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More 'newbie' problems

F

funkybrewster

Hmm, you will all be tired of my insidious questions soon enough! BUT, please let me use your advanced knowledge once again. My friend dug the English pale I made and so I was making more to split w/ him. Very simple Wyeast Brit Pale yeast, 3.3 can of light, 2 pounds of light spraymalt, Kent goldings pellets, Argentine Cascade pellets (substituted for the absent Perle), basically I just used what was in the Brewer's Best kit I bought a while back, with a few subs, obviously. Well, after pitching the yeast it took 12 hours and the thing got going, bubbling vigorously about 18 to 24 hours after that it slowed downl. A LOT. Maybe one bubble every 30 seconds, now it's 2 and a half days later and it's bubbling, oh, once every 2 hours! What happened? Also, I used buckets for the first batches I did and have used the carboy on the last 3 but this one looks way different already. I am used to the thick, frothy top layer but this only has a strange skim that is now separating into 'lillypad' like light-greyish ovals. Weird looking, but I am new, so I don't know what this all means. Thanks for reading this and for your help.
 
funkybrewster said:
3.3 can of light, 2 pounds of light spraymalt

5.3 lbs of liquid and dry malt?; seems low, so yeast could eat that quickly


funkybrewster said:
has a strange skim that is now separating into 'lillypad' like light-greyish ovals.

That doesn't sound good.  Once the ferm is complete, taste a sample.  Any sharpness or acidic bite may indicate infection.  Won't kill you to taste it, but it only worsens with time, so I'd dump it if that taste is  present.  Soak clean and then sanitize all equipment. 
 
I have to agree, It sounds like an infection. Happens to the best of us. I lost a Really nice Scottish Ale just recently to dog fur...  :-[

Keep on brewing...

Cheers
Preston
 
Funky,
I have been following your posts and feel your pain. Your previous post of wanting to throw in the towel concerned me.
I brewed a Russian Imperial Stout on 8-30-09. It would not start fermenting so on 9-1 pitched a vial of White Labs Dry English Ale Yeast.
It started working the next day and on 9-7 was still burping about once every 60 seconds. Although I felt a bit uneasy about doing so, we racked it to a secondary. Fermentation seemed to quit. Then after a week you could tell there was positive pressure in the carboy by looking at the water level in the airlock. It also started to develop some bubbles in the neck of the carboy. On the 27th I went down to bottle it, but there was at least two inches of krausen in the neck of the carboy and bubbles coming out of the airlock every 20 seconds. Today (10-1) it is still releasing a bubble every 40 seconds. I was very concerned that I had got some nasty little beasties in the mix. But I did a taste test and it is terrific! It didn't perform the way it was supposed to, but everything going to turn out OK.
So what is the point of all this rambling? Home brew is an art, not a science. Guys like Maltlicker, Bonjour and Useless, have all had their successes and failures on their way to becoming the Masters that they are. If it was easy, it wouldn't be as rewarding when things turn out right.
Have a homebrew, stick with it, and remember, you always have friends out here cheering you on.

 
Happy Frogs Brewery said:
Guys like Maltlicker, Bonjour and Useless, have all had their successes and failures on their way to becoming the Masters that they are.

Growing penicilan is no reason to stop brewing.  I haven't brewed anything worthwhile on the new outdoor rig.  Threw out the first two.  The 2nd one gushed like an infant on Grandpa's lap.  $*it happens.  The trick, to me, is always be working on the weakest link that you know and learning something new that you didn't.

 
and don't leave 2 gal of a big RIS under a table, forgotten, for 2 years.

It turned out great, but don't do it.
 
Thanks guys, I am quite a bit less dejected today. I think some time, perspective and sleep have helped turn me from a bubbling cauldron of loathing and despair (at least something was bubbling) back to my more logical, calm self. Well, looking today, yeah, something is not right. That skim has changed from larger ovals into hundreds of tiny, bb-sized, grey-white slightly translucent circles. Weird. I am psyching myself up to taste it, but I am not expecting much of anything good! I heard there is a type of white mold that grows on the wort surface that actually doesn't effect the taste of the finished beer and that, if care is taken not to bottle it, the beer can sill be used. Anyone else heard this or have experience with it?
 
That type of a pellicule is actually desired in some beer styles (several of the sour beers)

go for it.  let taste be your guide.  I'm about to (startting wednesday) start serving my class all sorts of 'vile' beer concoctions so they understand the tasting of off flavors.

Fred
 
Guys like Maltlicker, Bonjour and Useless, have all had their successes and failures on their way to becoming the Masters that they are.

I hardly consider myself a master, but thanks for the compliment! The phrase: "The more you know, the more you know you don't know!" comes to mind, and holds true!

2 Years? The beer gods were smiling down on you!

Cheers
Preston
 
Lol! That does put it in perspective. I think I'm slick, but I have had extra trouble the last three batches to. Stuck sparges, knocking my braid off, and my fave-burner that would only hit 80% power that wouldn't hit hard boil.

Art is right, because being 90% right still gets you good brew
 
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