Newbie errors and extent of their effect

[Dann77]

Hi

I'm new to the site and not an experienced brewer, and have had acouple of issues with a brew I have started tonight that I would like to pick your collective brains about please.

I am using a basic ready made wort rather than boiling my own, etc. I had mixed the wort with three litres of hot water and then mixed / stirred vigorously to aerate / oxygenate. Then topped up with water to the required amount. All this after having cleaned and sanitised everything.

Straight after this, my wife dropped a bowl into it which we use to put white paste glue into for when our girls are doing their arts and crafts -. Now, there was no glue in it at the time and it landed bottom side in and inside of bowl made no contact with the brew. It had been cleaned out since last use, but doesn't need such thorough cleaning as what we eat from, and it had been sat in the pantry for a week or more since last use with some other bits and bobs the girls use when getting arty. It was grabbed out straight away too. Do you think this is likely to affect the brew?

Second issue, and the one I think is the real problem. When topping up with water after mixing the wort with hot water, I took my eye off the ball temperature wise. I hadn't put enough cold in and the temperature was too high. Should have been between 20-25c, but my temp after all water added was 32c. As I thought this would damage the yeast I waited until the temperature lowered until between recommended levels, but, inevitably with such a volume of water, this took hours (warm evening didn't help). So yeast may have been added at a good temp, but I'm guessing aeration lost and brew will suffer for that. I did stir vigorously before adding yeast, but so much harder to aerate 25 litres compared to 3-4 (25 instead of 23 as beer is pretty strong and wanted to weaken it slightly).

Side issue, when mixing wort with hot water I boiled about 1.5 litres and mixed it with one litre of warm from tap, and half a litre of cold from tap. Boiled water sat there for about 15mins before using. Thinking maybe the boiled water a bit too hot, contributing to second problem above. Next time, thinking of just using hottest water from tap. I also don't filter water - should I.

Thinking of doing another of the same variety, doing it properly, and comparing the two.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[baggybill]

"Do you feel lucky?" Some folks do everything as per book 100% and still get an infection or off beer. Some folks are a bit err... 'lackadaisical' and still get a great beer :drink:

You've gone this far, I'd run with it and see what comes out.

I'd also take extra precautions next time - my wife/kids are banned from the kitchen while I'm at important stages. I let them know, "if you want lunch/coffee/food now is the time for it..." when I'm in between stages.

Fingers crossed you'll be lucky this time :thumb:

 

[JapanBrew]

Just got to wait. If it was a wood bowl then you're probably screwed.
When stuff first gets in with yeast, it's on a battle. The yeast numbers are high so it's the dominant strain. Stuff on surfaces are really low in cell count so it has to work hard to build its numbers. So the race is on.

 

[Dutto]

... and that's why I brew in the garage and/or the garden! :thumb: :thumb:

Thanks for reminding me! :whistle: :whistle:

 

[beerhunter]

if the washing up is finished, what is your gurt still doing in the kitchen?

what`s done is done, you`ll just have to wait and see now buddy.

 

[rubby]

This is not the ideal beginning but you can make it better as things goes on.

 

[MyQul]

As others have said. Fingers crossed about the bowl. But I've read posts from HBer's about all kinds of things falling into wort and it turning out fine.
On your second issue of waiting to cool the wort do to pitching temp. Don't worry. I've waited several hours for one reason or another before pitching without problems. Plenty of people have had large lag times (the time between pitching the yeast and the yeast starting to get going) and still turned out fantastic beers

 

[MickDundee]

I reckon you'll be fine on both counts. The chances of one bowl giving you an infection is probably pretty low, especially if it only dropped in temporarily.

Regarding the temperature, I accidentally pitched at 36C once and it is the best beer I've made yet.

Regarding the aeration, I did no chill with my last brew due to the kitchen tap being rubbish and my hose tap being too far away to reach in the window. I then pitched the next morning but forgot to aerate the wort and it's been bubbling away without issue for the last week and a half.

 

[ericmark]

As said too late now, however do remember conditioning can bring back a brew which has been over temperature. So if you don't like results leave it for a few months and try again.

Cooling in this weather is always a problem. The putting of fermentor in a tray of water with a tea towel soaking up the water draped on the fermentor will help reduce the temperature, add a cooling fan and even more heat removed, but without refrigeration keeping beer cool enough is a problem.

I gave up summer brewing until this year when I had an old fridge/freezer to brew in. It's not you can't brew without a brew fridge, it's just it makes it so much easier.

 

[ElChemist]

Dont worry about it, my second brew was an absolute disaster (Wife sneezed as I was pitching the yeast and little boy snapped the airlock off the FV and she didnt tell me for 3 days) and still churned out a cracking beer. Yeast are super resilient and bacteria dont much like alcohol...

You'll be fine man, have faith.

 

[stpete]

She'll be right, what ever happens its a learning experience and you'll probably get, beer. :drink:

 

[Dann77]

Thanks for all your posts.

I've left it a few days and early signs are good - plently of bubbles from the airlock and lots of foam built up in top of fermenter. Looks better than last couple ive done!

 

[SiMania]

My second biab brew had everything go wrong, I mashed with half my grain so had to mash in again and had a 5 hour mash! I had a boil over, my bag fell back into the boiler and went everywhere then I hurt my back lifting the fermenter.....turned out to be a lovely smooth and strong stout that everyone who tasted it loved.

 

[BeerCat]

I read a post about a guy dropping the yeast on the carpet. He swept it up and still made a good beer.