Wild Yeast

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wombil

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G'day All,
I have made a double batch of DR. Smurtos Golden Ale.Put half into a cube,sealed, that's still sitting on the shed floor for two days,this lot is ok.
The rest I put into a fermenter,no chill,with gladwrap seal ,left overnight and all day to cool down.
When I go to put the yeast in it has a really frothy head 20/30 mm thick.Not like an ordinary krausen,more like a head on a glass of beer.{pic.}.
Could this be wild yeast starting to ferment?There is quite a lot of headspace in the FV.
My thinking to remedy this and save the beer is to boil it again and start fermenting as usual.
Will this work or should I do something else?
Thanks Guys. DSCF2275.JPG
 
Smell? Taste?

If you catch it early enough another boil will kill off the nasties (assuming that is what is happening in this case...)
 
For it to start such a vigorous fermentation in that amount of time, there must have been a heap of yeast (all be it 'wild' ) in there, surely?

Have you tasted it?

I think it was Deebo who had some success with wild yeast fermentation...
 
Doesn't smell or taste too bad.Definatlely not rotten or bad.
 
Would you drink it? You can re-boil or you could see what the wild yeast in your area is like or you could help it along with brettanomyces.

Or you could tip it and start again.

Depends on what you want really. Successful no chill depends on eliminating air from the vessel while it cools down which I can't imagine you can do well in a fermenter.

Buy another cube. Use the method as designed.
 
Had some spent grain in a bucket close by.That might have started it off.
 
Doesn't smell or taste too bad.Definatlely not rotten or bad.

There is no harm keeping it and seeing how it ferments out and tastes at the end. That is if you have the room for it.
 
Successful no chill depends on eliminating air from the vessel while it cools down which I can't imagine you can do well in a fermenter.
No, I don't agree- air in a sealed cube is of no real consequence, what is important is pasteurisation of the entire surface and maneuvering a fermenter to pasteurise all of it effectively is likely to be problematic. However, a completely full cube with all air excluded means that its far simpler to ensure the entire surface is pasteurized and it will successfully store.

wombil, I know of other brewers who do a no- chill style cooling in their fermenter, I've not done it myself but hopefully they can provide some tips on how to do it. I'd say this batch is probably knackered though, unless you happen like experiments! :icon_cheers:
 
Every cube infection I've ever had has been due to a leaking/non sealing cube.

I'm sure people successfully no-chill in their fermenters but I reckon it's an added risk. The method is so simple and works as it is designed to that I'm not sure why people keep trying to 'improve' it.
 
I have no chilled in a fermenter more times than I can remember. Never had an infection or had it take off like that with that method. Its amazing how well the glad wrap will seal with rubber bands at that temp.
 
If people report success then I'm not one to cuss out a method I haven't tried but it seems to me the likely culprit.

Maybe you just need to clean/sanitise your fermenter better wombil?
 
Ya could be right mate altho it was rinsed out with starsan and left to drain 10 minutes before filling.I only got it half full by the way.
 
Ya could be right mate altho it was rinsed out with starsan and left to drain 10 minutes before filling.I only got it half full by the way.

How old was the starsan mix (a cause of infections for me in the past)? Have you pulled apart and cleaned, or replaced the fermenter tap lately?
 
$50 says it's "infected" with whatever you had in there last.
 
$50 says it's "infected" with whatever you had in there last.
^ what he said, IMHO that ferment looks too healthy, normal and active to be a simple accidental 'wild' yeast (especially since it looks/tastes/smells 'not bad').
 
It is quite incredible for a tiny pitch to be that active in less that 24 hours though. Wasn't a hefeweizen in there last by any chance?
 
You silly old bugger Oigle! I'm going to have to get down there and show you how its done :D
 
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