Dumped an AIPA, maybe didn't have to?

[techprof]

A recent batch of an AIPA was done fermenting, temp controlled fridge with temp probe, and was starting to cold crash for a few days to settle things out and prepare it for kegging.

Unfortunately I forgot to remove the blowoff tube and cap the carboy, and as it chilled about a half gallon of sanitized blowoff water got sucked into the carboy.

I didn't want to risk kegging it with it developing off flavors so I sadly dumped it. It smelled so good, Citra and Amarillo late hop additons, but did not taste it.

There was definitely a top layer of clearer liquid on the beer that had some cloudy sediment, which was from the blowoff.

Could this beer have been saved and are there any tips to keep this from happening?

 

[jodell]

Always taste before dumping...

If it was starsan or another rinse free sanatizer..you probably would have been just fine.
If it was a non-rinse free than it probably needed to be dumped

 

[Smellyglove]

Make yourself a stubby. Take maybe 4-5 inches of whatever you use as blowoff (lenght only because you should be able to find it in between all your other toys), melt one end down to seal it, put that stub in place of the blowoff tube when you CC, "no" oxygen-uptake, no suckback.

 

[kev211]

If you still want to cold crash, cover the opening with sanitized foil and cold crash. Ditch the dip tube. Or use a airlock and replace water til temp equalizes.

Not to make you feel bad, but you could have totally kept the beer. Had the same thing happen with a hefe. Turned out just fine

 

[techprof]

Thanks for the tips, will have to remember try that stubby setup.

 

[kev211]

Make yourself a stubby. Take maybe 4-5 inches of whatever you use as blowoff (lenght only because you should be able to find it in between all your other toys), melt one end down to seal it, put that stub in place of the blowoff tube when you CC, "no" oxygen-uptake, no suckback.

Dont know how eager I would be to try this with a glass carboy fwiw

 

[kh54s10]

Cold crash with only a one piece airlock or nothing. I keep reading about 1/2 gallon or more getting sucked back. For that reason I only use about a cup of sanitizer in a margarine cup, that in a larger pot in case it over flows. If I do get suck back it is a very small amount.

I would say that you jumped the gun. Especially if the suck back liquid hadn't mixed with the rest of the beer. You could siphon close to the trub layer then stop before the top layer starts transferring. If not mixed the 1/2 gallon on top of the beer would not have been a concern at all. If mixed, you either had a diluted beer, or, if infected a sour or nasty beer.

Especially with kegging, give it a chance. As long as you weren't using a toxic sanitizer it was probably drinkable if not great.

 

[seatazzz]

For bigger beers, I use a blowoff only until primary is done, then a 3-piece airlock filled with whatever hard alcohol I have in the house (lately rum). If that gets sucked in, no harm no foul. +1 on covering the bung/opening with sanitized foil for crashing.

 

[The_Bishop]

This is what I use. You can also just jam the tubing into a stopper for carboy use.

Bag is full of CO2. Put in place just prior to cold-crash.

 

[GoeHaarden]

This is what I use. You can also just jam the tubing into a stopper for carboy use.

Bag is full of CO2. Put in place just prior to cold-crash.

May I ask what kind of fermenter that is? And where did you get?

 

[kev211]

I just cold crash in the keg. 2 birds one stone. Carbonate and cold crash all in one

 

[jtratcliff]

look at @Jaybird 's new gizmo...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=632181

 

[The_Bishop]

That's a Malt Mechanics fermenter. I swapped out the hardware that comes with it, and I believe they now offer a 'Pro' kit that comes with similar fittings to what I used.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I just cold crash in the keg. 2 birds one stone. Carbonate and cold crash all in one

A lot of us cold crash to drop stuff out of suspension prior to kegging... Your method would be great if you move the beer into a keg with shortened dip tube as a "brite" tank and then jumpered it over to a serving keg. But if the goal is to get the beer to drop clear prior to transfer, it's easier to cold crash first and then keg it.

 

[kev211]

Your method would be great if you move the beer into a keg with shortened dip tube as a "brite" tank and then jumpered it over to a serving keg.

This is exactly what I do (minus the shortened dip tube). I transfer it to a keg trub and all (most settles out anyways), cold crash in the keg and then transfer to a new keg via a hose barb on both liquid dip tubes. Full CO2 push both transfers and I get crystal clear beer.

 

[kev211]

Here's a picture of my transfer system for reference. Normally I do it right in the keezer but I moved it near the hops for the photo op 😁 back in May when the hops were little babies

View attachment 1501262949320.jpg

 

[eric19312]

Here is my cold crash and transfer system. I set pressure on the regulator to about 3psi. I pressurize the fermentor for about 10 seconds at 3psi then turn off the gas. I come back after an hour or so and give it a bit more gas. Once the air in the fermentor reaches the temperature of the air in the fridge there is no more need to keep adding gas. I also use the gas to push the beer out of the fermentor into kegs after cold crashing is done.

 

[BrewKnob]

Never dump a beer unless you taste it and it is undrinkable.

Also never assume a woman is pregnant unless you see an actual baby coming out of her. And then the correct response is "oh, are you pregnant?"

 

[GoeHaarden]

Never dump a beer unless you taste it and it is ubdrikable.

Also never assume a woman is pregnant unless you see an actual baby coming out of her. And the the direct response is "oh, are you pregnant?"

True wisdom here!

 

[Murphys_Law]

Never dump a beer unless you taste it and it is ubdrikable.



Also never assume a woman is pregnant unless you see an actual baby coming out of her. And the the direct response is "oh, are you pregnant?"

How true! On both counts.

I was told early in my "brewing career" to never dump a beer. If it doesn't take good wait a few months. If it doesn't taste good after that wait a few more. If it's still bad then cook with it.

I don't subscribe to that, personally. I've dumped beers I don't like to make room for beers I think will be better.

But I have never asked a lady, "when are you due?"!! Our neighbor is obviously pregnant and I begged my wife not to say anything until she told us herself!

(She told us this week!!)

 

[madscientist451]

I'm pretty much a cheapskate and I would have tried to siphon the beer out from under the layer of clear liquid. I probably would have drank it all if it tasted good, and not cared how much star san was in there.