mlee0000

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This is krausen in my hydrometer test jar. I left it sit out for a few days after I put it in the carboy. I went to clean it out today and the yeast is happily going to work. I didn't sanitize the hydrometer or the test tube, and the beer was exposed to air for a few days--just goes to show you how resistant beer is to infection (not saying you should stop sanitizing your equipment).

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Alamo_Beer

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you took the sample after pitching?

yeah I just realized one of my latest batches is bottled and infected! (see sig)

mlee0000

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yeah, it was kind of an afterthought.

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Alamo_Beer

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huh thats pretty cool...

I heard about the George Fix test:

right before you pitch your yeast fill a sanitized jar or something similar about halfway and cap...if it ferments in less than 24hrs expect off flavors or an infection 48hrs possible off flavors 72hrs your good to go and longer than that and well your anal about your sanitation!

pretty cool idea....lets you see how good your sanitation is

mlee0000

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I was talking to this old-timer at work and he said that when they used to brew beer back in the day they would just put it in these big ceramic crocks and cover it with cheesecloth. Not very airtight or sanitary. He said there was never a problem with infection or anything.

You have to stop and think how much beer brewing has modernized over the last century though. It went from casking in oak barrels to stainless steel and glass fermenters with new-fangled sanitizers and such.

Even before that, the Egyptians just used big stone jars with stone lids.

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Alamo_Beer

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this is all true....but I think our definition of "infection" and possibly "beer" has changed over that time...

I mean they didn't even know about yeast until (CRAP I DON'T KNOW!...I'll have to look it up!) which wasn't that long ago...

before that they just used "brew spoons" or some other name....to stir with that had wild yeast on it that innoculated the wort

lots of breweries still use open vat fermenters though...bc once the wort starts to ferment there is enough co2 put off to keep any nasties away

hmm...interesting...

thepinkfloydfan

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I agree with hornet. The concept of beer has probably morphed considerably over time. From what I have read, yeast was not identified as the cause for fermentation until 1857, by Pasteur. Prior to that, people just thought the alcohol was spontaneous through some kind of chemical reaction. The German purity laws "Reinheitsgebot" (thanks wiki) from the 1500's originally stated that beer must only contain Water, Barley, and Hops. It didnt even have yeast as one of the main ingredients until Pasteur confirmed it was the cause of the alcohol and they had to modify the laws.

I also remember reading something about the Brew spoons. Supposedly these spoons were used by a family for generations and they were a highly prized hand-me-down... many believe these spoons to be the source of the yeasties.

Good stuff, beer history rocks...

Denny's Evil Concoctions

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My Dad remembers his Dad and Uncle brewing in big pots and cheesecloth. Doesn't rememebr the beer atsting bad, though at the time he was pretty young. I beleive that they even malted there own barley. Being that they were Saskatchewan farmers in the 40's, I doubt they had a ready source of malted barley for purchase.

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Alamo_Beer

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thats hardcore! I think it is easy sometimes to get caught up in it all and forget that what we're doing has been done FOREVER and probubly under a lot worse conditions......like dreamymover's place

HarrisonHomeBrew

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Looks nice. Where did you get your hydrometer? I have one, but it is enormous, and this one looks much more practical.