encouragement/warning for new brewers

ij have been brewing for 10 or 12 years. i brew all grain with homegrown hops and a hand built system that is tried and true.

my last 4 batches have tasted like complete asssss and it has taken me 4 times brewing and ommitting different steps to narrow down the problem, which was something stupid that could have been avoided with a $40 purchase of a new mashtun cooler.

dont lose heart if you make a few batches that are rank. go back over your steps and you WILL find the problem. always be mindful of your process/technique and you will make good beer. there is no magic or secret. it is all in the process and equipment.

if you are a person who gives up or gets depressed/discouraged easily then you should just give me your brewing equipment and go back to swillling Bud Light.

if you have some instincts to make something amazing with your mind and your hands and fullfill the most basic part of your existance, then raise a pint and perfect your craft!!!:rockin:

What was wrong with the cooler, that is my Q.

What was wrong with your MLT?

Am I wrong thinking that what comes out of the MLT gets boiled for a long enough time to kill anything bad?
Or is there just something left in the MLT that gives off a bad taste?
I know that if I don't get rid of the spent grains soon enough they get to smelling pretty rank... and I wouldn't want my beer to tastes like that smell!

endo said:

Am I wrong thinking that what comes out of the MLT gets boiled for a long enough time to kill anything bad?
Or is there just something left in the MLT that gives off a bad taste?
I know that if I don't get rid of the spent grains soon enough they get to smelling pretty rank... and I wouldn't want my beer to tastes like that smell!

Click to expand...

There are buggies that can survive the boil. My bet would be an infected crack in the mlt or some scum in the manifold.

My MLT has a little crack that I haven't caulked yet, I am a bit nervous about caulking it but I guess silicone caulk should be OK. Mine cracked from pouring boiling water in it to preheat (silly).

He will have to let us know... I have a cooler MLT, it is 4 years old, and I dont go crazy cleaning it. (Rinse it and dry it after each brew)

No funk yet

That's what I do too pol, I just hose it out and wipe it down, but i have a crack right at the bottom near the manifold (about a centimeter long). It makes me nervous as all hell that there is a bacteria party in the body of the cooler, but beer is ok so far.

ive been lucky so far. three safe batches. but i have seen the frustration in some people

the cooler had a hole in it for a dial thermometer to go into. i sealed it and another small crack with 2 part epoxy, which was marine grade waterproof but not for any kind of hot water. it leaked a bizarre detergent/chemical taste which overpowered a 1.065/ 50 IBU IPA. i knew in my heart that it was a bad idea, but i did it anyway because i was being impatient. 20 gallons of beer dumped and my schedule is ruined. i had to buy beer from the store. Blechh!

Ahh thanks for the info. I am paranoid I know, but this is why I dont use any sealants of any type on my rig...

Glad you got that fixed.

The Pol said:

Ahh thanks for the info. I am paranoid I know, but this is why I dont use any sealants of any type on my rig...

Glad you got that fixed.

Click to expand...

This is the paranoia that is making me not want to caulk the crack in mine. What shall I do!!!

you should buy a new cooler. a batch of beer costs around $40, so does a new cooler 9 if you re-use your manifold and ball valve.

i had some nonsense in the elbow for the sight gauge on my MLT. it was probably in there for 2 or 3 batches until i found it... the sight gauge is no longer and luckily nothing happened, but thanks for the warning on using sealants.

Picobrew said:

There are buggies that can survive the boil. My bet would be an infected crack in the mlt or some scum in the manifold.

Click to expand...

The scientist in me needs to clarify:

You are correct there are microorganisms that can survive the boil (Clostridium botulinum spores for example), but these WILL NOT go on and infect/spoil your beer.

C. botulinum needs anaerobic conditions (no oxygen) to grow. So although the spores might survive boiling, beer/wort is an unsuitable environment for them to grow (for multiple reasons: oxygen, high sugar, low pH)

The other question is how C. botulinum spores would end up in your wort/beer in the first place. The only way I see it happening is if you were an all-grain brewer and your grains had significant dirt contamination on them. If you are an extract brewer, then DME and LME are sufficiently processed/packaged to kill C. botulinum spores.

As far as other microorganisms are concern, they are effectively killed by boiling as they cannot form spores or other adaptations to survive such harsh conditions.

Picobrew said:

This is the paranoia that is making me not want to caulk the crack in mine. What shall I do!!!

Click to expand...

I caulked and sealed around the inside of my cooler mash tun with an RTV sealant picked up from Lowes. I dont recall the exact name of the stuff but it was made to withstand high temp liquids and is often used on motorhome plumbing. It worked EXCELLENT!!! no off flavors or leaks of any sort!! you would have no problem sealing with this stuff... and for less than five bucks its alot easier on the pocket than building a new mash tun.

Most Silicones are hi-temp resistant, most epoxies are not hi-temp resistant.

Sounds like it was more of a chemical thing than a microorganism thing...

i agree on the chemical thing. i used a quick setting epoxy putty because i was in a hurry. i just built my new mash tun today and will test it out this weekend.