Pretty Sure I Know The Answer - Have I Killed It?

[woodwormm]

I've just finished my first ferment in a cube with a blow off tube into a bottle of water.

went to check after a couple days of cold crash and 'where's the water in the bottle?'

only explanation is that the contracting of the cube has sucked the water back into it, bit like an airlock reverse bubbles...

now the water was just tap water, and the bottle was just dishwasher clean, but there was a fair amount of blow off in the water after day 3 of ferment...

would you bother kegging? I'm guessing this water will infect it?

 

[keifer33]

Have you tasted it?

 

[jacknohe]

Have you tasted it?

+1, have a little taste.

If you're cold conditioning when it sucked the water in you'll probably be alright. Keg it, gas it, keep it cold under co2 and it will be fine. I wouldn't bottle it and let it warm up though...

 

[JDW81]

I've just finished my first ferment in a cube with a blow off tube into a bottle of water.

went to check after a couple days of cold crash and 'where's the water in the bottle?'

only explanation is that the contracting of the cube has sucked the water back into it, bit like an airlock reverse bubbles...

now the water was just tap water, and the bottle was just dishwasher clean, but there was a fair amount of blow off in the water after day 3 of ferment...

would you bother kegging? I'm guessing this water will infect it?

This has happened to me back in my airlock days, never gave me an infection.

Tasting will give you the answer.

FWIW when I cube ferment I just use its lid as the barrier, screwed on tight enough not to fall off and loose enough to let out any CO2 or krausen. Wipe and spray with starsan if there is any leakage.

 

[labels]

You got to remember that the beer has alcohol in it which is great preservative. Also, your blow off bottle would have the head space completely full of CO2.
Personally, I think you're perfectly safe, just keg and take your chances, they're better than you think.

 

[woodwormm]

Have you tasted it?

yep, tastes exactly the same as before the cold crash

FWIW when I cube ferment I just use its lid as the barrier, screwed on tight enough not to fall off and loose enough to let out any CO2 or krausen. Wipe and spray with starsan if there is any leakage.

i'm a paranoid android about 'open' fermentation. I'm making actual vinegar in a neighbouring shed (15metres away). I know probably half of AHB do the lid/glad wrap thing for ferment, but it just doesn't sit right with me yet....

You got to remember that the beer has alcohol in it which is great preservative. Also, your blow off bottle would have the head space completely full of CO2.
Personally, I think you're perfectly safe, just keg and take your chances, they're better than you think.

Labels, a head space of co2? is this just chemistry and physics? do you mean the ferment bubbles are co2 and the bubbles of co2 are sitting on top of the blow off water in the bottle as co2 is heavier than air so it wont' escape out of the bottle?


I think i'll give it a chance.

 

[pk.sax]

Well, it was in a fridge, right? Germs travel with dust. If the blow off bottle had been subjected to yeast and. I nutrient in the water, a bit unlikely the water would harbour much compared to the rampant active yeast you put in. Also, closed chamber... Hardly dusty.

 

[woodwormm]

Well, it was in a fridge, right? Germs travel with dust. If the blow off bottle had been subjected to yeast and. I nutrient in the water, a bit unlikely the water would harbour much compared to the rampant active yeast you put in. Also, closed chamber... Hardly dusty.

germs hitch a ride on dust hey? I'm learning a lot about chem and physics in this thread! so that means a vacuum is sterile?

 

[petesbrew]

yep, tastes exactly the same as before the cold crash

I think you should be okay mate.