crocks86

Recipes 

So I brewed a winter spiced ale this week, on Monday, but my yeast starter for whatever reason didn't seem to work. There was no accumulation of yeast in the bottom and no change in SG. Didn't think it was a big deal, got a new pack at the store and remade the starter, but the wort was already in the fermenter so I sealed it and left it assuming it would be okay for a couple of day until my new batch of yeast was ready.

I came home late Thursday night and thought of the starter before I went to bed so I figured I would toss it in, looked at the bucket and there was already a full healthy looking krausen on top. My mind was pretty much blown, has anyone else had this happen? I pitched the starter anyway, figured I'd ride it out and see what kind of product it made, is it a 100% chance that it's ruined or is there a possibility of wild yeast (or something else) making a decent brew. I know people do open fermentations and so on that might involve this stuff but I don't think they usually start solely with something besides proper brewing yeast, but I really haven't looked into that so I don't know the details.

pelipen

Recipes 

There is a reasonable chance it'll go sour, but there is also a good chance it'll come out different than expected, but ok. I have a wild yeast I deliberately used, and so far it smells pretty good.

Let us know in a couple months.

ReverseApacheMaster

Recipes 

You probably have a combination of wild yeast and bacteria at work.

zachattack

Recipes 

At this point I think you gotta ride it out! Make sure you report back to us. I've fermented unpasteurized cider wild before and it's turned out great. But that's using the yeast that lives on the apples, I dunno how your "house" yeast will compare... call it a Mount Pearl lambic?

crocks86

Recipes 

Thanks for the input, I'll see how it goes. With any luck it will be drinkable, I kind of hope it isn't too good though, probably won't be able to reproduce it if it is. I'll post again when it's done

pelipen

Recipes 

No doubt it'll be the greatest beer in the world. Since you will never be able to repeat it, name the next one: The Greatest Beer in the World... Tribute.

501irishred

Recipes 

Nice Tenacious_D reference!

__________________
Whiskey's too rough, champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear
This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer - Tom T Hall

crocks86

Recipes 

So after about 8 days the beer is at it's FG, had a small sample yesterday and it seems to taste fine, not as much flavour as I would have expected from a 9% ABV spiced ale, but it doesn't taste bad, I think that's the main thing right now.

Would any bad flavour caused by bacteria take a while to come out, or am I in the clear if it doesn't taste bad right away?

Aschecte

Recipes 

Might be the best beer you ever unitentionally made I would let it ride out and see what happens.

__________________
Funky Onion Brewing est.2010
Primary-Turbid mashed Lambic
Primary-Flanders Red
Primary-Aaron's Ordinary Bitter

crocks86

Recipes 

So, I bottled this beer last night and it seems to taste fine. Its a spiced beer, so maybe off flavours are more likely to be masked or maybe it is just fine. But while transferring I noticed some possible mold in the fermenter. It was little white patches on the sides of the fermenter above the highest point of the krausen. Thought I washed it out but found one last bit left to take a picture, hopefully someone knows what it is.

Does that look like mold? and if it is, should I stop using that fermenter for other beers or will it be okay if I scrub it really good and sanitize. I already had the siphon going when I noticed the mold so continued on with bottling, could it be a problem to use that for other batches as well? I'm not really sure if mold is a big deal (or even if it is mold) or its just bateria that can be bad.