Another "What's in my beer?" thread...

[431brew]

Sorry guys, I read the other links but didn't find this problem and waited as long as I could stand to ask the question! I don't think I ruined it, or that it has mold in it, or anything like that. Just wondering since it was my first 5 gal batch if it is a procedural problem or normal results. I'm brewing another 5gals this weekend and don't want the same results.

After 4 MRB recipes, I did my first 5 gal extract brew 2 1/2 weeks ago. Used a Canadian Ale recipe from AHS and liquid yeast. After a week in primary, I racked to secondary and noticed little particles floating on the top. It looked like dry yeast (kind of reminds me of pencil eraser dust!). I figured that in moving it from the closet to the kitchen to rack it, the movement of the liquid washed some of the dried krausen from the sides of the bucket and didn't worry much about it.

It has been in the secondary for a week now and still looks the same. Also, the beer is darker than expected. I had a boilover, but didn't scorch anything. Cooled the wort down to 78 within 20 minutes before pitching. Everything was cleaned and sanitized before I started.

I was hoping to bottle in another week, but feel like I may need to rack again...maybe run the beer through a coffee filter or something.

My Saturday brew is extract + grains, so kind of like to know what I did wrong this time since that will also be a new experience. What do you think?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Revvy]

Don't run your beer through anything, you will run the risk of oxidation...Have you taken a hydro reading?

Whatever is floating on top has been kicked up by CO2 and will most likely fall down..it is very likely just fizzy yeast colonies and other stuff from the bottom...

DOn't be too in a hurry to rack or mover a beer, let it settle and stuff will floculate down word.

 

[BADS197]

I've had something to what you describe and the beer hit the right Specific gravity and tasted pretty good just before bottleing.

I wouldn't stress it too much.

Most of the research I have done on this forum has resulted in someoone saying..

"relax and have a home brew and leave the beer alone"....

fwiw... experience has led me to agree with them.

It's gonna be fine, just leave it in secondary till your ready to bottle/keg.

 

[Rick500]

There's all manner of debris that can end up on top of the beer. Could be yeast. Won't hurt anything.

And beer always looks darker in a large container...you're looking through more of it. It'll look lighter in the bottle, and even lighter in a glass.

 

[431brew]

Thanks, guys. I have several first time things going on with this one....first 5 gal batch, first batch outside MRB, going to bottle in *glass* and now have my first keg. It is also my first time having "stuff" on top of my beer after using liquid yeast, so have been trying to figure out what I did to cause it. As I mentioned, I plan to brew again Saturday, and it will be another "first" since I will be using grains.

Revvy, I had an OG of 1.046, but didn't check it when I transferred it to secondary.

BADS197, thanks for making me feel better. Maybe the floating stuff is the result of "perfect specific gravity" ! LOL.

Rick, I didn't think about it until I read your response, but I have it in a Better Bottle and they are not exactly clear, so it might not be as dark as I think.

I read a post once, and I think it was one of Revvy's, that said you learn to plan when you are a homebrewer. Well, I am finding that out as I intended to brew a football brew, but waited too late. So, I kind of rushed this one out of the primary, and was going to rush it into the bottles. My Saturday brew is an Oatmeal Stout for the holidays, and if I don't get it going, I will not have properly planned that one either.

Thanks again for responding!