I put down a batch of GB last Saturday and have had some interesting results. I think I might have overdosed with malt and sugar for one thing.
Recipe
- Coopers Ginger Beer can
- 1KG Raw Sugar
- 500G Dark Malt extract
- 250G Dextrose
- 1 Ginger root grated
Last time I made this I only used 300g malt and 100g dex., but my obsessive compulsive made me add more even weights of each this time.
I pitched the kit yeast at about 24 deg, plus I added a cup of trub from my previous brew which was a type of pale ale with a US05 yeast.
Fermenting at about 18deg.
Last time I made this it fermented quite slowly and took the full two weeks to finally get to around 1.000FG (started at 1.034)
This one started at OG 1.040 (understandable with my excessive sugars). After a few hours it was bubbly away like mad. After 2 days it was spewing out the top of the airlock. The next day I noticed that it had covered the ceiling of the fridge and the bottom of the fermenter had actually buckled out due to the pressure.
Having never experienced such aggressive fermentation before I was quite surprised. Is this normal?
Explosive Ginger Beer
Re: Explosive Ginger Beer
Here's a pic of the results at present.
Re: Explosive Ginger Beer
I've never had a fermenter buckle but if the "krausen" is made of large bubbles then it is something I get from almost every GB I do.
Re: Explosive Ginger Beer
Krausen was made of large bubbles as you mention Bum. The fermenter may still return to its original shape yet, I wont know until I bottle this and clean it out. Has only been in the fermenter for about 6 days now, so still has a bit to go yet. It has settled right down now though and assume the worst (best?) is past.
Re: Explosive Ginger Beer
Worked out why the fermenter was expanding out, the airlock was blocked. I pulled it out and the was a massive gas release (from the fermenter 
). I cleaned and sterilised the airlock and put it back and it started bubbling away immediately. Gravity reading is about 1.006 now and was expecting it to finish around 1.000. Tastes ok as well so this should be a good, although slightly powerful brew.
). I cleaned and sterilised the airlock and put it back and it started bubbling away immediately. Gravity reading is about 1.006 now and was expecting it to finish around 1.000. Tastes ok as well so this should be a good, although slightly powerful brew.