- Joined
- Aug 25, 2008
- Messages
- 2,004
- Reaction score
- 0
It was too cold yesterday for the garage, so I had to keep this kolsch in the house. Concerned about it spewing overnight (big yeast starter), I just left a foil wrapper cap on it. It had a one-inch krausen at 8am, and I left it the foil in place until dinner time, putting on a blow-off tube and it was immediately popping every second.
Which got me thinking, why do we bother with stoppers and air locks during the initial days of the fermentation? The head pressure from excessive CO2 does not help the yeast ferment, and as long as it is actively outgassing, nothing else is going to get sucked in the vessel.
Later in the ferm, I can see wanting some back pressure to retain some of the natural CO2 in solution. But for the first three days when messes are most likely, why not let her rip? Thoughts?
Which got me thinking, why do we bother with stoppers and air locks during the initial days of the fermentation? The head pressure from excessive CO2 does not help the yeast ferment, and as long as it is actively outgassing, nothing else is going to get sucked in the vessel.
Later in the ferm, I can see wanting some back pressure to retain some of the natural CO2 in solution. But for the first three days when messes are most likely, why not let her rip? Thoughts?