Swollen cube (un-fermented)

[scooterism]

The brew I cubed a few days ago is swelling up, looks like there is some floaties on top.

Should I boil it again or junk it?

 

[Grott]

photo possible?

 

[Lecterfan]

Tip it. If fermentation has started to the point that there is a small amount of krausen on top then a number of (presumably) undesirable flavours have probably already appeared that boiling won't get rid of (unless by some good luck the yeast that is in the cube is the precise yeast you want to ferment with and it has been kept at optimal temperature for that yeast). Have a good hard think about whether or not you want to re-use the cube. Clean everything in your brewery more thoroughly than usual. Try shaking up your cleaning routine by swapping the type of chemical you use, hit everything hard. The last thing you want is a persistent infection.

Or let it ferment out and see what it tastes like (probably like ****).

Or re-boil it and let us know how it all goes (after taking taste and hydro samples pre- and and post- boil).

Good luck.

 

[scooterism]

I'll get a photo going, but just to add, I took the lid off and there are some krausen looking chunks inside.

 

[Weizguy]

Leave it to swell up like a soccer ball and take a photo. Wish I had done when my first cube swelled. Photo, I mean. Was frickin' hilarious to see.
Unless you want to use the cube again?

 

[scooterism]

 

[scooterism]

Tip it. If fermentation has started to the point that there is a small amount of krausen on top then a number of (presumably) undesirable flavours have probably already appeared that boiling won't get rid of (unless by some good luck the yeast that is in the cube is the precise yeast you want to ferment with and it has been kept at optimal temperature for that yeast). Have a good hard think about whether or not you want to re-use the cube. Clean everything in your brewery more thoroughly than usual. Try shaking up your cleaning routine by swapping the type of chemical you use, hit everything hard. The last thing you want is a persistent infection.

Or let it ferment out and see what it tastes like (probably like ****).

Or re-boil it and let us know how it all goes (after taking taste and hydro samples pre- and and post- boil).

Good luck.

I'm kind of leaning towards tipping it. I think it just basically come down to lack of proper sanitation practices. I have since changed sanitiser I use and cleaned like a everything like a champ.

Also altered a couple of processes when it comes time to chill.

 

[Weizguy]

I agree that it should be tipped. Somewhat of a waste, but it's not gonna be drinkable. Smell and taste it now. See what I mean.

Definitely doing the right thing by changing sanitiser and cleaning products. That is a 'time call" for both, which I wish I'd recognised at the time.

 

[scooterism]

Yeah.. :unsure:

Has a funny green/honey smell. Just doesn't seem right.

Question tho', can unused sanitizer go off over time?

 

[Lecterfan]

Yeah.. :unsure:

Has a funny green/honey smell. Just doesn't seem right.

Question tho', can unused sanitizer go off over time?

Depends what it is, how it has been stored, and whether it has been stored in its concentrated or diluted form. I lived through a terrible period of an infected brewery. If in doubt, chuck it and start again. Make sure you don't always use the same cleaning product(s). Every 5 or so brews I revert to using a liquid chlorine bleach solution to clean my fermenters, taps, and so forth. A sodium percarbonate/metasillicate (spelling?) mix is my main cleaning solution each brew, everything also gets boiling water and starsan. If you brew a lot and rely on your brew for grog (rather than as a hobby/supplement to buying it), then you do not want to let an infection take hold anywhere. It's not the end of the world, and it can be overcome, but prevention is so much easier. I hate tipping out beer I've made.

 

[Mat B]

My mate had the same thing happen. His cube exploded and he & his wife spent a Saturday washing the walls and ceiling.

 

[Bribie G]

The only 3 infections I've had were due to a brew that went bad because I tipped in acbag of ice and 2 swollen cubes.
That was in my pre perc days.
I tossed the cubes.

 

[scooterism]

Well I've spent the day cleaning, hate to say it, I've never gone through so much water and chemicals in one go. But I guess if you want to beat the corruption you need to do it.

The infected brew was one I did last week. Funnily enough, I've been watching it today as I go along and it hasn't grown in size..

The brew I made on Saturday (yesterday) is looking good, were I squashed the cube (to fill the handle) is still in place and will be introduced to the fermenter tomorrow.

So, hopefully it is just a random one off thing, maybe I slipped up or a magical foreign yeast fairy flew in and made a new home.

And just to add, I had been using the sanitizer (low foam) from Brewers Choice here in SE QLD, great product, but maybe the bottle I was using just became stale over time.

But now I've moved onto the Keg King sanitizer (the foam is real!) it behave just like Starsan.

I've had a decent amount of santizer circulating around my kettle/pump/CFC with all my hot side utensils etc included, changing flow direction.

So we'll see how it goes..

 

[Lecterfan]

Good luck :beerbang:

 

[scooterism]

Cheers mate..

 

[Tex083]

My 1st and only cube infection was no where as pleasant as your one. I loosened the lid and it smelt like rotten meat. I didn't sample it but assumed that if the ferment smelt that bad the beer would be *********

 

[scooterism]

My 1st and only cube infection was no where as pleasant as your one. I loosened the lid and it smelt like rotten meat. I didn't sample it but assumed that if the ferment smelt that bad the beer would be *********

Guess I'm lucky in a way.. Still feel a bit gutted over the whole ordeal.. Guess it's a lesson learnt..

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Question tho', can unused sanitizer go off over time?

Yes.

This applies especially to percarbonate, it loses the peroxide fairly rapidly if exposed to humid air. Since percarbonate is mostly a convenient way to store peroxide dry, it is ineffective once this occurs.

Don't know much about "Starsan" since I don't use it but the active ingredient (dodecylbenzene sulphonate) appears to be pretty stable.

 

[scooterism]

Yes.

This applies especially to percarbonate, it loses the peroxide fairly rapidly if exposed to humid air. Since percarbonate is mostly a convenient way to store peroxide dry, it is ineffective once this occurs.

Don't know much about Starsan, I don't use it.

Thanks for your response..

Can I ask you a question, I read some of your posts on other threads and it seems that you know stuff, which is good.

How do we treat brass (remove lead) now given terrorists have stopped us from having hydrogen peroxide?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Dunno, I just buy hydrogen peroxide from my local chemical supply. They ask me what I want it for and I tell them I'm etching titanium; alkaline peroxide is one of the best ways to do this. This happens to be the truth, which always helps.

Why not just use lead free brass? There are plenty of lead free grades of brass, sure they're harder to machine but they're not like stainless or titanium (both are ******* to machine).