# Foaming Through The Airlock



## psiluvu (Jul 9, 2015)

I'm fermenting 5 gallons of dry cherry wine using a recipe in the 'Winemaker's Recipe Handbook' by Raymond Massaccessi. I used Lalvin EC-1118 yeast and introduced 1/2 of the yeast nutrient prior to pitching the yeast and the remainder two days later. The initial S.G. was 1.085. 48 hours later the S.G. had only dropped to 1.080. The next day the S.G. was at 1.044. 96 hours after pitching yeast, the S.G. was already at 1.012. I transferred to carboy and attach airlock. Within 30 minutes, the airlock is foaming and bubbling through the airlock. An hour or so later, the "overflow/foaming and bubbling through the airlock" has stopped. What in the world has happened? The level in the carboy has dropped from within 2" of the top to about 4". Luckily, I have some of the same concoction siphoned off earlier to prevent an overflow in the fermentation bucket. Any idea what happened and any advice as to how to proceed?


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## Putterrr (Jul 10, 2015)

There are 2 kinds of people in this world. Those that have had wine/beer foaming through the airlock and those the will. It's common and in your case caused by racking to your secondary a bit early when there was still vigorous fermentation going on and/or possibly having the carboy to full. If you encounter this again, try putting your carboy into a sink and filling cold water around it. This will help lower the temp and slow fermentation. I usually rack at around 1.000 SG. with my wine level just over the shoulder of the carboy. This allows enough head space for some foaming but with some fermentation going on to provide a layer of CO2 to protect from oxidization for the 2 weeks its finishing up.

Other than that, your wine seems to be proceeding fine. No issues that I see. Good Luck

cheers


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## Bartman (Jul 10, 2015)

Your first wine "volcano"! Congratulations. Now, don't do it again - you're wasting perfectly good wine! I ferment in an open bucket (so more gas is released during fermentation) and wait until the S.G is closer to 1.000 to rack to carboy. No more volcanoes for me!


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## Floandgary (Jul 10, 2015)

On another note,,, I and many others simply allow fermentation to go to dry in the primary with no ill effects. Rack to secondary and proceed with stabilizing, oaking, back sweetening, ageing and/or any other experiments you choose to try.


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## psiluvu (Jul 10, 2015)

Thanks for comments and suggestions. I only moved the contents from the primary and into a carboy because the instructions said to do so at 1.030 and I was actually at 1.012. Anyway, I'll take your suggestion to wait and or cool the carboy in water. I may still surround the carboy (which is now sitting inside the primary bucket) in cold water to slow down the fermentation. According to the recipe, it was supposed to take approx. 3 weeks to get from 1.030 to 1.000 but this thing is "cookin'" fast. I suppose it has much to do with the Lalvin EC-1118 yeast which I've read is considered "fast". My eye is on the airlock and I'm happy to report that the volcano has finished erupting.


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## Putterrr (Jul 11, 2015)

If its finished foaming then there is no need to cool it down. Just let it finish. Time tables are for german trains. Wine/yeast does what it wants when it wants

cheers


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## psiluvu (Jul 11, 2015)

Thanks again for the good advice, words of wisdom and encouragement. I will patiently wait for the yeast to "finish their meal". I've posted another question regarding malolactic fermentation but I don't think anyone has responded. Somewhere I read that putting a cherry wine through malolactic fermentation was not necessary. Is that fact or has anyone reading & using this forum found that not to be true?


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## richmke (Jul 12, 2015)

My guess is the "foaming" is less due to active fermentation than to release of CO2 gas from prior fermentation. Did you degass prior to transfering? You don't need to completely degass, just get a lot of the CO2 out.

Once in the carboy, it doesn't take much foam to cause an overflow.


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## Ants_Elixirs (Jul 12, 2015)

psiluvu said:


> Thanks for comments and suggestions. I only moved the contents from the primary and into a carboy because the instructions said to do so at 1.030 and I was actually at 1.012. Anyway, I'll take your suggestion to wait and or cool the carboy in water. I may still surround the carboy (which is now sitting inside the primary bucket) in cold water to slow down the fermentation. According to the recipe, it was supposed to take approx. 3 weeks to get from 1.030 to 1.000 but this thing is "cookin'" fast. I suppose it has much to do with the Lalvin EC-1118 yeast which I've read is considered "fast". My eye is on the airlock and I'm happy to report that the volcano has finished erupting.



I've learned that one of the first things you do as a wine maker is to forget about a standard time table. Especially. as it relates to fermentation. There are more variables that I care to list, but suffice it to say there are probably well of a hundred different things that will affect how long it takes to ferment a simple wine recipe.

Here's a method I use when going from primary to secondary. I stain the must through a fine wire chinios to remove the bulk of the pulp since I don't use a mesh bag. I pour the must through the chinois into a bucket. From that bucket I transfer the must to a carboy with an ALLINONE wine pump using the diffuser attachment which degasses the must. Since switching to this method, I haven had a lava run.


