DIPA - to pitch or not to pitch ?

[hugcra]

Over the weekend I brewed a double IPA. I had a heap of different hops with only 10grams or so left in each bag, so thought I would make a super hopped IPA. The IBUs ended up around 75 (i hope the cara and chocolate grain will show their tastes in the end).

However after chilling the wort to around 30* I left the wort in the fridge to cool some more before I pitched. I brewed Saturday and it is now Monday morning, (I went out sunday and forgot to pitch then) I thought I would pitch my burton IPA wyeast today. I opened the fridge to find a krausen on the top of the brew. It looks like it has started fermenting already with out me pitching any yeast. The krausen is a nice clean white, like a freshly poured draught.

Everything was sanitised and the fridge has been closed since I put the wort in, and the fermenter has a lid, so I doubt that the wort has been compromised. However I am culturing yeast in the same fridge. I have 2 jars of dennys fav 50 in the 18* side of the fridge, and a number of yeasts stored in the 3* side. Could they be the culprits ?

Question is...should I pitch the burton IPA anyway, or leave it and see what happens?

This was an expensive batch considering the ingredients so I dont want to loose it.

 

[.DJ.]

smell? Taste?

 

[Dan Pratt]

At a guess it has been infected and by some awesome chance with airborne yeast from the fridge your fermenting in but its unlikely....can i ask >>>> how did you forget to pitch on sunday.....?

Anyway its a waiting game now to see what happens, if its fermenting on its own and turns out alright then happy days.

Personally, I would reconsider your fermentation chamber.....WAY TOO MUCH OTHER STUFF in that fridge to have fermentation in......for me the fermentation fridge = only fermenters.

 

[hugcra]

Smells like a hop bomb, taste is super sweet. gravity has dropped 3 points since the first reading (that was done at 25-30 degrees btw)

 

[hugcra]

went out sunday, mates bday all day, got boozed, came home and crashed.

 

[JaseH]

I'd pitch now anyway - nothing to lose. I think it would be better to pitch some good known yeast than to just let it completely wild ferment.

 

[hugcra]

Yeah had the same thought Frothie.

I pitched the ipa burton. I figured that if its a good beer then I will be able to come close to repeating the recipe if I know the yeast, or some of it.

By this arvo there should be more of the pitched yeast then the wild stuff to hopefully 'control' the ferment.

I doubt there is an infection, as my set up is clean, and smell and taste are good. Its a good set up. This is the first time that this has happened over the 2 or 3 years that Ive been brewing.