right away or do they sit for a day or so ? When I worked in the U.K. I noticed whenever we got returned casks for ullage that woudn't clear, the culprit was almost always the cask never the beer. I tried to get in the habit of visually inspecting casks (with a flashlight etc) but when your washing 100+/day it can be difficult.....One of the things I used to look for were bits of wooden shives that didn't come out easily.
Tariq (Big Ridge Brewery, Surrey, B.C.)Tariq Khan (Brewer/Distiller)
Yaletown Brewing and Distilling Co.
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
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