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First BIAB - Infected?

Post #1 made 8 years ago
by Pyanchev
I've made my first BIAB and this is the picture I've taken on 16th day of fermentation.

Please tell me this is not infected :) I've hoped this is yeast and hops on surface,
but I'm not so sure about this now...
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Post #3 made 8 years ago
by thughes
Looks fine to me too! Let her go until you get a consistent final gravity reading, cold crash it (if you are so equipped), bottle it up, and get going on another batch.


---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #4 made 8 years ago
by Pyanchev
Well this would be great news indeed. I've used Safale 05, pitched on 18C, fermentation was
between 20C and 22C the whole time. I can cold crash it in my fridge. How many days do you
recommend and on what temperature?

I was planning to bottle them on Saturday (21st day of fermentation), should I do it later,
after 2-3 days of cold crashing?

Post #5 made 8 years ago
by thughes
I usually crash for 24-48 hours at 35F. You just need to crash long enough to clear the beer. Keep in mind the temperature of the beer at bottling when you figure the amount of priming sugar you'll need, cold beer holds more dissolved CO2 and therefore needs less priming sugar than a room temperature batch.

---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #6 made 8 years ago
by Pyanchev
Well, it seems that the beer is fine, a bit to bitter perhaps, maybe I've
put in too much Chinook. It has been on cold crash since saturday, temp is
about 40F, was thinking about bottling it with 6 grams per litre.

Anyway, thank you all for your help, will let you know how it turns out!

Post #7 made 8 years ago
by thughes
Good to hear. BTW: there is no such thing as too bitter, just wimpy beer drinkers. More hops FTW!!!

---Todd
WWBBD?
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #8 made 8 years ago
by Rick
thughes wrote:Good to hear. BTW: there is no such thing as too bitter, just wimpy beer drinkers. More hops FTW!!!

---Todd
I like the cut of your jib.
Last edited by Rick on 09 Nov 2015, 21:19, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #9 made 8 years ago
by mally
Me too.... But I don't know what FTW means :?
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From Great Britain

Post #10 made 8 years ago
by Rick
mally wrote:Me too.... But I don't know what FTW means :?

"For the win"!

There are too many acronyms on the internet, I'm coming to realize.
Last edited by Rick on 10 Nov 2015, 03:44, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #11 made 8 years ago
by joshua
Guys, TRY First Wort Hopping.

FWIW, IMHO, YMMV

HAND!
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #12 made 8 years ago
by Pyanchev
Just to confirm, the cold crash brought all yeast rafts to the bottom,
nothing was left on the surface once I've opened the fermentor. I didn't
use Irish Moss so it isn't clear, but I like it that way, reminds me of
Hefe Weizen.


Anyway, I've bottled about 22 litre and used about 5 grams/litre of table sugar.
Took the northern brewer online calculator for this task. I won't mind the
aftertaste bitterness at all, but I really hope it will be carbonated enough.

Oh, and once more, thank you all:!:

Post #13 made 8 years ago
by Kangarooster
I started my own fermentation nine days ago. Since it was still bubbling through the airlock (my last beer stopped after 5 days) I thought maybe I should take a reading to see how the fermentation is proceeding. I have never opened the bucked during fermentation before so I didn't know what to expect. Anyway, here is how it looked like. I guess what I am seeing between the bubbles are yeast?

SG was 1.011, so I guess it should be done by now? However, it is still bubbling :)
Image
Last edited by Kangarooster on 25 Nov 2015, 04:45, edited 1 time in total.

Post #14 made 8 years ago
by joshua
Kangarooster, if you can take a Breath of the fermenter, you may be able to determine what is Happening.

If it Smells like Beer, it is. Give it a taste. It will be Yeasty, but it will give you a good Idea of how well it is Fermenting.

If it smells of Sulfer, it may be Yeast, or an Infection. Wait a while, it may clear up.

If it smells of Vinegar, you may be on the way to a good "Malt" vinegar, or a Sour beer.

If it smells of Old Socks, give it a taste, it may be Unpalatable.

