Need Help

[Jezza1979]

Hey brewers, just did a test SG on my Stella and i think it's ruined. Opened up the fermenter, and it looks as though the yeast is still on the top??? Its not in little pellet form, but a more like flattened out and squashed like its just soaked up the liquid. I put my nose in it and took a sniff and jesus, nearly burned my nose hairs............lol. Smelt like shit.

The SG when I started was 1036 and this arvo, it was 1010.

Is it still good or should I think about cleaning my driveway with the stuff???? Help me!!!!!!! I love Stella, and it will ruin me for a day or 2 if I have stuffed it up...............................

 

[Ivan Other One]

Hey Jezza,
Had a bitter that I thought was off, but kegged it anyhow, and the rest into PEP bottles.
After getting the beer carbed had a taste of it after three days kegged. Bitter all right,,,,, it was bloody sour so tipped it down the drain,,, not even my dog (seasoned pisshead)would drink it!. Left the bottles alone for about five weeks and the tried one was still bitter but no where as bad as the keg.
Some may suggest having a taste of it when you check the SG. If it is really bad you will no what to do.
Cheers Ivan.

 

[Finite]

Hey brewers, just did a test SG on my Stella and i think it's ruined. Opened up the fermenter, and it looks as though the yeast is still on the top??? Its not in little pellet form, but a more like flattened out and squashed like its just soaked up the liquid. I put my nose in it and took a sniff and jesus, nearly burned my nose hairs............lol. Smelt like shit.

The SG when I started was 1036 and this arvo, it was 1010.

Is it still good or should I think about cleaning my driveway with the stuff???? Help me!!!!!!! I love Stella, and it will ruin me for a day or 2 if I have stuffed it up...............................

Gday Jezza,

:unsure: A little concerned for you but might not be all lost. The yeast wont be in pellet form, they are dried when you put them in and come to life when you pitch them and should look anywhere from a creamy to dark brown slush depending on the beer. I wouldnt get into the habbit of opening the fermenter too much while the beer is still fermenting, can you give any detail on the smell of the beer? It would be quite strong if you opened the lid for the first time but. My rule is to really just bottle anyway rather than throw out, unless its definatley shot.

Again more detail on the smell would be great and perhaps have a taste of your hydrometer reading, I try mine every time I take a reading.

 

[Jezza1979]

Hey Jezza,
Had a bitter that I thought was off, but kegged it anyhow, and the rest into PEP bottles.
After getting the beer carbed had a taste of it after three days kegged. Bitter all right,,,,, it was bloody sour so tipped it down the drain,,, not even my dog (seasoned pisshead)would drink it!. Left the bottles alone for about five weeks and the tried one was still bitter but no where as bad as the keg.
Some may suggest having a taste of it when you check the SG. If it is really bad you will no what to do.
Cheers Ivan.

Thanks mate, I might give that a crack.

 

[brando]

Jezza,

Bit hard to diagnose without more info mate.

What yeast exactly was used?
What temps did you ferment at?
Have you done this beer before with success and if so what did you do differently this time?
Sanitation methods?

 

[mwd]

Try tasting the hydrometer sample when you take the SG should give you a fair indication on how the finished product will be.

 

[Jezza1979]

The yeast I used was Saflager-23 that came with the pack I bought.

The yeast that came inside the tin is in the fridge.

I did put the yeast in at a high temp.................got a bit excited as I was stoked to be brewing another beer, around 35-40 degrees. I was concerned I may have killed it but it was foaming away nicely.

This my 3rd ever home brew. It's a Brewcraft Premium Stella Artois.

As for sanitation, this is a 2nd hand fermenter I got of a mate. I replaced the seal and washed out with the Morgans Lo-Suds that came with the kit I bought. I did this with hot tap water and let soak for an hour or so, rinsed and filled half-way and did it again and rinsed out again. I have pre-mixed up the Morgans Sanitizer that also came with the kit following the directions for the correct strength. I sprayed that all over the fermenter and lid and let it sit for about an hour with the lid on. Then I added all the ingrediants.

