What a failure.

So in my previous post "So I brewed my first batch" that part I did. So what went wrong? Here is the recipe.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Yield: 5gl
OG: 1.053
FG: 1.011

6lb Muntons wheat dry extract. 60min
1oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker hops. 60min
Wyeast 3638 wheat. pitch at 70f.

followed the instructions perfectlly.
boil 3gl. of water add wheat and hops, cool, add 2gal. pitch yeast, cap bucket.
Perfect, everything went according to plan, 12 hrs went by and starting bubbling from the airlock, only way to much, the air lock could not keep up, wort starting coming up at a rapid pace overflowing the air lock and making a mess pouring out of the air lock not to mention the lid on the 6.5 gl. bucket swoll up and I thought it was going to burst, leaks from the bucket lid were coming out from a couple of places, what went wrong, feeling very discouraged at this point. What a friggin mess. I dumped the whole batch fearing contamanation.

The only thing I can think that went wrong was I was instructed to strain the batch prior to sending to the primary, and I did not because of what my LHBS told me to do..... very confused and upset, anyone?

Tough to say. I just made a hefe with a similar recipe but with LME instead of dry and had no such experience. I wish I could help.

i can't help either but am interested in a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier clone...

where did you get the recipe?

thanks

Sorry to hear about the bad experience.
It sounds like you did everything ok - I'm not sure what you were refering to by
straining.
What happened is the yeast became very active (perhaps due to higher temps) and caused a blow-out (search this forums for pics!).
The other thing could be that the airlock was not working right, or too little space between the wort and the airlock.

The beer may not have be ruined..but if you were able to salvage it, contanination may have been an issue.

Next batch, try using a "blow off tube" - basically instead of the airlock, insert a sterlized hose into the bung, and have the other end in a bucket of sterilizing solution. The foam will then travel dowm the tube into the bucket - and not pop off your lid/airlock.

We have all had bad batches for one reason or another - so don't get discouraged.

Cheers.

Just a VERY active fermentation. I have had a similar experience with just about that exact same recipe. Nothing to worry about, use a blowoff tube next time.

NEVER dump a batch out of fear of contamination! Only dump it when it is obvious that you actually have contamination (vinegar taste, mold, etc).

I'm betting you dumped a perfectly good batch of beer.

-walker

Scottmc,

I would not get discouraged. From what I've read, Hefeweissens tend to have VERY active fermentations.

Next time just use a blow off tube rather than an airlock on your primary and you'll be fine.

Count me in for the "my hef exploded" club. It's pretty common with that kind of yeast, I think. Also for many types of belgian yeast, just as a warning. Other than that, you didn't do anything wrong.

So now you've got an empty carboy, dude, brew on!

Yes I will def. use a blow off tube for the next batch. After searching "blow off tube" I feel like an idiot because I could of saved that batch without a doubt. Oh well, live and learn! I will make the same batch in a couple of days. What a *******!!!

Scott, I use buckets and I've had the lid blow off because the airlock was plugged. Batch turned out ok. New brewers can have a lot of trouble with exceptions. Oxygen is bad, EXCEPT when pitching yeast. Contamination is a concern, EXCEPT when stuff is flying out of the fermenter. And so on.

My first batch was garbage after a six week wait. Looking back, I can say it would NOT have gotten better!. Second batch was great.

Walker-san said:

NEVER dump a batch out of fear of contamination! Only dump it when it is obvious that you actually have contamination (vinegar taste, mold, etc).

I'm betting you dumped a perfectly good batch of beer.

-walker

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MAN, you blew it BIG TIME!!!

I'm with Walker on this one...NEVER DUMP WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION/INUPUT!!!

There was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SRONG WITH YOUR BREW!!! You just had an overactive ferment.

Now that I'm done scolding you...sorry about your loss, but contact us FIRST next time something like that happens that sends fear to your brewheart...we strive to teach you guys what we know so you won't have to dump $30-50 down the drain for no good reason...now go brew something.

homebrewer_99 said:

MAN, you blew it BIG TIME!!!

I'm with Walker on this one...NEVER DUMP WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION/INUPUT!!!

There was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SRONG WITH YOUR BREW!!! You just had an overactive ferment.

Now that I'm done scolding you...sorry about your loss, but contact us FIRST next time something like that happens that sends fear to your brewheart...we strive to teach you guys what we know so you won't have to dump $30-50 down the drain for no good reason...now go brew something.

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ok im gonna chime in here with these guys.. you just had a super active fermentation.. ive only had one of these and it was with cheesefoods caramel cream ale..stuck a blow off tube on and im drinking the beer now..

i suppose i just cringe at the thought of throwing out a whole batch of beer!!!

do like i do.. always ask way too many questions.. lol

Oh man, that makes me want to cry. As others have said, you almost surely dumped a perfectly good bacth of beer. Oh well--live and learn.

Remember this: Nothing that can kill or seriously hurt you is known to be able to survive in beer. About the worst any nasties can do to your beer is make it taste bad. Some little thing goes wrong in pretty-much every batch, somewhere in the process. These little things may lead to subtle flaws, but the fact is it takes A LOT to wreck a batch of beer. So RDWHAHB.

gonna agree...dont ever throw out before asking!!

beer is super forgiving and it takes alot to completely ruin it!!!

next time you'll know!