OR depending on the temperature, it probable is Still Fermenting.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #15 made 8 years ago
by Kangarooster
The smell is like beer, maybe a little bit pungent because of the yeast, however a couple of days ago it had a more "fresh" smell (I smelled the air coming out of the airlock). The taste is hoppy and malty. It might very well be still fermenting. The OG was 1.070 BTW.

Edit: Ok I've been reading a little about infections. I think I might have some kind of infection because the airlock keeps bubbling even though 9 days have passed. The temperature is around 22C. I've read it can be "gusher infection" but I guess I know after bottling... :/

I will take SG in two or three days and it has dropped more it probably is an infection.

Post #16 made 8 years ago
by thughes
Opening your fermenter for a look is kind of like watching a baby being born, if you look too closely for too long you will likely never want to go partake of either place again. :nup:

---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #17 made 8 years ago
by Rick
A bubbling airlock could just be a pressure difference inside the fermenter, relative to room atmosphere.

It looks normal.
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Post #18 made 8 years ago
by mally
Kangarooster - here is my 2C FWIW.

Your beer looks fine to me. However, visual checks are not comprehensive.

I agree with Rick, the bubbling you notice could simply be the displacement of dissolved C02 due to temp changes.

The only true way to tell if fermentation is complete is to monitor that F.G. over a number of days.
If you measure again and it is still 1.011, this will confirm it. you could possibly even leave it for another week and see if it has changed.

If you are "FORTUNATE" enough to have an infection, and even more "FORTUNATE" that it is Lactobacillus & Pediococcus, that may be an awesome beer this time next year. (Read; wild, sour, lambic styles)! :lol:
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From Great Britain

Post #19 made 8 years ago
by Kangarooster
Thank you for your replies. Actually when I tasted the beer I could feel very small bubbles in my mouth. Like it had been carbonated in fermenter or something.

I've tasted sour beer once and it was actually pretty good. I have seen pictures on infected lactobacillus beer; it looks really nasty. But the white disgusting looking layer on the surface is just starch, and not the actual bacteria, right?

Post #20 made 8 years ago
by mally
If you mean the layer on lambic beers, that is known as a pellicle. It is a protective layer comprised mainly of the infecting organism.

You can see my "brain" here :lol:

there is an earlier pic of that pellicle just a few posts up.
Last edited by mally on 25 Nov 2015, 18:13, edited 1 time in total.
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From Great Britain

Post #22 made 8 years ago
by mally
Yep, same thing. My pic from earlier (post #14) looks similar to that you linked.

There is more info about pellicles here if you are interested.
Last edited by mally on 25 Nov 2015, 19:39, edited 1 time in total.
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From Great Britain

Post #23 made 8 years ago
by Rick
Even after a few years of brewing, when I use a new and unfamiliar yeast ... I get neurotic about the new (to me) behaviors of fermentation. There is a lot of investment in these brews (monetary, time, emotional .. etc), so it's only natural to worry something is wrong.

thughes makes a good point, it's best to not even look ... and this does get easier as experience builds.

I never had a krausen last longer than 5 days, and last brew it lasted 13. Different brand, but all the same chico strain.

I'm looking into purchasing a 30 gallon whisky barrel, even though I give the advice above ... just wait and see, I'll probably worry for a long time before chilling out.
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Post #24 made 8 years ago
by Kangarooster
Yeah, you're probably right. The reason why opened in first place was to take a reading. However I did open it again this morning out of curiosity. Anyway here is what it looked like:
Image

I also saw tiny air bubbles beneath the surface. Its strange that so much CO2 has been absorbed by the beer. Should I wait for it to stop bubbling before bottling? I mean, otherwise I will overestimate the priming sugar, right?
Last edited by Kangarooster on 26 Nov 2015, 03:12, edited 1 time in total.

Post #25 made 8 years ago
by joshua
This May look Off-Topic, But

If your Not in a hurry for the Beer to be Bottled, and the Gravity, has flattened out,

De-Gassing and "Cold Crashing" will help you.

http://winemakersacademy.com/degas-wine/ At this point of Fermentation, Wine and beer, are the Same.

http://homebrew.stackexchange.com/quest ... d-crashing to read how to Cold Crash.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
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