Now, I just had another sniff and it does smell like a beer, lol. There is another odor, probably CO2. What concerns me is the brown floaty bits on top and for about 5mm deep. There looks to be also like an rainbow, like fuel on water on top of the brew. I have only opened the fermenter this avo twice, to check the SG and just before to give you guys a better description. I dropped the brew on the 16th of June.

Hope this helps lads.

 

[Jezza1979]

Just tried a bit of the Stella and oh my god...............................tastes like the real deal. I will bottle it up on Saturday.

Thanks for that tip Tropical Brews. Gonna do that with all my brew from now on. Cheers.

 

[mwd]

If you are putting the hydrometer into the fermenter to take SG don't. Everytime you take the lid off you are risking an airborne infection.

Use the hydrometer container tube or a separate jar to get your sample via the tap for testing. Do not put this sample back afterwards use it as the taste sample.

 

[manticle]

The yeast I used was Saflager-23 that came with the pack I bought.

The yeast that came inside the tin is in the fridge.

I did put the yeast in at a high temp.................got a bit excited as I was stoked to be brewing another beer, around 35-40 degrees. I was concerned I may have killed it but it was foaming away nicely.

This my 3rd ever home brew. It's a Brewcraft Premium Stella Artois.

As for sanitation, this is a 2nd hand fermenter I got of a mate. I replaced the seal and washed out with the Morgans Lo-Suds that came with the kit I bought. I did this with hot tap water and let soak for an hour or so, rinsed and filled half-way and did it again and rinsed out again. I have pre-mixed up the Morgans Sanitizer that also came with the kit following the directions for the correct strength. I sprayed that all over the fermenter and lid and let it sit for about an hour with the lid on. Then I added all the ingrediants.

Now, I just had another sniff and it does smell like a beer, lol. There is another odor, probably CO2. What concerns me is the brown floaty bits on top and for about 5mm deep. There looks to be also like an rainbow, like fuel on water on top of the brew. I have only opened the fermenter this avo twice, to check the SG and just before to give you guys a better description. I dropped the brew on the 16th of June.

Hope this helps lads.

If you stick your had inside the fermenter the concentration of gases can be quite overpowering. It doesn't mean infection. draw a sample into a hydrometer vessel and smell that.

Also don't ferment or pitch at 35 -40 degrees. That will throw out loads of weird esters and solvent alcohols. Lager yeasts require even lower temps (7-10) and a loger ferment.

Doesn't sound like infection - just inexperience. Keep at it.

 

[shark]

On this note. What should the top of the wort look like when fermentation is complete??? Should it have no foam or chunks or top? Or should it still be foamy???? Thanks

 

[Finite]

On this note. What should the top of the wort look like when fermentation is complete??? Should it have no foam or chunks or top? Or should it still be foamy???? Thanks

It really varies on alot of things and fairly irrelevant, can be both but usually no foam. If the beer tastes good then it is good.

I cant stress enough to get into the habit of smelling and tasting your hydrometer readings. I take a reading every 2 days for every beer I make and I smell and taste the sample every time. This is a great way to understand the progression of taste and aroma during fermentation so you can distinguish things like infection, flavor development, correct fermentation temp, yeast health, fermentation progress etc. Of course it helps to have screwed up and made a infected beer before so you know what to expect .

 

[Bribie G]

True lager yeasts generally produce a lot of sulphur when fermenting, i.e. rotten eggs gas. Don't worry, that will all 'gas' off but a little bit will remain and that's a subtle component of the 'aroma hit' you get when you open a European Lager.
You should really be fermenting lagers in a fridge even in the relatively cool temps in Townsville at the moment. I've got a lager going at the moment at 11 degrees and it's blooping away nicely and smells very sulphury.

