Stagnant water drops during secondary FV transfer = contaminated?

[ThreeSheets]

Hi folks,

I did a transfer of an imperial stout this weekend from primary to secondary, and I had my primary FV in a cooling jacket which had some condensation water accumulating in the bottom of it - 9 days of fermentation it must have been sitting there.

I did the transfer within the cooling jacket and some of that water hitched a ride on the siphon tube straight into my wort. Wasn't happy with that and will take the FV out of the jacket next time I do it. I would say about 5ml worth of the water got in there, but I can't be certain.

Has anyone had something like this happen and is this a definite contamination? I'd imagine it's not, because I've had the same thing happen with spirits I put in the airlock, but those are alcoholic and a lot less risky than week old stagnant water? The OG was 1.070 and is at 1.020 when it happened, so about 6.6% ABV currently and I expect it might go down a bit more in the next couple of weeks.

I guess I don't really understand the science of it - if the yeast have already colonized the wort really well do I have nothing to worry about? Or is this a case of some other kind of dominant microbe potentially entering in that poses a risk?

On another note - how long to people leave stouts in secondary fermentation before going to bottle? Mines still a bit cloudy and I'm thinking 2 weeks maybe?

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Nah, sure it's fine, I had a load of much more stagnant water than that go back up the airlock and in the wort and it was fine.

It'll clear in the bottle, funnily enough i've just brewed an impy stout and i'm thinking of leaving it in the fermenter for 3 weeks even though ive used kveik yeast.

 

[ThreeSheets]

Nah, sure it's fine, I had a load of much more stagnant water than that go back up the airlock and in the wort and it was fine.

It'll clear in the bottle, funnily enough i've just brewed an impy stout and i'm thinking of leaving it in the fermenter for 3 weeks even though ive used kveik yeast.

Thanks, the answer will obviously be determined by taste in a few week but I wanted to check there was no "warning you might go blind" sort of responses!

Are you transferring or just using primary fermenter? From what I read up you don't want your remaining yeast eating the dead yeast settling at the bottom (autolysis) - but 3 weeks with a stout you shouldn't have any issues (although kveik yeast wants a quite warm temperature?).

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Very true!

Nah just using primary fermenter, i've always thought transferring just risks oxygenation and contamination issues. Yeah I ferment in the cold utility room so i've got a heater and a couple of towels and am just about hitting 25c ( the lower end of the range) so i'll keep it at that. 3 weeks is about the longest i've left a beer in primary, although just recently had one for over 4 weeks with no issues.

 

[ThreeSheets]

Very true!

Nah just using primary fermenter, i've always thought transferring just risks oxygenation and contamination issues. Yeah I ferment in the cold utility room so i've got a heater and a couple of towels and am just about hitting 25c ( the lower end of the range) so i'll keep it at that. 3 weeks is about the longest i've left a beer in primary, although just recently had one for over 4 weeks with no issues.

I don't usually plan a secondary either but clarification issues and bottle sediment are starting to get on my nerves and I'd like to improve things without something like gelatin - took weeks in bottle to come around last time. Should probably invest in a conical fermenter in the long term and leave in primary!

 

[Branny]

After boiling my wort the other week, I attached the chiller and turned on the tap. When I got to the AIO, the water was leaking from the hose and chiller connection, dripping into the wort.

I too was worried as there must've been water in the hose for at least 2 weeks. Beer turned out fine though.

 

[Clint]

I think a former forum member had a cat jump in his.

 

[MashBag]

I have had a snail drop in one of my brews. I think it drank the best bit

 

[MashBag]

Should probably invest in a conical fermenter in the long term and leave in primary!

People have been making sparkling clean beer for years without them. That's not the fix for your problem. I make my beer in the BM.

 

[ThreeSheets]

I think a former forum member had a cat jump in his.

One can only hope it was a short-hair breed!

 

[ThreeSheets]

People have been making sparkling clean beer for years without them. That's not the fix for your problem. I make my beer in the BM.

Just to clarify I mean the conical ones that can dump the spent yeast through a chamber mechanism. That would simplify the secondary fermentation and reduce oxidation/contaminant chances if there was no transfer required I'd imagine?

I might try just leaving it in the first FV for longer too, but for a beer with a less expensive grain and hop bill. I can get clarity but it's the sediment that's bothering me now

 

[chopps]

@Obadiah Boondoggle found a wooden coathanger in his beer once. A few drips of water should be no problem.

 

[MashBag]

Just to clarify I mean the conical ones that can dump the spent yeast through a chamber mechanism. That would simplify the secondary fermentation and reduce oxidation/contaminant chances if there was no transfer required I'd imagine?

I thought that was the one.

Different folks different strokes.

Yes it will, do that, but I assure you it is no better than a piece of syphon hose.

The valve is less accurate than a skilled hand with a racking hose.

Contamination, just isn't an issue.

Any Oxygen will be taken up by the yeast in the bottle or keg, during secondary Ferm.

Olde proverb...
"Beware the man on the Internet selling shiney shiney"

 

[ThreeSheets]

@Obadiah Boondoggle found a wooden coathanger in his beer once. A few drips of water should be no problem.

I hope it was a decent quality hanger, accidental oak aging wouldn't be too bad

 

[ThreeSheets]

I thought that was the one.

Different folks different strokes.

Yes it will, do that, but I assure you it is no better than a piece of syphon hose.

The valve is less accurate than a skilled hand with a racking hose.

Contamination, just isn't an issue.

Any Oxygen will be taken up by the yeast in the bottle or keg, during secondary Ferm.

Olde proverb...
"Beware the man on the Internet selling shiney shiney"

Do you think oxygenation worries are overrated then? Like as long as you're not splashing around you can transfer vessels a few times without worry?

I often think about Belgian lambics where they just expose the wort to open air in caves. They deliberately have different bacteria sure, but they're not stale and oxygenated and they're exposed to the elements for ages. Tends to go against all the talk of oxygenation you get bombarded with

 

[MashBag]

Do you think oxygenation worries are overrated then?

Yes.

As long as you're not splashing around you can transfer vessels a few times without worry?

Yes.


That is not to say it does not exist, I just think a lot of 1% issues are magnified out of all proportion.

Beer makers like a gadget more than most, and manufacturers are only to willing to take your money. Particularly when the myth that pervades is that you need a 7 gallon version of a stainless Coors brewery to make beer.

When just the opposite is true and we could embrace the freedom and flexibity being non commercial affords us.

I have also seen that it frightens many from enjoying this hobby. Because they think the knowledge & kit requirements are tremendously high. I have started up a few guys and after there first brew, they are stunned.

But does it depend on why you brew, of course it does! If you like stainless go for it. If you want to go comps, thats different again. But I like good beer, to drink.

I also bake bread to eat, as do many others but I don't know one who has a stainless bakery at home? Or even considers how Allison's make there's.

Rant over.. Back to the facts.


Can you detect oxygenation in a lab yes. Detectable on the pallette, certainly not by most of us. Detectable by eye by colour change more likely. But does a the tiniest change in colour in your glass get noticed or affect your enjoyment of drinking it.