Is there such thing as "too much" headspace in primary?

[Sean Monaghan]

Hi all,

Last week I received my 60L Speidel fermenter from morebeer.com. http://www.morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-60l-159-... Yeah - it's awesome.

Anyway I bought ingredients for a 26L (in the fermenter) batch as I wasn't sure if the Speidel would arrive in time. Well it did end up arriving in time so I currently have 26L of American Stout fermenting in a 60L vessel.

My question is, how much is too much headspace in primary? Is there such a thing?

I pitched the yeast around 4:30PM Saturday 20th June. Although there was no air lock activity on Sunday, there was evidence of Krausen in the making. Monday morning there was a thick healthy krausen which has continued to grow since. I have seen no air lock acitivity whatsover which is not overly concerning, when considering the massive headspace. Just thought I'd ask the question.

Cheers

[Dave]

You will be fine!  Once the fermentation starts the CO2 is heavier than air, so will build up from the surface up.  it's only in secondaries (where there is minimal CO2 buildup to displace the oxygen / air) that to much haadspace can be bad.

I would have thought you would have airlock bubbling - the CO2 should be displacing the air as it is produced by fermentation.  Are you sure that it's properly sealed?

[Sean Monaghan]

First time using this new fermenter so it is possible I haven't sealed properly. The lid fits on firmly and has a strap for additional assurance so I would be surprised if it's not airtight.

I thought maybe the additional headspace meant the CO2 had not achieved the pressure required to bubble out the 3-piece airlock. Plus I've been removing the bung to have a wee look inside twice a day which would release a bunch.

Thanks for the response :)

[Dave]

Had a quick look through the reviews for the fermenter:

"The lid can still close and sit flush with the bucket with a portion of the gasket out of alignment, and brewers are none the wiser unless there isn't action from the airlock some time later."

"This 60L fermenter is awesome.I was a little skeptical after reading some comments about the sealing of the lid, but I had no problem. The huge airlock was not as lively as the smaller airlocks used with five gallon buckets but worked fine."

Most likely as above - the big airlock needs a fair pressure to bubble, and you've been letting the pressure out twice a day!  The reviews are certainly good though - looks like a nice fermenter.

[Sean Monaghan]

Ah! Thanks for confirming my assumptions. I'll make sure I seal it next time (with a larger volume and less head space) and gauge the differences with regards to air lock activity. Cheers!

[Sean Monaghan]

Readjusted the lid and the airlock is hissing! Cheers