Well, this is strange.

Made a pumpkin beer.

Recipe (what's in it):
2row barley
6row Barley
Crystal Malt
Pumpkin Meat
Irish Moss
Spices

The wort was thick coming out. Topping off with water lead to this emulsification. Very strange. Any ideas?

It's fermenting now, which is stirring up whatever that is in there.

Looks very similar to this:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/does-look-strange-317684/

Probably protein layer. Should hopefully settle out!

I personally would be attaching a blowoff tube to that one.

Sorry, but that's awesome. Cool as hell, and I'm sure it's going to settle - it's fermenting, good sign.

The next morning. Looks gnarly!

Pics are fun.... only 1 gallon??

That's why people generally add pumpkin to the mash, not loose in the boil.

Yes, only one gallon. Never had pumpkin ale before and I didn't want to make a huge batch and not like it.

bigbeergeek said:

That's why people generally add pumpkin to the mash, not loose in the boil.

Click to expand...

It was in the mash.

How are you mashing and sparging?

Your wort should come out fairly clear after vorlaufing and filtering thru the grainbed. Looks like stirred up mash went into the fermenter to me.

RCCOLA said:

How are you mashing and sparging?

Your wort should come out fairly clear after vorlaufing and filtering thru the grainbed. Looks like stirred up mash went into the fermenter to me.

Click to expand...

Unable to vorlauf. I have to modify the mash tun first and I don't have the tools or equipment.

Does your cooler have a drain hole/plug?

if it's a one gallon batch, it's unlikely he's mashing in a cooler, unless it's a small water bottle type or something. I used to mash in a stock pot when I was doing 1 gallon batches.

RCCOLA said:

Does your cooler have a drain hole/plug?

Click to expand...

Yes.

I have two coolers. One 2 gallon, one 6 gallons and I use either depending on the size of the batch. Using the drain hole, however, gets it plugged up really fast.

Skullfingr said:

Yes.

I have two coolers. One 2 gallon, one 6 gallons and I use either depending on the size of the batch. Using the drain hole, however, gets it plugged up really fast.

Click to expand...

I was going to suggest the simplest solution for you to make a filter braid with little to no tools and ~ $10 cost.

You just buy a $5 stainless toilet hose from your hardware store, cut off the ends(I bet a hardware store would do this for you if you asked) and slip the braid off.
Hammer it flat on one end then fold/hammer it a couple more times to seal 1end.

Buy 1ft of 3/8 ID vinyl tubing and stick it thru your cooler hole, zip tie the braid on it inside, then buy a 3/8 valve and plug it in the outside.

Viola! 10 minute, $10 mash tun. Like this but you don't even need the clamps--none needed outside and only a zip tie inside-> 5 years using my tun like this. http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/mashtun.htm

Ah. Mine has one of the holes that you have to press to open.

Okay, I figured out a vorlauf technique that worked but the wort still looks like it's got crap in it! I'm beginning to think it's the freaking Irish Moss, because I didn't get this the first time.

Is there any way to get rid of the wet popcorn crap? I made the pumpkin ale into a secondary but it didn't get all of it.

I did that with the original picture and it slipped right through. I took the wet popcorn crap and siphoned through a cheesecloth filter and I was able to get about 95% out, but now after bottling theres still about 1/8th teaspoon of the stuff in each bottle!