# Black Patches In My Krausen



## Cannibal Smurf (16/2/09)

Hey guys,

Did my first AG BIAB brew yesterday and noticed some black foam during the boil. I scooped it out but now there's more black foam in the krausen in my fermenter.

It's the first time I've used the kettle and I thought I cleaned it pretty well with PBW before I mashed... any ideas?

Cheers

edit: 2.25kg pils and 2.25kg wheat malt. 15 and 10 gm hallertau at 60 and 10mins


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## Screwtop (17/2/09)

Cannibal Smurf said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Did my first AG BIAB brew yesterday and noticed some black foam during the boil. I scooped it out but now there's more black foam in the krausen in my fermenter.
> 
> ...




Hmmm....doesn't sound right. Did you rinse after using PBW??

Screwy


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## reviled (17/2/09)

Def doesnt sound good, is it black or more of a dark tan colour? got any pics?


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## tourist (17/2/09)

Sometimes when I'm not watching the boil closely, I get some hop material stuck to the side of the kettle and it scorches a bit and makes it's way back into the boil. Could it be scorched hop matter?


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## Cannibal Smurf (17/2/09)

Stainless steel kettle, and I did rinse it after PBW.
I think I should've done a boil with straight water before I did my brew because it had never been used before.
I don't think the boil was hot enough to burn anything that was stuck on the sides. 
It's a black/dark grey colour, like you get when you're polishing metal... :unsure:

edit: no pics, will take some tonight.


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## reviled (17/2/09)

R u able to paste up a pic at all?


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## Adamt (17/2/09)

Did you rinse well around your fittings?


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## Blackfish (17/2/09)

Adamt said:


> Did you rinse well around your fittings?



Post a pic

I sometimes get something that sounds like that If I don't whirlpool enough and some break material makes it into the fermentor. It seems to float on top of the wort & the krausen sort of catches it and floats it on top of the foam. Its not a problem and seems to subside & settle out with the rest of the yeast once fermentation is done.

Is that what you see?


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## FreemanDC (17/2/09)

hmm break material might be the case


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## schooey (17/2/09)

I was having a discussion with MHB about hop residue post boil and in the krausen, and he was saying something about black spots in the krausen. From memory its all the 'bad stuff' from the hops


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## reviled (17/2/09)

I constantly get all my break material in my fermenter, im no chilling in the kettle so have no way to seperate it untill I transfer to secondary, I never ever get a "Black" krausen, ever from break material or hops...

If its actually pitch black, I would be quite worried! If it was a tan colour, not so worried...


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## Cannibal Smurf (17/2/09)

I hope it's something like that. I can't post pics now cos I'm at work, but will when I get home. 
Could be hops, but I think it was already there when I added the hops...so I'm not sure. It's not all black, but there's a bit there. And the kettle looks a lot cleaner below where the waterline was.

No fittings yet, doing it the hard way until I can get my kettle modified... or buy an urn.


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## rich_lamb (17/2/09)

Tis a wheat beer - could easily be protein material from the break. I've had some of this dark stringy stuff before, and very dark patches on the krausen, but never worried about it.


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## Cannibal Smurf (17/2/09)

Bitter & Twisted said:


> Tis a wheat beer - could easily be protein material from the break. I've had some of this dark stringy stuff before, and very dark patches on the krausen, but never worried about it.



Chr!$t I hope so, not looking forward to parting with my first AG via the drain. I'll still put a pic up tonight and hope others can confirm your thoughts.


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## Cannibal Smurf (17/2/09)

Hey, here are some pics. 

Decided to do a gravity check while I had the fermenter open. I had an OG of 1.042 and after 2 days it's at 1.028. 

Smells ok and tastes like beer, no sour or off tastes/smells. 
Still not sure what the black stuff is but if I can't taste it in the end product I'm less worried about it, but still curious...


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## Cannibal Smurf (17/2/09)

No takers?


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## schooey (17/2/09)

Dude, not sure, but I'm still going with the hop resins... send MHB a pm and get him to take a look


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## haysie (17/2/09)

for a 1042 beer thats a huge ferment picture #1, wasnt a stout slurry by chance :unsure: I`ll go the resins, most times i clean that type of shite from the inside of the kettle. I reckon your fine CS


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## chris.taylor.98 (17/2/09)

If it smells good and tastes good then it probably is good.

That black stuff looks like it could be some protiens dragged up from break material, or even vegetable matter from hops, either way don't think its anything to be too alarmed about.

I've had way nastier stuff then that deposited on top of the krausen, and as others have already pointed out it is usually to do with break and or hop material transfered to the fermenter.

Believe me that if (hopefully not when) you get an infection problem, you won't need to be asking us if it is there or not, it will be pretty obvious (taste and smell should be enough).


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## Cannibal Smurf (18/2/09)

Cool, thanks guys... fingers crossed


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