Wort stood 30hrs before boil, started spontaneous fermentation, any experience?

[MikeDHelgen]

Been lurking on these pages for quite a while, but first time posting.

I'm currently in the process of making a Sweet Potato California Common, and I began the process as usual, mashing at 152 for 80minutes. However, instead of going straight to the boil. I left the wort (strained and sparged) in the brew pot for about a day and a half. I've done this before, if I haven't had enough time to dedicate to a full brew and its never been an issue.

However, to my surprise when I come to put it on the boil, its already begun fermenting. I'm not sure whether its because of the sweet potato in the wort, or what, as the lid was never removed (not that that guarantees anything).

I went through with the boil, nonetheless, when through the hop additions as normal and the smell of the yeast died off after the first bit and the wort smelled like normal.

My question, however, is: whether anyone has experience with this, does the beer turn out alright, or is it soured at all? Should I pitch it and start again?

Cheers!

 

[McKnuckle]

If you boiled it, you killed whatever was misbehaving in the wort. As for any lactic acid or other weirdness that might have been produced... you'll have to find out for yourself! Tastes okay now?

 

[MikeDHelgen]

Hey McKnuckle,

It seems to be coming a long fine. Clearing in secondary at the moment. Smelled pretty foul before the boil, but had a good adour when racking.
I'll update when I get to sipping.

 

[freisste]

If it was on its way to sour, you stopped that progress. As McKnuckle mentioned, you can kill bacteria but not flavor. If there was a lot of bacteria at the end of the mash, you may have enough sour flavor to show through in the final product. I would imagine you won't notice, though.

Again, you killed the bacteria with the boil, so unless you re-contaminated, there's really nothing to worry about now. Nothing you can do to fix it, anyway.

 

[BuglessDuster]

Wild yeast, I assume? Should be interesting.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I had to leave a kettle full of the centennial blonde recipe on here for 3 days. It began to form a pellicle. I could smell the infection for the entire boil.

The recipe is so light bodied and the beer finishes so clean and crisp that I did notice a twang coming through for about a month after kegging and then it went away.

I'm not sure if I would have noticed it with a stronger beer.

 

[BarrelAgedForrest]

Should have just rolled with it and let it sour! I'm going to do a wild sour sooner or later. Open ferment and just let it roll then Brett it.

 

[MikeDHelgen]

Should have just rolled with it and let it sour! I'm going to do a wild sour sooner or later. Open ferment and just let it roll then Brett it.

From the smell, I'm not sure that would have been particularly tasty!


Its clearing nicely in secondary now - taken longer to clear that most batches, but that could be the potato additions.

 

[MikeDHelgen]

Final Update:
Turned out great! Slightly surprisingly.
Has a more potatoey taste than expected, which I'm not sure would have been there if it hadn't soured. I'll make another batch and see.

Thanks for all the responses! Appreciate it!