Lesson Learnt

[Aus_Rider_22]

Hi guys.

Thought I would air my slight disappointment and regret from tonight. I am well along with my AG brewing and have done a handful of brews NC'ing. I had been leaving it the urn overnight and then transferring to fermenter. After advice I decided to just go with the accepted and fairly common NC with a cube. I have been doing 2 brew nights in a row to knock out to brews for the 2 cubes and 2 fermentors I have.

Anyway last friday night I did the first of the two. My first AG version of Dr Smurto's Golden Ale with all-grain. This recipe was the first I did when I jumped into extract. Was delicious and I made it a few more times. Anyway I am really excited to make this recipe with AG and I start getting things moving about 530pm. Decide to crack a beer and get right into the mash. Things going great, hit mash-in 64.6, temp after 60mins was 63.5 so I am pretty happy and have a (fair) few more beers along the way. Other than cleaning the only other part I hate is lifting the bag out and giving it a squeeze, getting hot liquid and arms that begin to get sore after a short while. After a bit of a delay the urn comes to a boil. I let it boil for a while, pick a convenient time and start with the hop additions. Everything is ready, cube and hose are ready and the aroma of boiling hops fills the shed.

Sit down and have a few more beers. Everything is going so well. Turn the urn off after hops are done and begin the wait for it too cool a bit so the thermal currents aren't turning up the crud. Getting down to about 85deg took a fair bit longer than usual as far as I could tell. I think it was because I have moved my urn and stand from my usual spot. The urn would get a breeze on it most nights but its now in a corner beside a stainless bench which makes things easier. I get sick of waiting for the debris to settle and do a whirlpool, leave for 15min and start racking to cube. Gave the cube a squish and closed, a quick rinse of the urn and I am off to bed. Everything had gone to plan. Wake up Saturday, bit of a hangover and still looking forward to making up a Galaxy hopped beer. Bit like S&W Pacific Ale minus the wheat.

2nd brew night goes off even better and I don't have a beer. Managed to rig up a rope through the roof to suspend the bag and let the liquid flow out with a squeeze. So much easier and very pleased with myself.

Fast forward to today. The pair of cubes are sitting at 18degrees in my ferment fridge and it's time to transfer to fermentor and rehydrate the us-05. I unscrew the golden ale cube and notice a white krausen-like layer across the top. I immediately think, f*ck infection! It wasn't until now that I noticed this cube was bulging. I paused for about 10 seconds, trying to brace myself for the smell of an infected brew. I bent down and took a whiff. Not good! It wasn't really bad like I would expect, probably because its only been a couple of days. It's really hard to explain the smell. A strong, burning/alcoholic/bleach tang about it and followed by what I can only think of as off meat and boiled/rotten parsely. I knew it was no good! I attached a photo of what I saw upon opening the cube.

That really killed the mood. Anyway, I half assumed the galaxy ale would be stuffed as well, I had used the same cleaning process, just a night later. Cracked the lid and was happily met with clear wort and a strong smell of hops and malt. happy about this but I was looking forward to the golden ale brew. The galaxy was just something I put together to use extra hops and malt around.

Anyway, I learnt a lesson. I had read on here of people not drinking a drop of alcohol until after brewing or not until the very end. I didn't think much of it and now I wish I did. Perhaps I missed something or wasn't as tidy with my cube. I won't be getting pissed before or while brewing ever again!

PS: could all the still floating and moving around white break material have caused or contributed to the infection?

THanks for reading, everyone!

 

[dkaos]

Bugger man, I'm lucky enough not to have had an infection from an AG brew as yet. I still drink on brew day, I just take it easy.

At least it wasn't all a total fail. Hope it turns out alright!

Clint

 

[Lecterfan]

My commiserations.

Personally I no longer drink when brewing. I used to all the time, but only did it once with AG and the whole thing took longer than normal and I was a lot more easily flustered and unable to problem solve on-my-feet so to speak. I chill in ice baths and get to pitching temp in 60-70 minutes. On the weekend I was faced with starting the whole process around 2pm on Saturday (knowing that I would probably be starting to drink at the start of the boil) but I just put it off until Sunday and made a start at 10am. I understand the convenience of no chill, but I don't have kids or anything so it is relatively easy for me to do the lot in one big session.

