Ok...This can't be good.

[Goldsbeer]

I just brewed my first Unhopped Malt Extract batch yesterday, a Porter. I carefully sanitized all my equipment prior to use. Crushed and steeped the grains without any problems. Added the different variety of hops at the proper time. Carefully watched the wort to make sure I didn't have a boil over. Everything was going great until the last 10 minutes of the boil, thats when it happened. A drop of liquid from my range hood had formed and fell into the boiling wort!!! I panicked, quickly applied a cover to the pot and looked up into the range hood to see what could have dropped into my precious wort. To my horror I was looking at old nasty grease and condensation that had formed from the boiling pot. Then to make matters worse my wort suddenly boiled over. Man, this can't be good.

Now, that single drop (maybe more, I only saw one) of bacteria laced liquid can't possibly ruin my beer. After all it did fall into boiling liquid and the boil over probably expelled it right?

 

[BakerStreetBeers]

I just brewed my first Unhopped Malt Extract batch yesterday, a Porter. I carefully sanitized all my equipment prior to use. Crushed and steeped the grains without any problems. Added the different variety of hops at the proper time. Carefully watched the wort to make sure I didn't have a boil over. Everything was going great until the last 10 minutes of the boil, thats when it happened. A drop of liquid from my range hood had formed and fell into the boiling wort!!! I panicked, quickly applied a cover to the pot and looked up into the range hood to see what could have dropped into my precious wort. To my horror I was looking at old nasty grease and condensation that had formed from the boiling pot. Then to make matters worse my wort suddenly boiled over. Man, this can't be good.

Now, that single drop (maybe more, I only saw one) of bacteria laced liquid can't possibly ruin my beer. After all it did fall into boiling liquid and the boil over probably expelled it right?

No need to worry about contamination from the drop of hood goo. Yes, the boiling wort would have taken care of any creepy crawlies that might have been in there. I keep things clean, but I don't worry too much about heavy sanitation until the wort has cooled below 140-160F -- above that, you're in in the realm of pasteurization temps. And even then, you don't have to be extreme about it -- you've created a great place for your yeasties to live in, you'd have to have some serious bugs and a lot of them to keep your yeast from taking over and dominating that environment.

The problem to worry about is that the grease goo may make this beer the most perfect beverage on the planet and you'll never ever be able to replicate it.

 

[malkore]

Most likely that little bit of grease will kill the head retention of your beer. It shouldn't 'foul' things up otherwise.

 

[cuinrearview]

+1 on unique brew!! Anything that could have ruined a beer was killed by the boil. Anything that could live will most likely make this one special. Get another batch going so that your mind can be put at ease while you think of names for this beer.

"Bacon Grease Porter"
"Slow Drip"
"100 Meals Dark"


Just a few ideas. Just finish the process and follow up on this thread when it's done.

 

[Goldsbeer]

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping you guys would say that the boil would kill the drop(s).

I already have a name picked out for it..how does "Range Hood Porter" sound?

A question about the boil over. A good bit of the hops I added in pellet form was lost during the boil over. Is that going to make much of a difference to the flavor of the beer during the fermentation process or do the hops just do their job when added during the boil?

 

[Moonshae]

Boilovers are a common experience, until you learn to control your boil at hop/extract additions. Your beer may not have quite the full bitterness and hop flavor/aroma, but it will be fine. RDWHAHB.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

I believe you but I find it hard to believe that a drop of grease caused a boil over. A little butter, oil, or any other type of food type grease is used to stop boilovers in the kitchen all the time. Next time the water starts to almost boil over while cooking dinner throw a bit of butter or olive oil in there and walk away. But Im sure you all knew that. It may have boiled over because you covered the pot but Im not sure about that.

 

[Goldsbeer]

I'm sure the boil over was not caused by the drop of grease. I caused the boil over by placing the cover on the pot and not paying attention to it while checking out the range hood.

 

[Yooper]

It'll be fine!

Next time, though- don't put the lid on! I bet your stove was a huge mess! Hopefully, if you're married, your SWMBO didn't kill you too badly.

 

[Revvy]

Soak the metal thing under the burner in hot water and oxyclean for 24 hours (maybe you'll have to do it twice) and clean the rest of the stove top with;

and it'll be fine!

 

[Goldsbeer]

SWMBO was not pleased but she got a clean range hood out of the deal.

 

[Yooper]

hahaha- now I have to clean my computer monitor. There's beer all over it!

Note to self- don't read goldsbeer's posts while sipping!

 

[barely]

I foresee problems in your future. This could be your best brew yet - but just how on earth will you re-create it? Would clean grease be the same?....How long should it boil over?

 

[Goldsbeer]

I foresee problems in your future. This could be your best brew yet - but just how on earth will you re-create it? Would clean grease be the same?....How long should it boil over?

Barely, I agree, I'll never be able to re-create this brew...not sure if I'll ever try, especially if I don't have good "Head Retention".

Hey I just noticed that you are from Brunswick, ME. I lived in Brunswick as a youngster, went to Jr. High and High School in Brunswick, graduated in 1979, joined the Air Force, retired 24 years later, now living in Florida's Panhandle. I'm planning a trip to Maine with SWMBO to visit some family in June. We are staying at a hotel in Portland's Old Port for about a week, within stumbling distance of Gritty's!