Fly in my wort?

[homebrewmn]

I brewed my first beer ever today, the SN Pale Ale clone from midwest, "Sierra Pale Ale". I followed the instructions as best as I could, and I thought everything went well.
UNTIL the moment I opened the brewpot after cooling off my batch. There I saw a dead housefly floating on the top of the wort. I'm not sure how it got in there, since I had my brewpot covered for the entire boil, only opening occasionally to stir.
The way I see it, the wort was hot enough to kill anything in it (the fly and the bacteria it carries). So I removed the fly and proceeded to pour the wort into my primary bucket and continue with the instructions. It now sits happily in my basement, but I am terrified that I have already ruined my beer. I was considering bringing the wort back up to a boil, but I did not have the time nor patience for that. So....what are the chances that I have ruined my beer?

And yes, if this batch makes it, I will name it "Fly P.A."

P.S. The SG was 1.038, but I can't find any reference on the package of what it should be- how do I find the original SG target?
P.P.S. When pouring the wort into the bucket, Some of the sediment (trub?) went with it? any consequences from this?

 

[demonrichie]

i dont think you should have any problems ive heard of worse things not ruining beer. 1.038 dont sound bad thats around what alot of pale ales seem to be. trubs good lotsa nutrients for the yeastie boys. and never for get Relax Dont worry (and look forward to) Have A Home Brew

 

[homebrewer_99]

Marty McFly P.A.

 

[arturo7]

Hey Minnesota, welcome to HBT!!


The fly is a non issue. However, there is another problem.

You should leave your pot uncovered during the boil.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/DMS


cheers

 

[bucfanmike]

Hey homebrewmn, Im new to this also, 3 batches so far under my belt, doing #4 today. Im in Duluth, what part of MN you from?

Oh and on the fly, I wouldnt worry, doubt he drank much.

Mike

 

[NYrunner]

I used this recipe for my first 5 gallon batch about 4 months ago. My OG came out to 1.044 and that is also what beersmith estimated it to be.

 

[homebrewmn]

Thanks for the replies.
An update question: The yeast started bubbling furiously 8 hours after I pitched, but stopped after 2 days when the gravity got down to 1.009. I let it sit for 4 more days and the SG hasn't dropped any more. I just moved it to secondary for some dry-hopping, but I'm guessing fermentation is finished. I am planning on bottling soon, but I want to make sure I won't overcarbonate and end up with bottle bombs. So is the Fly P.A. done or should I pitch more yeast?

 

[homebrewmn]

Good to see there are some fellow minnesotans. I'm from White Bear Lake, just north of the cities. I'm passing through Duluth on a fishing trip- are there any beer-related spots I should drop into?

 

[TheWeeb]

Homebrewmn, your FG is well within the kit specs. I had the same kit; I kept the primary temp way down - around 60 degrees - and had a longer fermentation time than you; but my FG was only slightly lower. I dry hopped with an oz of cascade and the zest of 1/2 grapefruit. I used honey as my priming sugar, and after one week tested a bottle and it already had really nice carbonation.

I would follow the kit instructions, relax, and wait for a most amazing brew to be created! Here is my SN Pale Ale Clone after one week in the bottle:

 

[homebrewmn]

Another update for this thread: I moved this batch to my secondary after 5 days of no bubbling on the airlock, figuring the yeast was pretty much done. However, when I moved it to secondary, it has started bubbling pretty fast for the past 3 days.

Some questions:
~Why did this happen? The SG held steady for five days, and then started dropping again when I transferred into secondary. My only thought is that the yeast dropped out of suspension and racking it then distributed it throughout the beer again.
~How do I know when a batch is done? I'm not sure I will always have the luxury of a secondary, so I am afraid that this scenario will happen when I bottle the beer-which will then result in overcarbonation--and bottle bombs.
~I have read that when the SG stops dropping, your beer is finished, but is this not the case?

Thanks for tolerating my endless concerns.

 

[x_ghost]

Knowledge and usefull

 

[j1laskey]

i am a strong believer that all fermentation should take place in the primary...let it sit...racking to the "secondary" is useful for clearing or flavoring your brew...which I always do...the bubbling you saw was probably some lone survivors...no big deal and probably won't lower your gravity...just let it sit...mmm...fly beer

 

[SumnerH]

Another update for this thread: I moved this batch to my secondary after 5 days of no bubbling on the airlock, figuring the yeast was pretty much done. However, when I moved it to secondary, it has started bubbling pretty fast for the past 3 days.

Some questions:
~Why did this happen? The SG held steady for five days, and then started dropping again when I transferred into secondary. My only thought is that the yeast dropped out of suspension and racking it then distributed it throughout the beer again.
~How do I know when a batch is done? I'm not sure I will always have the luxury of a secondary, so I am afraid that this scenario will happen when I bottle the beer-which will then result in overcarbonation--and bottle bombs.
~I have read that when the SG stops dropping, your beer is finished, but is this not the case?

Thanks for tolerating my endless concerns.

When the barometric pressure shifts, the temperature changes, you move your beer, or rack it, or a bunch of things happen, CO2 can comes out of solution and cause the airlock to bubble. An active airlock is not necessarily an indication that fermentation is taking place, and vice-versa. It's very common to see some airlock activity immediately after transferring to secondary.

Trust your hydrometer. When the SG stops dropping in the expected FG range, your beer is finished.