HOW FERMENTATIONS VARY.

[Toper]

I recently fermented 4 mashes of peated grain, all mashes done in same manner, and fermentations started at the same time (give or take minutes), using the same brand and type of yeast. Within the tolerances of my measuring, all turned out very similar to each other.

Yesterday I started another four washes, again all at the same time, mashed in the same way, using the same yeast as before. All was as expected, with three of them. One took off like a geyser; a constant head of froth of about 6/7”, overflowing the fermenter and casting about 3 litres of wash over the top.

I cannot think of anything I have done to produce such a huge variation in the one fermentation out of eight

Quantities of grain were identical. Volume of liquid equally so. Temperature of each was constant and identical, and the yeast was also identical in each case and added in the same manner at very much the same time. All became active at pretty much the same time. But, overnight, one took on a life of its own.

Even as I type, more and more froth is being developed and overflowing the fermenter, whilst the other three continue a vigorous but more normal fermentation.

[Icefever]

Strange indeed T...why should it happen? ?
My first thoughts were nutrients, but like you say you did nothing different.

It's got to be a yeast thing. ..but what? ?

[hampk]

It's alive! Maybe the wee green folk are messing with your head?

[Blue_Duck]

Just a thought Toper, how were your F/vessels set up? close together ?
I'm running a sack of P/Malt as well,but i'm also doing a sugarhead
with the spent grains, for an experiment. I can only do two mash's at
a time as i dont have the space or bins to do as many as your doing.

What i'm trying to say is my fermenters were 3 in a row and the middle
one went crazy, not to the point your experiencing. I'm guessing the
heat generated from the ferments made the middle bin a bit hotter.
Food for thought maybe?
cheers B_D

[Toper]

I had thought that possibly a yeast might have been at variance somehow to the other I've used, though as I understand it, these are mass produced and sealed. All the packets were bought in the same lot at the same time.

I will certainly keep my eyes open for any green folk lurking about.

My four fermenting vessels were in a 2x2 square formation and quite close together. I think any heat generated would have been equally shared. In fact temperature readings indicated such.

Whilst I can't claim laboratory type control, I do try to ensure that multiple washes are treated in exactly the same way at all times.

The offending wash, having lost some 4 litres, has now slowed to the same energetic 'normal' rate of the other three.

[Easydrinker]

Some of my usual neutral spirit brews, usually run in twos, side by side outperform, or under perform their partner,sometimes by 5%.
And to the best of my abilities they should be identical.
I no longer sweat that issue.

Robert.

[Mash]

Bang on Robert.
There are lots of VERY clever people who are qualified and employed to understand this.
And the inner workings of fermentation ares still not fully understood.