I see a lot on here about "contamination" and remember an article I read last week about Open Fermentation. The article taked a lot about how many homebrewers treat their batches like China Dolls. Considering the cost in making some of our batches, I can definately understand the concern of having a batch get contaminated with bacteria or "Wild Yeasts". However, you might want to consider the following:

When you are boiling, no bacteria is going to survive those temps. Anything over 180 F will kill just about all bacteria.
During your primary fermentation, the yeast is quite active and produces a tremendous amount of CO2. With the batch in a container with a lid, it will build up pressure, hence the reason for an air lock or blow tub. BUT, even if your lid is leaky or cracks open due to pressure, you must remember, at this point the pressure within the container is positive with respect to the outside air pressure. In other words, the batch is "Blowing" not "Sucking" no bacteria will have a chance to get in at this point.
momentary exposure to outside air is not going to always ruin a batch. If everytime the batch was exposed to outside air, or equipment that has not been sanitized, making beer would be next to impossible and most people would give up.
The dangers of contamination grow during the Secondary phase and when you go to bottle your brew. During the secandary phase, there will not be as much pressure, and of course you might have some "Gunk" in your bottle or bottles that you were not aware of. During these times you are suppose to be keeping your batch below certain temps. The colder your batch, the less chance bacteria that we don't won't has a chance to grow.
I'm not saying it can't happen. Many people here will tell you it can. But the CHANCES of bacteria growing in your brew and ruining it go way down with the temps. Bacteria likes warm temps to grow and multiply.
More than likely your batch would have been fine, may have even been the best batch you've ever done. In the future, don't be so afraid that it has become contaminated. Wait it out and see, and come here and ask questions if you suspect something BEFORE you dump your hard work down the drain.
Above all, keep trying, don't get discourage and HAVE FUN!

Well hopefully this thread will help someone else in the future on what to do in case of a blow out.

I laughed...then I cried. Your poor beer! Redo!

Remind your LHBS to sell you a blow-off tube. It's a must.

scottmc said:

Well hopefully this thread will help someone else in the future on what to do in case of a blow out.

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That's a good way to look at it. You seem to have a good attitude about it. Get the mess cleaned up and start another batch!

I haven't had a blow out yet, but I have filed all of this information away for the future.

Engelramm said:

I haven't had a blow out yet, but I have filed all of this information away for the future.

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I said that once then bam! outta no where 2 batches in a row blew out and I lost like 1/2 gallon on both of them. Beware my friend.

andylegate said:

The article taked a lot about how many homebrewers treat their batches like China Dolls.

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I can agree with that, and for obvious reasons we all do it. Investment in time, money, etc. However, my last beer showed me just how resilient homebrew can be. We had SO many things go wrong:

1. Probe thermometer fell into the boil, leaving us without any accurate way of measuring the temperature.
2. One of the guy's hands ended up in the wort shortly after the boil was done....I'm still not sure why. All I heard was, "Matt's hand just went into the beer!"
3. I discovered my stainless steel spoon seperates from its handle as I was stiring the ice in to cool the wort down. No clue what nasties might have been growing inbetween those parts of YEARS now.
4. The other lucky guy that was helping me had his arm soaked in One Step and then went diving into the primary bucket for the spoon.
5. I didn't have an airlock, as it was being used on my secondary (I have a few now, extras too). I fashioned a make shift one out of tin foil until I could buy a new one.

The stuff is in bottles now, but I did try a sample as I bottled and it tasted perfectly fine. It looked good too, though I will admit it kicked up a small fermentation again in the secondary and it was cloudy for weeks. I left it in secondary for 3 weeks just to let everything settle. I'm looking forward to opening a bottle this week for a taste.

Jason

iloman said:

IThe stuff is in bottles now, but I did try a sample as I bottled and it tasted perfectly fine. It looked good too, though I will admit it kicked up a small fermentation again in the secondary and it was cloudy for weeks. I left it in secondary for 3 weeks just to let everything settle. I'm looking forward to opening a bottle this week for a taste.

Jason

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I'm sure our forefathers weren't able to go out and get iodine or bleach at the local store But I'm also sure that they paid for it from time to time by having to run to a tree really quick too!
The best bet is to play it as safe as possible, but as you pointed out, just about anything can and WILL happen! Some times it gives you the best brew you've ever made, or sometimes it ends up as a nightmare. I'm sure your friend that stuck his had in the wort if he had just been feeding the dogs, cleaning the cat pan, changing a diaper, etc, etc, then you more than likely would have had a bad batch on your hands.
So it's a good idea to try and keep everything sanitized. At the same time nobody should panic......unless they had Pig Pen stiring the wort!

You might find this hard to believe, but your ancestors poured the beer into a bucket and layed a towel over the top, setting it on the back stoop. Yup. And they drank it and it probably tasted real good.

