fermenting My ferment is separating

Totally normal, as the LAB produce CO2 it gets trapped in the Mash and causes it to rise. Just swirl the jar around to release the trapped gas and it will settle down till it builds up again. I notice in your picture that your doing an open ferment. I would recommend that you make sure your brine is high, like upward of 8% and then close the jars. The CO2 that builds up will push out the air (O2) and provide an environment where molds and such, things we don't want in our ferments, can't grow. Mash looks good though for now but the longer you leave it open the more chance your taking of getting an infection. If your going to continue the open ferment though, make sure you have something in place to keep the mash from rising above the brine.
 
Cheers,
RM

+1 to what RM said... this is my Frutascens ferment after swirling the mash to let out the CO2 bubbles earlier this morning. The new bubbles have it already separating.

 
The gaps in the weave of the cloth are too big to really keep out competing microbes... they would need to be no more than 3 microns for that. I just leave the regular lid on inside the ring on top of the jar, but keep the ring just loose enough that gas can escape out from under the lid. That seems to work fine for me with 2% salt in the mash, and enough sweet white wine to cover and a half an inch more.
 
Good luck!

Totally normal and looking good!

stickman said:

+1 to what RM said... this is my Frutascens ferment after swirling the mash to let out the CO2 bubbles earlier this morning. The new bubbles have it already separating.
 
 
The gaps in the weave of the cloth are too big to really keep out competing microbes... they would need to be no more than 3 microns for that. I just leave the regular lid on inside the ring on top of the jar, but keep the ring just loose enough that gas can escape out from under the lid. That seems to work fine for me with 2% salt in the mash, and enough sweet white wine to cover and a half an inch more.
 
Good luck!

Click to expand...

This reminded me of a famous saying in the Artillery and a part of the Artillery Punch Ceremony, when during the Battle of Buena Vista General Taylor said to Captain Bragg "Give them a little more grape, Captain Bragg" Actually a misquote but it is what went down in history. so, you give it a little more grape

I was in the engineers, not the "arty" so I may have it wrong, but wasn't it... "A touch of the grape there Lieutenant Bragg. Double shot your guns and give them hell!"

That is what was actually said Rick.