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## psiluvu (Jul 13, 2015)

richmke said:


> My guess is the "foaming" is less due to active fermentation than to release of CO2 gas from prior fermentation. Did you degass prior to transfering? You don't need to completely degass, just get a lot of the CO2 out.
> 
> Once in the carboy, it doesn't take much foam to cause an overflow.



I'm using a recipe from the Winemaker's Recipe Handbook and the instructions mention nothing of degassing. This is my second winemaking effort, the first was a hot pressed Merlot juice. I did not degass the merlot. The S.G. is now at 0.994. Although I already transferred from the fermentation bucket into the carboy last Thursday, July 9 (as instructed by "the recipe"), I'm wondering if I should go ahead and rack again. Also, I have no fancy stirring mechanism so it looks like degassing will involve some good old fashioned stirring. Would it be OK to return the contents of the carboy to the primary fermentation bucket, stir until much of the CO2 has been removed and then rack back into the carboy (after sanitizing obviously). Also, would it be wise to hit the wine with another dose of potassium metabisulfite when sending it back to the carboy?


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## Ants_Elixirs (Jul 13, 2015)

If you are going to get serious about making wine, I would recommend one of Steve's allinonewinepumps. Can you make wine without one? Sure. Does it simplify things? By leaps and bounds.

It's a vacuum pump and does a great job of removing CO2. Simply use it to rack your wine. When you're done racking, the wine is also degassed.

It also makes bottling a snap.

My 2¢


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## sour_grapes (Jul 14, 2015)

But, to directly answer your question: Yes, you may return your wine to the bucket for degassing. Just try to limit the time, etc., to minimize O2 exposure at this point in the fermentation.


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## richmke (Jul 14, 2015)

No, don't rack again. You are not likely to have another volcanic release of CO2 unless you do something to it.

What is the next step in the instructions?


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## psiluvu (Jul 15, 2015)

*Degassing*



sour_grapes said:


> But, to directly answer your question: Yes, you may return your wine to the bucket for degassing. Just try to limit the time, etc., to minimize O2 exposure at this point in the fermentation.



I plan on drinking this wine sooner rather than later so I'll opt not to let it degas on its own & over time in the carboy. I'm still debating (myself) on how to go about it. I'm inclined to favor returning it to the bucket and stirring with some kind of homemade attachment recognizing that exposing it to oxygen can be detrimental if exposed too long. What would you consider "too long"?


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## psiluvu (Jul 15, 2015)

richmke said:


> No, don't rack again. You are not likely to have another volcanic release of CO2 unless you do something to it.
> 
> What is the next step in the instructions?



As it has reached S.G. 0.994, the remaining steps are simply to rack a couple times over the course of about 4 months before bottling.


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## richmke (Jul 17, 2015)

psiluvu said:


> As it has reached S.G. 0.994, the remaining steps are simply to rack a couple times over the course of about 4 months before bottling.



Just follow the directions. No need to do anything different.

I'm guessing that you added clarifying agents earlier, and that may have caused the volcano.


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## WineYooper (Jul 18, 2015)

I usually stir the top two thirds in the primary daily during the ferment process to help release gas and introduce oxygen for the yeast. I push the fruit down as well, if I'm using a bag, it never stays down, and later in the ferment process I will squeeze the bag daily to release juice. I remove the fruit when close to dry and let finish. When the ferment goes to dry I stir vigorously before racking to secondary and add Kmeta. After about 30 days I rack again unless I'm seeing really heavy course lees before, most of the time with cranberry, and let sit for about 90 days. I let the carboy tell me when I should rack. I manually siphon splash rack again and add kmeta & sorbate then let sit again for three months then rack again if I'm seeing lees. Usually bulk age for 11 to 12 months then bottle.


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## psiluvu (Jul 29, 2015)

richmke said:


> Just follow the directions. No need to do anything different.
> 
> I'm guessing that you added clarifying agents earlier, and that may have caused the volcano.



The only clarifying agent I used was Pectic Enzyme (2.5 teaspoons for 5 gallon). Don't "scold" me for it, but although you and others suggested I leave it alone, I went ahead and returned it to the primary (bucket) on July 18 so I could degass. I fashioned a stirring stick out of a plastic coat hanger from a suggestion I found on youtube. Obviously, I sanitized it then attached it to a variable-speed drill and stirred for approx. 20 minutes. That process created quite a "head" and never showed signs of diminishing. Rather than continue exposing it to oxygen, I racked it. I tried my best to keep as much of the "foam" from getting back into the carboy and appear to have been successful as there are no more bubbles and the airlock is not showing any signs of bubbling. I did add another dose of potassium metabisulfite when I returned it to the carboy. My plan now is to wait until late September then rack again. I'll bottle just before Thanksgiving. NOTE: the color looks very good and there is about a half inch of sediment currently in the bottom.


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