LOL! Actually I think I read somewhere that our REALLY ancient ancestors may have got the idea of brewing from bee's honey mixed with rain water, trapped in trees that were fermented with wild yeasts!
Can you imagine something like that? Like it so much, you try to remake it and give the whole village the runs! LOL! I bet homebrewing was a MUCH more dangerous thing back then. Just imagine what the rest of the villagers would do to you for that!

This thread makes baby jesus cry...

An innocent, beautiful young batch, robbed of its future. Cast aside because of its poor manners.

To anyone thinking of throwing a batch away...

DON'T...

Unless it has green or black globs of mold floating around in it,
or
if it smells and tastes like vinegar.

Those are my guidelines.

PLEASE... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... DON'T EVER THROW A BATCH AWAY just because you THINK it MIGHT become contaminated...

We all live and learn. Don't be too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes. And even the most experienced brewer pulls a real boner once and a while. Good luck with the next batch, and happy brewing.

Well hopefully my second batch will be good, IM sure my first one was but I just got paranoid from reading alot of horror stories about contamanation, oh well, **** happends. I know some of you will say I shouldnt of used the 5gl. for the primary, I just think its a better seal than the one on the 6.5gl. I will no longer use an air lock for a breather, blow off tube FTW...:rockin:

scottmc said:

So in my previous post "So I brewed my first batch" that part I did. So what went wrong? Here is the recipe.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Yield: 5gl
OG: 1.053
FG: 1.011

6lb Muntons wheat dry extract. 60min
1oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker hops. 60min
Wyeast 3638 wheat. pitch at 70f.

followed the instructions perfectlly.
boil 3gl. of water add wheat and hops, cool, add 2gal. pitch yeast, cap bucket.
Perfect, everything went according to plan, 12 hrs went by and starting bubbling from the airlock, only way to much, the air lock could not keep up, wort starting coming up at a rapid pace overflowing the air lock and making a mess pouring out of the air lock not to mention the lid on the 6.5 gl. bucket swoll up and I thought it was going to burst, leaks from the bucket lid were coming out from a couple of places, what went wrong, feeling very discouraged at this point. What a friggin mess. I dumped the whole batch fearing contamanation.

The only thing I can think that went wrong was I was instructed to strain the batch prior to sending to the primary, and I did not because of what my LHBS told me to do..... very confused and upset, anyone?

Click to expand...

This happened to me once. I woke up with a brown stain on my ceiling and a decent amount of stout on my floor. I cleaned up the mess, attached a blow-off hose for a day or so, and when it was done gurgling, put the airlock back on. The beer turned out great.

Make sure the end of your blow-off tube is slightly submersed in water.

edit:
To be clear...the "end" of the tube is the part of the tube which is not in contact with your fermenter. This end will have the "crap" coming out of it. This is the end that should be slightly submersed in water.

Exo said:

Make sure the end of your blow-off tube is slightly submersed in water.

edit:
To be clear...the "end" of the tube is the part of the tube which is not in contact with your fermenter. This end will have the "crap" coming out of it. This is the end that should be slightly submersed in water.

Click to expand...

Yes sir, did that with sanatized water. Thanks.

Cheers Scott.

scottmc said:

Well hopefully my second batch will be good, IM sure my first one was but I just got paranoid from reading alot of horror stories about contamanation, oh well, **** happends. I know some of you will say I shouldnt of used the 5gl. for the primary, I just think its a better seal than the one on the 6.5gl. I will no longer use an air lock for a breather, blow off tube FTW...:rockin:

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Actually I use 5 gallon paint buckets from Home Depot, and they work just fine. With and air lock! I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the lids and used rubber gromets.

I just make sure that they have 3 inches of head space before I pitch the yeast and seal the lids is all.

Now I remember years ago, back in 1992, as a young squirt just back from the first Persian Gulf War, I decided to make some good old Navy Buck. Unfortunately, I put the screw on cap on the 1 gallon wine jug too tight, and then forgot about it! Some time later, in the early morning hours, the glass bottle exploded! Luckly I had put it in the storage closet. The bang was like a large gun, and there were huge chunks of glass stuck in the walls! Yep, she was a bit angry about that!

andylegate said:

Actually I use 5 gallon paint buckets from Home Depot, and they work just fine. With and air lock! I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the lids and used rubber gromets.

I just make sure that they have 3 inches of head space before I pitch the yeast and seal the lids is all.

Now I remember years ago, back in 1992, as a young squirt just back from the first Persian Gulf War, I decided to make some good old Navy Buck. Unfortunately, I put the screw on cap on the 1 gallon wine jug too tight, and then forgot about it! Some time later, in the early morning hours, the glass bottle exploded! Luckly I had put it in the storage closet. The bang was like a large gun, and there were huge chunks of glass stuck in the walls! Yep, she was a bit angry about that!

Click to expand...

A 5gl. bucket with just an air lock when making a Hefe Weizen? Your asking for a mess.

scottmc said:

A 5gl. bucket with just an air lock when making a Hefe Weizen? Your asking for a mess.

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Ah! But not if you scale the batch down. Of course if I was going to make something like that, I would need a larger fementor. So far with the ales I'm making, both 5 gallon buckets have worked just fine, with no mess at all (except the ones I make! ).