Another infection thread

[Cerpintine]

My recent posts have been about no activity in mine and my brother's batches for about the past 48-72 hours. My last gravity check was around 18 hours ago and mine looked fine. Now it looks like this:

and his like this:

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Tough to see from the pics., but the top looks like yeast clumps that have not settled.

RDWHAHB

 

[Cerpintine]

Hmm, but they weren't there yesterday?

 

[Cerpintine]

Ok, just as I thought, my brother's finally has some action! There are bubbles in the blowoff bottle. Question is, I'm still at the wort stage--if that is indeed an infection is it still pitchable? Or do I have to dump it?

 

[Revvy]

Hmm, but they weren't there yesterday?

That's because the krausen hadn't begun yet...you said in the first post that there has been "no activity" well now, this IS EXACTLY the activity, you are looking for.

But if you keep opening it up to check on it you MAY risk infection....

If you meant "airlock" activity, this should prove that airlocks are NOT a guide to fermentation, they are a valve to release exess co2 and to keep oxygen out (which you keep letting in by constantly peaking in.

I will say it again, it is very very difficult to get an infection, ESPECIALLY if this is your first batch of beer, and you did even the basics of sanitization.

Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happenning, doesn't mean that anything's wrong, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working dilligantly away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years.

You have to learn to trust the yasts, AND that you beer doesn't need to be constantly watched like a newborn baby.

If I can impart one bit of "wisdom" for you on your journey as a brewer it is this;

If you brew from fear, you won't make great beer!

You might make drinkable beer, or you might make crap...but until your realize that your beer is much hardier than you think it is, you won't do some basic things, (like using your hydrometer) to make your beer great.

You just have a typical new brewer fear that your beer is somehow weak, like a new born baby..and will be ruined or die of you look at it wrong...I want to put it into perspective for you, and save you a lot of new bewer nerves...

Beer has been made for over 5,000 years in some horrific conditions, and still it managed to survive and be popular....It was even made before Louis Pasteur understood germ theory....

If beer turned out bad back then more than it turned out good..then beer would have gone the way of the dodo bird, New Coke, or Pepsi Clear...

It is very very very hard to ruin your beer....it surprises us and manages to survive despite what we do to it...

I want you to read these threads and see..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/wh...where-your-beer-still-turned-out-great-96780/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/has-anyone-ever-messed-up-batch-96644/

And this thread to show you how often even a beer we think is ruined, ends up being the best beer you ever made, if you have patience....
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ne...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

There is a saying we have in the homebrewing community...RDWHAHB...make that your mantra and you will be a successful homebrewer...

Oh this thread is really good too...if you adopt the mindset in here you will do well...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/youre-no-longer-n00b-when-24540/

It's not brain surgery, it's a hobby...it's supposed to be something fun, not something we stress out on....and really most of the time we think a beer is ruined, it isn't!!!!

Got it? Good!!!!!!!!

 

[Hugh_Jass]

^^^^^^What he said. ^^^^^^^

Your fermentation is just beginning. It's time to start planning another batch so you stop worrying about this one.

Cheers!

 

[Revvy]

By the way, that is yeast on the surface of the beer...That is either the beginning of a karuzen or the remains of one...Either way it is perfectly normal.

Just walk away for a week....don't open it again, and let the magic happen.

 

[Revvy]

^^^^^^What he said. ^^^^^^^

Your fermentation is just beginning. It's time to start planning another batch so you stop worrying about this one.

Cheers!

What he said ^^^^^

Get another batch going so you can ignore this one.

 

[Cerpintine]

Wait, hold up--my brother's is on the bottom and his finally (just now) has activity. Mine on the top, you are saying that's not an infection? The fermentation is actually beginning?

 

[Hugh_Jass]

yep

Have a look at a couple of Revvy's blogs

http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/

 

[Cerpintine]

Ok, I'll wait it out. It's hard to be patient when it's been over 72 hours...mine looks like this on a smaller scale though :/

 

[Hugh_Jass]

In another two months you'll be drinking this beer and thinking "what was I worried about."

