2nd brew - help!

[Traz1986]

Second brew, I was thinking to my self, this is going surprisingly smooth. Ant then, ipued the hydrometer from the sanitizing bucket only to have it slip through my fingers and break into a thousand pieces on the tile floor. So no OG on this brew... Then the fitting on the immersion chiller came free and started shooting water all over the kitchen... Luckily not in the wort. I was forced to pitch the yeast at a higher temp than I would have liked, it was probably just under 80. And it was immediately moved to my nice cool basement floor.

This is a pic of my fermentation after 12 hours. Good, or trouble??

Thanks! Jim

 

[PetVet]

I think you're fine. The sooner you get fermentation going, the better. I'd chill out, wait a couple weeks, transfer to secondary and taste it. I've been there and fretted until I got a sample of it and was relieved. 👍

 

[Calder]

The hydrometer has nothing to do with whether the beer is good or not. Don't worry about it. If it was a kit, the OG will be where the kit says it should be. If it was an extract recipe, then the OG will be in the ball-park of the recipe. Just get a new one ready for when fermentation ends.

Pitching high is not the greatest thing you can do for your beer. High temps create a lot of esters and fusel alcohols. Next time, you have this problem, it is probably better to leave the wort 24 hours to cool rather than pitching early and having a high temp fermentation.

Good luck with the brew. Hope it comes out fine.

 

[Micahmagne]

Agree w Calder. You're likely fine, make sure you hit FG when the time comes, by testing a couple times, 1-2 days apart, getting the same reading, at the same temperature with your NEW hydrometer [emoji12]. As PetVet mentioned, fusel alcohols can have a harsh, solvent-y taste, and esters can be fruity, tart etc.. That's a tad high to start fermentation, but I'm sure you'll have a good beer, since it began cooling quickly. Take good tasting notes and retain the experience.

 

[rtracer]

I just did my first brew on Sunday so I am more of a noob than you, but this is the second thread I have read about breaking hydrometers due to slippery sanitation water. My question is why would the hydrometer be in the sani fluid? It never gets near your actual clean batch....right?

Anyways, good luck with future brews...I know I need it too ;0

 

[Vammy]

I just did my first brew on Sunday so I am more of a noob than you, but this is the second thread I have read about breaking hydrometers due to slippery sanitation water. My question is why would the hydrometer be in the sani fluid? It never gets near your actual clean batch....right?

Anyways, good luck with future brews...I know I need it too ;0

I don't know what others do, but I always clean my hydrometer before dropping it in the test jar. Maybe I'm just superstitious, but I believe a clean hydrometer will give me a more accurate reading...

And, I always drink the test jar. Who wants a dirty hydrometer in a wort they're going to drink?

Last thing: I have 2 hydrometers. I have yet to drop my original one (I'm sure that time is coming), so just in case my next brew day is "that day"...

 

[Wild1z]

And, I always drink the test jar. Who wants a dirty hydrometer in a wort they're going to drink?

Last thing: I have 2 hydrometers. I have yet to drop my original one (I'm sure that time is coming), so just in case my next brew day is "that day"...

1. Who is putting a dirty anything in their a wort? [emoji6] I love the five second rule and living on the edge.

2. You have 2 hydrometers today, you just jinxed that set up so get used to having only one. One day, you will break one, we all do. It's a right of passage. Cheers.

 

[rodwha]

I keep two hydrometers and floating thermometers as I've broken a couple of mine over the years.

I certainly sanitize mine but I don't bother with the test tube, though I have one. It's been sanitized, right?

 

[rtracer]

I had a major blow out the second night...ever! Actually tasted some of the foam....bitter Oh, and I didn't sanitize my finger before inserting in my mouth

 

[JunkCatsOnThePorch]

Hang on here. Someone please correct me if I am wrong on this. You said that you pitched your yeast at just under 80? I'm guessing that is 79F. And the advice being gave here is that it is better to leave your wort alone for 24 hours than to pitch at 79F.

Heck, im worried if my wort takes longer than 20 mins to cool, there is a million little things out there that would love to breed in your wort and potentially create off flavors unless it is completely sealed sterile.

Im not sure what yeast you are using, liquid/dry. But in any case I think the off flavors would come during primary fermentation, not just as you pitch. 79F seems like an ok temp to pitch to me,(not ideal but passable) granted the yeast is already at room temp and not a starter being pulled from the fridge.

Again, I am just going from my experience here. I have pitched slightly warm before-around 80F and never got fusel alcohols or "hot" beer flavor. Once it's in the fermentation vessel, I would think it would cool before fermentation actually started.

 

[Wild1z]

Hang on here. Someone please correct me if I am wrong on this. You said that you pitched your yeast at just under 80? I'm guessing that is 79F. And the advice being gave here is that it is better to leave your wort alone for 24 hours than to pitch at 79F.

Heck, im worried if my wort takes longer than 20 mins to cool, there is a million little things out there that would love to breed in your wort and potentially create off flavors unless it is completely sealed sterile.

Im not sure what yeast you are using, liquid/dry. But in any case I think the off flavors would come during primary fermentation, not just as you pitch. 79F seems like an ok temp to pitch to me,(not ideal but passable) granted the yeast is already at room temp and not a starter being pulled from the fridge.

Again, I am just going from my experience here. I have pitched slightly warm before-around 80F and never got fusel alcohols or "hot" beer flavor. Once it's in the fermentation vessel, I would think it would cool before fermentation actually started.

I think his wort chiller blew up on him and he did what he thought would be best. Brew day is filled with improvisation, MacGyver acts and some apologies to the wife/
GF.

The advice of waiting might not sound ideal to you, but covering it with starsan foil and letting it cool for 2-12-24 hours is better than pitching it at 79 degrees. Ice bath and setting it out in the cold covered would also be better than sending your yeast to do battle in oppressive conditions. IMHO.