A Tragedy

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Snow

Beer me up, Scotty!
Joined
20/12/02
Messages
2,349
Reaction score
154
Over the last 2 days, I have made the most involved beer I've ever made. A Bavarian Hefeweizen, I sourced the finest malts, hops and yeast. I researched mashing and fermentation methods to death. I pre-prepared a big healthy starter. I laboriously worked out the perfect recipe, then I conductd a detailed 3 hour mashing schedule, with ferrulic acid rests, double decoctions, etc, followed by a 2 hour boil and a very careful wort transfer and chilling process. So you see, there was a lot of work and love going into this beer. Anyway, I'm near the end of it all, and after topping up the wort in my bathtub to get the right volume, I put the fermenter on the toilet seat to take a gravity sample (yes it's a very hygenic toilet - it's the relatively unused one, downstairs), then I went into the kitchen to get the hydrometer. You guessed it - the fermenter fell off the toilet and about 20L of wort ended up on the bathroom floor :( . Well my wife learned some new swear words last night. The sound of that much wort hitting the floor will haunt me forever.

Anyway, I managed to save 5L of wort in the fermenter and piched the yeast, so at least I'll get to see how it turns out. Took me 2 hours to clean it up and there's still plenty of wort fermenting under the bath tub, so I'm a little bit tired and emotional today. I just had to share this with you guys as you're the only ones who'll understand. My wife just gave me a look that said: "get over it - it's only cheap beer", and: "have fun cleaning it all up yourself and if it stinks tomorrow you'll get no sex for the rest of the year" :unsure:

I think I'll do a nice simple porter for my next brew.....and leave the fermenter on the floor this time! :rolleyes:

Yours in mourning - Snow.
 
Oh no! My deepest condolences, that sounds heartbreaking.
 
Snow said:
I went into the kitchen to get the hydrometer. You guessed it - the fermenter fell off the toilet and about 20L of wort ended up on the bathroom floor :( . Well my wife learned some new swear words last night. The sound of that much wort hitting the floor will haunt me forever.
[post="59480"][/post]​

Strange how these things always happen when you're out of the room, doesn't it?

I reckon there must be some pretty vindictive poltergeists around brewer's homes. <_<

Sorry to hear Snow. Must have really stuck in your guts when it happened. Not so much the money spent that hurts. It's the time and labour gone begging. :(

Warren -
 
Much sympathy 2 U...and empathy too! <_<

The occasional spillage is part of the game, but it's a worse situation when the "significant other" compounds your grief.

Look at the good side...at least it wasn't half-fermented black ale being emptied onto pale carpet in a rented house after someone steps on the fermentor tap. It only had a few hours to soak in before I noticed it, though. Darn careless visitors.

I feel your pain...

Seth :p
 
I know roughly how you feel. I once forgot to close the tap on a fermenter whilst I was filling it from the boiler. I do most of this type of work in the evening on the deck, which has nice little gaps between the boards. I was intently watching the insides of the boiler to make sure that the siphon picked up as little trub as possible and didn't even notice that I'd poured most the wort under the deck :(

My commiserations.

Trev
 
sorry to hear of this snow.least you saved a little bit.

remember the old saying. once bitten twice shy.

leave the toilet for what its intended for ;)

cheers
big d
 
Snow,

Don't let this catastrophe get you down, Shake your fist at the beer gods and make the Brew again. It sounds like a wonderful drop.

Andrew
 
That's terrible luck Snow. I hope the smell has disappeared!

Your story reminds me of GMK's disaster from a few months ago but I can't find the post. It's worth a read and may make you feel better to know that you're not alone (in fact it may make you laugh too). Sorry Kenny.
 
Feel for u Snow...

i lost my Golden Draak out of the fermenter after 7hours....

Not good - mine was outside though....
 
Snow said:
The sound of that much wort hitting the floor will haunt me forever.


[post="59480"][/post]​

Looks like plenty of brewers are feeling sorry for ya snow so all i'll say is - you silly bloody idiot :excl:


Trampled underfoot
Jayse
 
Snow
As sad as it is you must move on. I would suggest a milk crate instead of a toilet.
Cheer up
Gerard
 
I've done the old tap open trick and lost 2-3 litres whilst dumping into the fermenter and cursed for hours and I'm just a humble kits and bits man.

To suffer your fate after a 3 hour mash, 2 hour boil and a couple of hours cleaning, preparing etc must be devistating. :(

Then to top it all off - no sympathy from the wife <_<

Geez, no sex for the rest of the year - pretty bad suituation. :huh:
Loose 20 litres of your finest yet - totally unbearable. :angry:

As they say, get back on the horse young man and brew the baby again.

Cheers
 
You have me cringing and crying along with you, Snow. At least you saved a bit.
And, I'm sure you've learned an important lesson from this, too.


jayse said:
Snow said:
The sound of that much wort hitting the floor will haunt me forever.


[post="59480"][/post]​

Looks like plenty of brewers are feeling sorry for ya snow so all i'll say is - you silly bloody idiot :excl:


Trampled underfoot
Jayse
[post="59490"][/post]​


I seem to remember hearing the sound of your wort hitting the floor recently, Jayse :p Though at least yours stayed inside its container.
 
Commiserations Snow, but get straight back on & do it again next weekend mate. (without the catastrophe of course)
 
Thanks for the condolences guys. I can hear that horse waiting for me now....

Thanks for the words of wisdom Jayse!
 
It hurts bad doesn't it? I am reliving the pain as I type. I had a similar situation when my 18 month old son decided to turn on the tap of a cube full of amber ale. 20lt of amber ale all over the carpet in our spare bedroom. :eek: :eek: :eek:

I received similar threats from SWMBO but time heals all wounds and all is now forgiven.

:beer:
Anthony
 
Commiserations Snow, at least you are getting the chance to brew mate :)

It's a great learning curve stuffing up like that. I've done stupid things too and I won't repeat them.

C&B
TDA
 
How does it go? It's not what happens to you that counts, but what you do about it. Grit your teeth and brew it again Snow.

I thought it was only me that courted Murphy's Law so convincingly. I once used a bathroom sink as a step ladder to strip paint from the ceiling. As I was doing it I thought, "I hope this is strong enough to hold me". It wasn't.

Steve
 
Snow....
you know that the smell will take ages to go away... so you will have to just tell your wife that you will make do with hookers for the next 6 months!



dreamboat
 
Snow,

We'll take your mind off it with a few ales tonight - catch you later... :chug:
 
Back
Top