Forgot to sterilize the FV!

[WelshPaul]

Hi folks,
I've made a bit of a cock-up, as per the title. We had a major power outage in our area last night and, although the beer was on the boil under a gas burner, this slight distraction resulted in me pitching the chilled wort into a clean, but not sterilized, fermenter.
I only just realised before I was going to bed - is this one a lost cause? I hope not as it was my last sachet of S-05!

 

[WelshPaul]

Annoyingly, since the mash temperature was holding so well and everything else was running smoothly, the thought did run through my head, "It's unusual to have everything going so nicely for once; something always has to go wrong somewhere in a brew day; I wonder what this one wil be...". :evil:

 

[graysalchemy]

You could either leave it and hope for the best or re boil it, but in doing that you will obviously kill the yeast and will have to add you late hope additions again.

 

[WelshPaul]

There were no late hops (it's a wheat beer), but I don't want to kill the yeasts and then pitch a different kind of yeast. I'll just cross my fingers!

 

[adomant]

Hi

As long as fermentation starts and there are no unpleasant smells you may well get away with it. Fermentation itself creates an environment which deters bacteria (ie reduction of ph), so if fermentation is progressing well you should be ok.

good luck

 

[WelshPaul]

It's been 36 hors and there is only a thin layer of yeast on the top and there isn't much bubbling going on - very unusual for S-05.
Temperature is 18°C so I think I may have to reboil.

 

[klaus]

Patience?

If you have a thin creamy layer then there's activity (I only know this from kits) ....

Anyway hope it works out either way!

 

[RobWalker]

Sterilization = few hundred years ago
Beer = B.C. and beyond.

Our modern techniques didn't always exist - providing it's clean it may very well be fine. Infections are rarer than most skeptics would have you think so give it time and see how it goes :)

 

[WelshPaul]

You think that the lower temperature could be slowing it in any significant way? I usually ferment at 21°C or so, but due to a boiler failure our house has been significantly cooler these last couple of days.

 

[RobWalker]

How much cooler? I hear that 18C is pretty low for a brew generally.

Are you talking 21 room temp or 21 ferment temp? Fermentation produces heat so it's significantly higher than room temp when it's particularly active.

If you're worried you could insulate the bucket with duvets foam etc, move it to the warmest room, or even buy a brewing belt.

 

[StubbsPKS]

Sterilization = few hundred years ago
Beer = B.C. and beyond.

Our modern techniques didn't always exist - providing it's clean it may very well be fine. Infections are rarer than most skeptics would have you think so give it time and see how it goes :)

Some beer is still made with open FVs and spontaneous fermentation (using wild yeasts in the air). These generally turn out drinkable, so it could still turn out alright

 

[WelshPaul]

I am NOT making a lambic wheat beer!!!

 

[StubbsPKS]

I am NOT making a lambic wheat beer!!!

hehe :)

 

[RobWalker]

hahah yeah, but they're still often in controlled environments...not in the kitchen with **** floating about everywhere :p

 

[WelshPaul]

Well, I ordered two new sachets of S05 yesterday morning so I hope they arrive in time.

 

[StubbsPKS]

hahah yeah, but they're still often in controlled environments...not in the kitchen with **** floating about everywhere :p

I guess they're in about as controlled an environment as you can find in a monastery :-P

 

[Phil_MG]

Am I right in saying that once the fermentation process has started, then the alcohol produced will protect the beer from going off anyway?

 

[RobWalker]

Am I right in saying that once the fermentation process has started, then the alcohol produced will protect the beer from going off anyway?

The point of ale originally was exactly that - to sanitize water. In the wrong environment though, beer can become infected, hence why we sterilize. It should keep out airborne nasties as the cloud of co2 that the beer forms pushes any bad stuff out.

 

[graysalchemy]

Infections won't necessarily result in a beer that gets chucked but may produce subtle off flavours. Some of the tcp flavours can be attributed to poor sanitising. So you may end up with a beer which niggles you and you can't pin point why.

I am just about to chuck 60l of stout which has got an acetobacteria infection most likely from the fruit flys however it was left in a very dirty fv which had dried krausen inside and out. This could have quite easily got infected and dropped into the beer and infected it.

Remember cleanliness is second only to beer godliness. :lol:

 

[adomant]

Am I right in saying that once the fermentation process has started, then the alcohol produced will protect the beer from going off anyway?

The alcohol does help but at such a low volume it cannot sterilise, actually the increased acidity caused by fermentation is more responsible for sanitation than the alcohol