If you're really worried about it, send it to me for proper disposal.:cross:

Now keep that damn lid on your bucket or you'll likely get an infection when one wasn't there.

 

[Revvy]

NEITHER OF THEM ARE INFECTED....

The picture of yours looks like fizzy yeast colonies on the surface of the beer, usually that is way after the krauzen has fallen...but it could be before the krauzen has formed.

Your brothers looks like the krauzen has started to form more fully, OR that it has recently fallen..

Again, I will say it...you keep usinig the word "activity" what is YOUR definition of activity? Is it to you airlock bubbling, or DID YOU TAKE A HYDRO READING on them?

 

[Revvy]

In another two months you'll be drinking this beer and thinking "what was I worried about."

If you're really worried about it, send it to me for proper disposal.:cross:

Now keep that damn lid on your bucket or you'll likely get an infection when one wasn't there.

Yuppers!!!!

 

[Cerpintine]

Again, I will say it...you keep usinig the word "activity" what is YOUR definition of activity? Is it to you airlock bubbling, or DID YOU TAKE A HYDRO READING on them?

Well, yes...the OG was 1.066. After 48 hours it fell to 1.056. It hasn't changed since then, and tasted just like the original wort (not sure if it should be differrent yet). It's a semi-heavy Sierra Nevada Celebration clone, so for all i know some of the sugar just dropped. I'm getting antsy b/c no starter was used (just two vials) and I wanna get some new yeast and DME to get things going. I will wait though..grrr.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Well, yes...the OG was 1.066. After 48 hours it fell to 1.056. It hasn't changed since then, and tasted just like the original wort (not sure if it should be differrent yet). It's a semi-heavy Sierra Nevada Celebration clone, so for all i know some of the sugar just dropped. I'm getting antsy b/c no starter was used (just two vials) and I wanna get some new yeast and DME to get things going. I will wait though..grrr.

The best thing you can do. You need to realize that your part of the equation is done for a few weeks. It's up to the yeast to do their thing. Just leave them alone.

Again, start planning your next batch....idle hands you know.....

 

[Revvy]

Well, yes...the OG was 1.066. After 48 hours it fell to 1.056. It hasn't changed since then, and tasted just like the original wort (not sure if it should be differrent yet). It's a semi-heavy Sierra Nevada Celebration clone, so for all i know some of the sugar just dropped. I'm getting antsy b/c no starter was used (just two vials) and I wanna get some new yeast and DME to get things going. I will wait though..grrr.

Ok...if your gravity went down 10 points after 48 hours, you have fermentation so now quit looking at it, quit opening, and leave it alone for a week.....everything is fine!!!!

you are making a big beer, it is going to take a while to ferment and to finish. Lazy llama says it best.

48 hours of lag time is nothing...We say it can take 72 hours to begin..

The first thing yeast does is come out of a dormant period, it finds it self surrounded by 5 gallons of food, so it is wakes up, and wakes up it's friends...THEN before it starts truly diving in, the yeast start growing an army to best eat it, so they have a wild orgy and then make a bunch of yeast babies. Then they get to work. SO that can take up to three days before the really get going..it's called lag time, and it is perfectly normal.

But you now have fermentation!

So walk away.

 

[Cerpintine]

Well when you guys are right, you really are right! About 10 hours or so after making this thread there finally was activity in the blowoff bottle! I know I can't simply judge by that (and I didnt want to take extensive hydrometer readings) but I could finally relax. I mean I invested a bunch of money in a chest freezer, thermostat, more odds and ends, etc..I was craving activity! As always, thanks for the quick help

What he said ^^^^^

Get another batch going so you can ignore this one.

My freezer only holds two at a time! I have a batch conditioning in bottles right now. This one hit the 80s during fermentation! (hence the freezer). Will be interesting to see how it comes out.

 

[Revvy]

We know from experience how to detect a case of noobitus from a mile away....

Go back and read what I wrote in post number 5 about brewing from fear...and now with open eyes read the threads I linked to....

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Yup, our first reaction when we think something is array is to try to "fix it" when, in fact, it's best to let it be. Congrats!

Here's to many more successful brews.