help, help

I got crazy foaming again. this time I used extra sour ingredient like: lemon, tart cherry, Pomegranate, Mulberry, Calamansi, grape fruit and passion fruit to make one gallon. This one is the starter fluid without a little bit of everything boiled with around 30-35 raisin. ( I dont' know why it's like this, maybe because of the eyast? I used the WLP099. please help me. if i pitch this in the one gallon, maybe i need 5 gallons bucket?

TAKE OFF THE LIDS before you have a glass bomb exploding. Unscrew the lids and just rest them on top to keep critters from getting inside. I always use a larger bucket than I need just incase of foaming qand me being messy when I stir the must. The hard foaming just means it is fermenting VERY fast, could be warmer temp, some yeasts are more active, I generally use a low foaming yeast.

I agree with TonyR - you must remove those lids. Yeast produce CO2 (carbon dioxide) and a few volumes of CO2 trapped in those containers will create enough pressure to rupture those containers and send shards of glass flying. Since half the weight of the sugar is transformed into CO2 that is an enormous volume of CO2.

Where I disagree with TonyR is when he says that foam indicates a very fast or active fermentation. I think the foam you see is analogous to the action of yeast in dough. Flour contains gluten or strands of protein that act to trap the CO2. The trapped CO2 in dough forces the dough to rise. Fruit contains very little or no protein but they do contain pectins and other chemical chains and the gas can get trapped in those chains. What you see is foam. Those chains are not nearly as stable and strong as gluten but the more molecular chains there are in the fruit and the larger the chains are , the more foam the yeast produce- so IMO, the presence of foam is less an indication of a vigorous fermentation and more an indication that the type of fruit you are fermenting is trapping the gas.

Hellnar said:

I got crazy foaming again. this time I used extra sour ingredient like: lemon, tart cherry, Pomegranate, Mulberry, Calamansi, grape fruit and passion fruit to make one gallon. This one is the starter fluid without a little bit of everything boiled with around 30-35 raisin. ( I dont' know why it's like this, maybe because of the eyast? I used the WLP099. please help me. if i pitch this in the one gallon, maybe i need 5 gallons bucket?

Click to expand...

@Hellnar

I would take the lids off for what you have now and purchase a bucket in which to ferment and one or more 1 gallon jugs with an airlock. Wine needs air during fermentation and the pressure of fermentation can explode your jars.

I use a bucket for primary fermentation, then rack to a carboy with an airlock between 1.010 and 0.990.

Link for the gallon jug for $12 +/-:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BEYREIW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Link for a typical primary fermenter for $21:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O8X5K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

You'll need an airlock for the primary fermenter, as well.

Heather

Hellnar said:

I got crazy foaming again. this time I used extra sour ingredient like: lemon, tart cherry, Pomegranate, Mulberry, Calamansi, grape fruit and passion fruit to make one gallon. This one is the starter fluid without a little bit of everything boiled with around 30-35 raisin. ( I dont' know why it's like this, maybe because of the eyast? I used the WLP099. please help me. if i pitch this in the one gallon, maybe i need 5 gallons bucket?

Click to expand...

@Hellnar

I would unscrew the lids for what you have now and purchase a bucket in which to ferment and one or more 1 gallon jugs with an airlock. Wine needs air during fermentation and the pressure of fermentation can explode your jars.

I use a bucket for primary fermentation, then rack to a carboy with an airlock between 1.010 and 0.990.

Link for the gallon jug for $12 +/-:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BEYREIW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Link for a typical primary fermenter for $21:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O8X5K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

You'll need an airlock for the primary fermenter, as well.

Heather

Thanks, the lid is not screwd tight. it's just loosely sitting on top. 1 bucket is too expensive.

I'm guessing you aren't in North America where all this stuff is easy to get, so I get the cost issue. Philippines? Anyway, can you get your hands on any old plastic food containers? Say at a restaurant? Avoid stuff t hat had oils. Perhaps a 20l water bottle? Clean it real good and cut the top off if it is a jug to make a large opening. Another alternative is a stainless steel cooking pot, must be stainless not aluminum or copper.

What you need is volume for fermentation, then once it calms down you can put it in a bottle or gallon jug. For a cheap airlock once it is in a bottle or jug, you can use a balloon, finger from a surgical glove, etc. not as convenient as an airlock, but easier to find. Stick with it! Foam is normal, just need to contain it for neatness and sanitation.