 

[crundle]

As said by others on here, don't pitch at such high temperatures, as the yeast will produce all sorts of higher alcohol flavours that you will not want in your finished beer at higher temps. Having said that, I think it is safe to say we have all pitched yeast at too high a temperature at some stage in our brewing lives, so you are not alone.

If you are keen on the style, get another one brewing right away, but pitch the yeast at a low temperature and keep it there for the fermentation (in a fridge is best if you can). Keep a few bottles of the one you have now to do a comparison with when the next one is finished, and you will notice the cleaner taste that the lower fermentation temperature beer will have.

Choosing the correct yeast and keeping fermentation temperatures under control within the optimum range of the yeast are two of the best things you can do for your brewing, second only to good sanitation practices.

cheers,

Crundle

 

[Jezza1979]

Thanks heaps for all the advice lads. I really appreciate it.

I dont open the lid, until at least 7 days has passed after I have dropped in a brew.

I am looking forward to bottling my Cascade Choc Mahogany Porter, Stella & my Ginger Beer during the weekend.

I am very new and super keen and any advice I do receive I will take on board.

Looking forward to dropping another 3 batches when I get back from a month away with work.

More importantly, looking forward to trying these brews when I get home.

Happy brewing lads,

Cheers

 

[manticle]

Best not to open the lid unnecessarily at all. It's not as if infection is waiting over your shoulder, waiting to jump in but there's a risk each time and it's best to avoid unecessary risk (and tropical queensland is probably higher risk then miserable melbourne). You shouldn't need to open the lid at all unless you dry hop or bulk prime in primary.

First few days of ferment the brew will probably be safer anyway because it's generating a lot of CO2 etc (as far as I'm aware- anyone correct me if I'm wrong??). Anyway learning about brewing is fun and drinking your own brews is likewise.

 

[Jezza1979]

Cheers manticle. I did try and measure the SG of my brew, however the damn tube that came with my hydrometer isn't big enough. Anyway, I am bottling this arvo and when I purchase my next can of brew, I will buy a larger beaker/tube so I can measure it without opening the lid. I am using this smaller tude to do my tasting and finding that this now is not big enough....................................lol

 

[Jezza1979]

Hey again guys.

I rang my local brew store and got some advice on Finings......................worst mistake ever. I was told to add the finings to the top of the wort and stir it in...............................................

I rang back a few days later and booyah, got a different lad who told me to add them to a cup of boiling water and add to the wort. I am pretty sure my Stella in ruined now...........

Need some more advice lads, I am never gonna use finings again, but is my Stella ruined?????????????? Its darker and tastes a little different from when I first had a taste................

Cheers guys.

 

[manticle]

Don't blame the finings. Blame the HBS guy for not explaining properly. Finings are great when used correctly.

They are basically gelatine and are used to clarify the beer and assist the yeast in settling out after ferment is complete. I would hazard a guess that the brew is fine (fine ha fine). Worst I can imagine is that you will have a very small colourless, flavourless lump of jelly floating around somewhere in there. Next time boil some water, fill a cup and wait 5- 10 minutes, add 1 tsp gelatine (edible gelatine from the supermarket is the same product and much cheaper) stir to dissolve and add straight to fermenter. Leave brew for at least 2 days.

The brew probably tastes different because beer is a chemical reaction (or result of) and is continually reacting, changing and developing. Beer today will taste very different to beer in 3 weeks even when bottled. Unless it tastes bad (sour, off, vegemite, vinegar etc) I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[felten]

I believe gelatin works best when the beer is cold as well (afaik).

There's a great thread on how to gelatin, worth a read.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=21879

Also, what hydrometer tube do you have that's too small to measure with? I only have experience with the coopers kit one but its easily too big for the job and its the same size as the hydrometer itself. Sure you're using it correctly? stupid question, I know, but there was a post a few weeks back about someone else using theirs upside down. Just a thought.