Infected brew...?

[RichHall]

Hey folks

I boiled up a best bitter recipe on Wednesday and, after cooling, transferred to my FV.

As the weather’s so hot, it’s sat in my garage and I wasn’t going to pitch until things cool down a few degrees.

However, I noticed a bit of airlock activity this morning, so cracked the lid and there’s the start of a krausen there, so can only guess some wild yeast has gotten in and is now doing its thing.

What are my options here? Is it worth pitching my yeast now, in the hope it out competes the wild yeast that’s gotten in there already? Or should I just accept defeat on this one, and get rid?

Cheers
Rich.

 

[An Ankoù]

Heat it up to over 80C and then cool as quickly as possible to pitching temperature. If you did any post-boil, hopping, you can repeat that part with about the half the p-b hops you used last time, or just dry hop when it's fermented out.
Certainly worth salvaging.

You just can't leave wort lying around for days without something getting hold of it. Better to risk the high temperature another time and just keep it as cool as possible with wet towels and a fan, or ice packs in a water bath, or whatever. But get the yeast in there as soon as it's cool enough.

 

[Sadfield]

Embrace the funk. Let it ferment out.

 

[RichHall]

Embrace the funk. Let it ferment out.

Surely not - I'm guessing I'd up with some weird tasting beer?!

 

[RichHall]

Heat it up to over 80C and then cool as quickly as possible to pitching temperature. If you did any post-boil, hopping, you can repeat that part with about the half the p-b hops you used last time, or just dry hop when it's fermented out.
Certainly worth salvaging.

You just can't leave wort lying around for days without something getting hold of it. Better to risk the high temperature another time and just keep it as cool as possible with wet towels and a fan, or ice packs in a water bath, or whatever. But get the yeast in there as soon as it's cool enough.

Hmmm...so I was assuming the batch would be a gonner, and I'd headed off to work by the time I saw your reply - how quickly would I have needed to get it back on the boil to salvage the batch?!

 

[The Baron]

You could also end up with the best beer you've ever made its your choice either let it run or do as AA says

 

[prog99]

Surely not - I'm guessing I'd up with some weird tasting beer?!

Its all the rage now.

 

[An Ankoù]

Hmmm...so I was assuming the batch would be a gonner, and I'd headed off to work by the time I saw your reply - how quickly would I have needed to get it back on the boil to salvage the batch?!

ASAP.
If it's really rockin-n-rollin, have a sniff. If it smells ok you've got to make the decision either my way or the Baron's. If it stinks, it's probably too late either way, but let it ferment out if it does, you've nothing to lose. If its still just about building a small krausen, I know what I'd do.

 

[Llamaman]

If you have a spare FV, why not try both?

 

[RichHall]

No spare FV, but could get half back on the boil and ferment out in the kettle, leaving the other half to do it's thing in the FV...might make a good experiment!

Just so I know for future reference - is it a terrible idea to cool and then not immediately pitch? I kinda figured that if it were in a sealed FV, it may be ok for a few days, but maybe I've got that wrong?

Cheers

 

[Rodcx500z]

Some of the worlds best products came from mistakes, me I would let it go cos I am like that

 

[The Baron]

Good call Llamaman half and half a good brewing exercise and let us know the result if you do

 

[Llamaman]

No spare FV, but could get half back on the boil and ferment out in the kettle, leaving the other half to do it's thing in the FV...might make a good experiment!

Just so I know for future reference - is it a terrible idea to cool and then not immediately pitch? I kinda figured that if it were in a sealed FV, it may be ok for a few days, but maybe I've got that wrong?

Cheers

No chill is quite popular - some forumites do it all the time. But it does put your sterilisation process to the test.

 

[The Baron]

I no chill every brew and have never had a wild yeast infection as of yet

 

[Sadfield]

Surely not - I'm guessing I'd up with some weird tasting beer?!

Or a fantastic tasting beer. Wild doesn't necessarily mean weird or bad, just unpredictable. It could be Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces or something else. The split batch route is a good idea.

 

[An Ankoù]

No spare FV, but could get half back on the boil and ferment out in the kettle, leaving the other half to do it's thing in the FV...might make a good experiment!

Just so I know for future reference - is it a terrible idea to cool and then not immediately pitch? I kinda figured that if it were in a sealed FV, it may be ok for a few days, but maybe I've got that wrong?

Cheers

Just to be clear. Yes. It's a terrible idea. Your sealed FV is sanitised but not sterile, and it's not really sealed perfectly. You've just created a perfect culture medium for anything that might get in there. Get your yeast in first if you want to have any sort of control over what you're doing.

 

[foxbat]

I say let it roll. If there's a krausen going the chances are whatever's doing the wild thing in your wort has already taken a huge chunk out of your available sugars.