I'm sure there are plenty who have their sh*t together and able to enjoy a bevvy while brewing, but I'm not (yet) one of them.

Hope your Galaxy ale is so friggin delish that it eases the pain somewhat.

 

[jimi]

Your break material isn't going to cause an infection. Are they cubes you've used before?
Could the drinks have ment that you accidently let the temp drop too much before adding it to cube? I personally don't worry about the convection currents, I really don't think the scale of break material that they move around does enough to warrent waiting for them to subside.
Other than that you could check how clean your transfer tube was for the first batch.

 

[stew.w]

why do you let it get down to 85 deg?
i dont sanitise my cubes,i just clean them, never had an infection in one.
did you put it on its side once you filled it?

cheers,

stewart

 

[manticle]

Rule number one: Thou must drink beer whilst brewing.

That's the only rule. Don't blame the booze - look at your cleaning schedule. Sounds like the cube wasn't properly cleaned. A good soak with sod percarb/napisan, hot water and for hard to get to crud - raw rice, shake until you can't shake anymore, then shake again.

Check hoses and kettle taps too - even a speck can be unwelcome, hot liquid or no hot liquid.

I've had plenty of infections (they make me cry) but never from a hot cube left overnight. My first beer gets cracked with my grain.

I'd also ditch the cube and get another.

 

[manticle]

I've certainly taken a few of my definitely not right but not revolting brews, thrown brett at them and other flavours and let them sit it out. Had good results but the caveat is that they didn't taste bad - just not how they should have.

Can work but not sure about off meat, bleach and rotten parsley. Stinky socks and blue cheese I'll accept - anything to do with nappies or meat, I'll run away from.

If you do do this, reserve the cube for any future wild brewing to save headaches, keep it away from your fermenting area, use separate hoses/equipment and still buy another cube for regular brews.

The post I was replying to from NickJD has disappeared.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

Are they cubes you've used before?
Could the drinks have ment that you accidently let the temp drop too much before adding it to cube? I personally don't worry about the convection currents, I really don't think the scale of break material that they move around does enough to warrent waiting for them to subside.
Other than that you could check how clean your transfer tube was for the first batch.

Yes, I've used them before. After each use they are bleached overnight, rinsed with water, left until use and spray/slushed around with Starsan. I did think about the transfer tube. For this brew it was brand new from bunnings with a bathing in starsan before use. After initial use on the dodgy batch it was rinsed out with water that night. Left until the next afternoon then soaked in starsan. I will be extra careful as this infection is a shock and I am yet to taste an AG Dr Smurto Golden Ale! <_<

why do you let it get down to 85 deg?
i dont sanitise my cubes,i just clean them, never had an infection in one.
did you put it on its side once you filled it?

cheers,
stewart

Good question. I had read about people (on here) getting the beer down to 80ish before whirlpooling and from my experience the thermal currents are churning and moving around the break still down to 90. Yes I put them on the side each side to cover up the cap.

I'd also ditch the cube and get another.

It's getting a good soak (few days) with a strong mixture of bleach and water. Would that suffice? I am ordering a FWK from CB'er to get a good taste on Pilsners and how mine have compared so I might just use the FWK cuber and dump the infected one?

I've certainly taken a few of my definitely not right but not revolting brews, thrown brett at them and other flavours and let them sit it out. Had good results but the caveat is that they didn't taste bad - just not how they should have.

Can work but not sure about off meat, bleach and rotten parsley. Stinky socks and blue cheese I'll accept - anything to do with nappies or meat, I'll run away from.

If you do do this, reserve the cube for any future wild brewing to save headaches, keep it away from your fermenting area, use separate hoses/equipment and still buy another cube for regular brews.

The post I was replying to from NickJD has disappeared.

THat's a good idea manticle, but I have already thrown it out and I am not worried about brewing up sour beers yet. I want to get 5 kegs constantly full aging before experimenting too much. I tasted a sour fruit beer with cherries the other day. Not my cup of tea at all. Almost wine like. Dry and a bit puckering.

Thanks for the replies everyone!