It's alive...!

Well, as you can see, the Belgian Dark Strong Ale got off to a good start. It came rushing out of the fermenter after about 18 hours. The fermenter had about 23 liters of beer in it, leaving a head space of about 5 liters. I actually had to pour out a couple of liters so that I'm able to add the remaining sugars. Even with the extra 2 liters there was still not enough room.


You can see handfuls of foam being pushed out of the fermenter as if it pulsates.


I always place my fermenters in a bucket, so that any overflow does not end up on the floor. This thing has happened before, and I've learned my lesson.


When I thought the most vigorous fermentation was over I rinsed the fermenter and the bucket. It wasn't over, so when I woke up the next morning the airlock was full of gunk. It is now in need of some serious cleaning.

The Bohemian Pilsener is also actively fermenting in the fridge, but not this vigorously. On the other hand it is emitting strong sulphur aromas (think rotten eggs), so they are both doing their best to keep my wife happy.