Moving fermenter mid brew

The_B_Man

What side effects can moving the fermenter have?

I'm thinking that all it will do is displace some of the sediment, if theres any yet, but I'm new so can't be sure.

So, can I ruin by beer by moving the fermenter?

Thanks.

BeerNut

It's fine. Splashing's the only thing to worry about.

The_B_Man

I read somewhere that oxygenation can be a bad thing. Is that only when bottling, ye?

irish_goat

If you're using a Coopers fermenter the weight of the beer will push the bottom of the tub down whenever you lift it off the surface it's resting on. This will cause air to rush in and will suck the dirty water in the airlock in as well so you need to make sure to remove the airlock before lifting it.

(not sure if I explained that clearly enough)

The_B_Man

Ye i know exactly what ya mean. I've done that a few times already, with previous brews. I think I might have done it a bit with this one. Can that have much of an affect on the brew? Its stopped bubbling after a day. The stink of egg is still shocking though...

willabur

if it stopped bubbling air could be escaping elsewhere. should still be fine as the co2 generation inside will continually push air out of the container.

Regarding water in the airlock I always fill it with sanitiser to kill any potential bugs in there. It is a good tip to take the bubbler out altogether but if you ensure that water is clean then you should be fine. Also I have noticed that by using something like Starsan in the bubbler the viscosity of the liquid is different from pure water leading to a more frequent quieter bubbling sound which is a nice bonus


Wouldn't worry too much about the egg smell. Check this http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10.html

BeerNut

The_B_Man wrote: »

I read somewhere that oxygenation can be a bad thing. Is that only when bottling, ye?

No, it's any time after fermentation starts. That's why you should try and avoid splashing as much as possible after the yeast is pitched (splash as much as you can beforehand as the yeast needs oxygen to kick off).

BaZmO*

Just make sure you remove the airlock first. Nothing worse than seeing all the water in the airlock being sucked into the fermenter as you struggle to move it to it's location.

The_B_Man

willabur wrote: »

Wouldn't worry too much about the egg smell. Check this http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10.html

Its seriously bad though.
Presumably if its still stinking after a day or two, then that means its still fermenting?

I suppose it wouldnt bother me if I wasnt brewing it in my bedroom!!

Blackjack

irish_goat wrote: »

If you're using a Coopers fermenter the weight of the beer will push the bottom of the tub down whenever you lift it off the surface it's resting on. This will cause air to rush in and will suck the dirty water in the airlock in as well so you need to make sure to remove the airlock before lifting it.

(not sure if I explained that clearly enough)

to prevent this problem i use Vodka or Whiskey (not a good one, something like Grouse or the likes).

BeerNut

To prevent this problem I don't bother with an airlock.

Blackjack

BeerNut wrote: »

To prevent this problem I don't bother with an airlock.

that works too. Some people like to use an Airlock though, I know you don't and you believe it's riskier to have one, i just prefer to use one.

BeerNut

Blackjack wrote: »

you believe it's riskier to have one

I don't really. It's just they don't serve a useful purpose.

I do have go-faster stripes in the sides of my buckets, though. The yeast love it.

The_B_Man

Lads, as a follow up here. I havent moved it, and its still in me bedroom. Just curious, is it safe to sleep in the same room as it, while its giving off the sulphur/egg smell?

BeerNut

Yes, it's safe.

BaZmO*

BeerNut wrote: »

It's just they don't serve a useful purpose.

That's not exactly true though. They serve as a pretty handy visual aid of the level of fermentation that's occurring, especially to the novice brewer. That said, personally I don't use them myself, unless I'm using a Ballygowan bottle as a fermenter.

oblivious

BaZmO* wrote: »

That's not exactly true though. They serve as a pretty handy visual aid of the level of fermentation that's occurring, .

or the beer off gassing as temp change, it can be confusing

BaZmO*

oblivious wrote: »

or the beer off gassing as temp change, it can be confusing

I'm confused?

What exactly do you mean by that?

BeerNut

BaZmO* wrote: »

They serve as a pretty handy visual aid of the level of fermentation that's occurring

No they don't. Your lid isn't a perfect seal and gas can bypass the airlock: fermentation is in full flow but no bubbles. "Dear Boards, No bubbles, arragh what do I do?!"

I think Oblivious is referring to post-fermentation and the amount of dissolved gas in the beer being affected by temperature -- CO2 is more soluble at cooler temperatures and will come out if the beer warms. "Dear Boards, It's been five weeks and I'm still getting bubbles, arrgh what do I do?!"

The answer to both questions is listen to your hydrometer, not your airlock. Your airlock doesn't tell you anything useful.

BaZmO*

BeerNut wrote: »

No they don't. Your lid isn't a perfect seal and gas can bypass the airlock: fermentation is in full flow but no bubbles. "Dear Boards, No bubbles, arragh what do I do?!"

I think Oblivious is referring to post-fermentation and the amount of dissolved gas in the beer being affected by temperature -- CO2 is more soluble at cooler temperatures and will come out if the beer warms. "Dear Boards, It's been five weeks and I'm still getting bubbles, arrgh what do I do?!"

The answer to both questions is listen to your hydrometer, not your airlock. Your airlock doesn't tell you anything useful.

I know the lid isn't a perfect seal, that's why I don't use an airlock when using buckets either, but they're still a seal nonetheless. You will still get a decent indication of how the fermentation is going with an airlock and a tight fitting lid, so it's untrue to say they have no useful purpose. I agree that the hydrometer is the best option though. But either way you're still going to get the "Dear Boards....." post, it's the nature of the beast. (or yeast!)

Sky King

The_B_Man wrote: »

Lads, as a follow up here. I havent moved it, and its still in me bedroom. Just curious, is it safe to sleep in the same room as it, while its giving off the sulphur/egg smell?

I do that when I'm full of beer as well. It's fine.

oblivious

BeerNut wrote: »

I think Oblivious is referring to post-fermentation and the amount of dissolved gas in the beer being affected by temperature -- CO2 is more soluble at cooler temperatures and will come out if the beer warms. "Dear Boards, It's been five weeks and I'm still getting bubbles, arrgh what do I do?!"

BaZmO* sorry I should have explained it more, the rise and fall of krausen (yeast head)i find a much better indicator also getting to know the yest strain is a big help