Ruined

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RipUSMC

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Well in an attempt to have a two beers fermenting, I ruined the second one. Figured I'd post it here to a sympathetic crowd (maybe?:D) since the family gave me only inappreciable sympathy. I'll have to count on the first batch to pull through. 3-hours wasted... arrgh.
 
My poor mans wort chiller (bathtub). Left for a few secs to check the kids and it floated and tipped... came back and something looked odd, it had tipped back up, but had some bathtub water on the top. I think I better just go get a wort chiller.
 
oh. yeah, that sounds maybe not good.
you need to enlist those kids as brewer's helpers next time!
 
How much bathtub water are we talking about here?

Just kidding I feel your pain nothing worse then messing up a batch after all your hard work!
 
Was it just tap water? I donno if it woulda pitched it :/ Hell, right now Im drinking a beer that had a bunch of hose water added to it because i didnt know my wort chiller was leaking for like 30 minutes while i was chilling :eek:

Edit: And its not too bad!
 
I tried, the little one dropped my hydrometer. My wife whisked them both away when a few "adult terms" slipped out. Probably why I got no sympathy for the lost batch. Wish I had some home-brew to make it all go away... :mug:
 
Was it just tap water? I donno if it woulda pitched it :/ Hell, right now Im drinking a beer that had a bunch of hose water added to it because i didnt know my wort chiller was leaking for like 30 minutes while i was chilling :eek:

Edit: And its not too bad!

I actually considered just continuing, but I was trying to be a sanitization follower.
 
Beer is tough. I wouldn't throw it out before you taste it...it certainly won't kill you.
 
RipUSMC said:
My poor mans wort chiller (bathtub). Left for a few secs to check the kids and it floated and tipped... came back and something looked odd, it had tipped back up, but had some bathtub water on the top. I think I better just go get a wort chiller.

I had nightmares about this very same thing. I was also most worried about it while tending the little demons.

You won't regret the chiller, and it's even a pretty easy DIY project with a 25' copper coil.
 
I actually considered just continuing, but I was trying to be a sanitization follower.

I can understand that. If there had been a bunch of water added I probably would pitched it too. That or reboiled it for ~15 minutes or so. Ive heard of some of the craziest things falling into chilling wort, icicles, snow balls, dirt, etc. Its almost always worth giving it a shot in the fermentor!:drunk:

But heres to better luck next time my friend :tank:
 
I definitely wouldn't have pitched it. In the future, never make the level of the bathtub higher than the level in the kettle
 
I definitely wouldn't have pitched it. In the future, never make the level of the bathtub higher than the level in the kettle

Roger, sage advice. I actually had it at the "low end" and well above the water line (I thought) and it must've decided to take a little swim. Ended up in the "deep end," of the tub and got near drowned. I think my brew-kettle got lonely and saw the kids bath toys on the other end and decided to try to make friends. Much like the seals in New England have been trying to make buddies with the sharks lately.
 
Well this was before you pitched your yeast right?

If I were you I'd have just brought the wort back up to a boil to kill off any contamination, then depending on how much bathwater made it in boil it down to 5.5 gallons before chilling it again.
 
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