Venting

noobrewer · 02-28-2008, 10:55 PM

Ok so I am in a Microbiology class finishing up my 2nd to last semester. They (thoughtfully) decided to make beer in a lab since those wonderful yeasties are part of microbiology. Anyways, they make a batch from powdered extract (and tell their students how good it is because it has measured quantities of hops. yeah wtf), they have them in small glass carboys, no head room, in a lit room @ a good 70F (gonna have some serious skunk to it). Then, inevitablly, the airlocks are all full of junk the next lab. Actually one was so bad it was completly covered in it. Anyways, I ask if they are going to clean them off... and no they are not, in fact they said that was good to leave them like that and that all the junk was yeast. Now, I dont use a blowoff tube, but is the blow off yeast or krausen protein? I took a stand and said no, you DO need to clean them off to keep a good seal... promptly got shot down by miss fat lab instructor. I also said that all the crud was krausen (because there was no ring left in the carboy) that should have stayed in the bottle or get pushed all the way out in a sanitary method (ie. blowoff tube). Anyways the whole thing kind of pissed me off, but oh well. Who is right here? I'm didn't try to sound like a beer snob, but missy lab instructer certainly did (typical talking down to students because they are students). Well let me know. Thanks dudes, cheers!

irunxcjm · 02-28-2008, 11:37 PM

I did something similar when I was in my college micro lab, only we made wine. It sounds like you had a better setup than us. We took regular grape juice in a flask, added some yeast and set it in the drawer for a couple of days. When we came back, they brought in some cheese and we drank our wine. It was pretty bad. Did you even use brewing yeast? Unfortunately, there probably isn't anything you can do to get through to the teacher. They are there to teach the concepts of fermentation to a class of non-brewers. Here is my advise: brew up a bunch of beer and invite the class over for a beer tasting party to show them what real home brew tastes like. Of course, it's college, make sure you get everyone drunk!

**DeathBrewer** · 02-29-2008, 12:24 AM

you should bring in a copy of how to brew and tell her to read it. also, tell her how light skunks hops. you seem pretty nice about the whole thing. she would have gotten a ration of **** from me.

tell her she needs steeping grains and fresh hops next time

i know it's just an experiment, but damn...if you're gonna make beer, do it right!

**Rick_R** · 02-29-2008, 04:11 AM

Quote:

-- Ok so I am in a Microbiology class finishing up my 2nd to last semester.
. . .
-- Who is right here?

*laugh* The person who gives the grades is right; after all, you wanna teach homebrewing or pass Microbiology and graduate?

Rick (but I know what you mean)

eschatz · 02-29-2008, 04:15 AM

+1 for inviting everybody over for real beer. i hate ivory tower bull****!

EvilTOJ · 02-29-2008, 12:34 PM

To actually answer your question, the gunk in the airlocks was both yeast, and krausen. So you're both kinda right. +1 on inviting pretty girls over to show them how REAL microbiologists party! Oh you didn't say that? Well you should!