My First Partial (almost Ended In Tears)

[RobH]

--edit-- oops I should have probbly posted this in "Beginner Partials/AG" /edit

Hi All,

Yesterday afternoon I pulled the fermenter containing my first partial out of the un-powered "fermenter fridge" (high tech frozen PET bottle temp control).

It had mould forming on the lid (outside), and around the outside of the fermenter a bit, but the mould that really had me worried was all around the rubber seal of the tap, and inside the tap nozzle!

I knew no amount of delicate cleaning was going to get that nozzle clear, so I resorted to siphoning the beer instead of running it out the tap. The problem was that I had cut my plastic tube in half, as it was too long when I used it from the tap. Fortunately I had my MacGuyver hat on, and I cut an inch length from a plastic bottling stem & used that as a joiner for my two peices of tube.

I then sprayed around the lid of the fermenter with an idophor solution, waited a minute, and took the lid off.... it looked good, no visible sign of infection, took a whiff .. nothing... stuck my nose closer and got a nose full of CO2 (doh) ... so I siphoned it off to my keg.

After siphoning, there was about an inch & half of beer left sitting on the trub, so I had to taste it to be sure it was ok .... and with great relief I discovered that it tasted great! I must have looked quite a sight at that point as I held the tube in the fermenter, hovering just below the surface, and continued sucking beer out the other end!

I am now a convert to Grain! The flavour I got from the beer directly out of the fermenter out-shines any beer that I have made to date.

My recipe was:
--------------------------------------
1 Tin Thomas Coopers Heritage Lager
2.5kg Grain, consisting of 200Gm (or was that 400gm - cant remember) Vienna, and the rest Pilsener malt
200gm Cara Helle
Kit yeast (which apparently is a combo of ale and lager yeast)
Irish Moss

I did BIAB, in a 15 litre stock pot, and then put the pot in my big esky to keep the temp stable for the 45 min mash, followed by a 1 hour boil, irish moss added 10 mins before boil end.

Then the rest was add to fermenter (leave out the solids in the bottom of the pot), dissolve tin goo, top up to 22 litres with some pre-chilled water & pitch yeast.
--------------------------------------

.... mmm cant wate to pour an icy cold glass of this one :icon_cheers:

I have a tin of Thomas Coopers Pilsener, I imagine the same or similar grain bill would be suitable for this kit?

 

[matho]

i have had problems with mold in the fermentation fridge too in humid weather like this. i have found giving it a good clean and wipe down with a bit of santitiser every now and then keeps it in check.

good to hear about your first partial :beerbang: , i was blown away by the flavor difference too with my first partial.

Just remember it's a slippery slope

cheers matho

 

[Phoney]

I spray down my fermentation fridge with Exit Mould. Sure, it smells like an indoor kids swimming pool, but at least it's mould free.

 

[QldKev]

--edit-- oops I should have probbly posted this in "Beginner Partials/AG" /edit

Hi All,

Yesterday afternoon I pulled the fermenter containing my first partial out of the un-powered "fermenter fridge" (high tech frozen PET bottle temp control).

It had mould forming on the lid (outside), and around the outside of the fermenter a bit, but the mould that really had me worried was all around the rubber seal of the tap, and inside the tap nozzle!

I knew no amount of delicate cleaning was going to get that nozzle clear, so I resorted to siphoning the beer instead of running it out the tap. The problem was that I had cut my plastic tube in half, as it was too long when I used it from the tap. Fortunately I had my MacGuyver hat on, and I cut an inch length from a plastic bottling stem & used that as a joiner for my two peices of tube.

I then sprayed around the lid of the fermenter with an idophor solution, waited a minute, and took the lid off.... it looked good, no visible sign of infection, took a whiff .. nothing... stuck my nose closer and got a nose full of CO2 (doh) ... so I siphoned it off to my keg.

After siphoning, there was about an inch & half of beer left sitting on the trub, so I had to taste it to be sure it was ok .... and with great relief I discovered that it tasted great! I must have looked quite a sight at that point as I held the tube in the fermenter, hovering just below the surface, and continued sucking beer out the other end!

I am now a convert to Grain! The flavour I got from the beer directly out of the fermenter out-shines any beer that I have made to date.

My recipe was:
--------------------------------------
1 Tin Thomas Coopers Heritage Lager
2.5kg Grain, consisting of 200Gm (or was that 400gm - cant remember) Vienna, and the rest Pilsener malt
200gm Cara Helle
Kit yeast (which apparently is a combo of ale and lager yeast)
Irish Moss

I did BIAB, in a 15 litre stock pot, and then put the pot in my big esky to keep the temp stable for the 45 min mash, followed by a 1 hour boil, irish moss added 10 mins before boil end.

Then the rest was add to fermenter (leave out the solids in the bottom of the pot), dissolve tin goo, top up to 22 litres with some pre-chilled water & pitch yeast.
--------------------------------------

.... mmm cant wate to pour an icy cold glass of this one :icon_cheers:

I have a tin of Thomas Coopers Pilsener, I imagine the same or similar grain bill would be suitable for this kit?

Sounds like you have no going back from here. You may me laugh with the comment "stuck my nose closer and got a nose full of CO2 (doh)", how many times have I done that!

With the mould it's not good stuff but living in Queensland I'm forever battling against it. I keep a toothbrush and a spray bottle of starsan handy. I give it a good wet down inside and outside of the tap, and then run the tooth brush around the inside / outside, a final rise with the sanatiser and all has been good, no issues.

QldKev

 

[donburke]

Sounds like you have no going back from here. You may me laugh with the comment "stuck my nose closer and got a nose full of CO2 (doh)", how many times have I done that!

With the mould it's not good stuff but living in Queensland I'm forever battling against it. I keep a toothbrush and a spray bottle of starsan handy. I give it a good wet down inside and outside of the tap, and then run the tooth brush around the inside / outside, a final rise with the sanatiser and all has been good, no issues.

QldKev

i spray out the tap with sanitiser on brew day after taking samples, then wrap some glad wrap around the tap to help stop any direct contact with bugs

 

[warra48]

Your experience is not unlike some of my earlier ones.

I'm sure your brew will turn out to be a cracker.

My worst experience was with a wheatie, it blew itself right out of the fermenter, around the gladwrap, onto the fridge floor, and out onto the garage floor. I didn't enjoy the clean up very much, but someone had to do it. The beer turned out just fine.

 

[DKS]

Nice save RobH, I've just chucked two, I suspect because of nasties in the fridge.
MacGuyver hats come in very handy when brewing, always wear one when brewing. Mine has a propeller on top.
Hope its a good one. :icon_cheers:
Daz