Brew possibly ruined

[Jamie02173]

I have a couple of brews on the go. One i put into my chamber(fridge) and it was ok at 25 celcius but the other day i realised the lid popped open and this could have been open for up to 12 hours. I have closed it and i am hoping for the best.. any opinions on wether it might be ruined( american ipa beer)

 

[McKnuckle]

Depends what it was doing while it was open. If it was actively fermenting with a krausen (yeast) on top, then it was largely protected from bugs and oxidation. If it was inactive and clarifying, then more of a risk. Also, 25c = 77f which is quite warm for most ale yeast strains. So that might be a negative factor (that's unrelated to the unintentional exposure).

 

[VikeMan]

I have a couple of brews on the go. One i put into my chamber(fridge) and it was ok at 25 celcius but the other day i realised the lid popped open and this could have been open for up to 12 hours. I have closed it and i am hoping for the best.. any opinions on wether it might be ruined( american ipa beer)

First, 25C (77F) is too warm for most yeast strains, in the sense that it can cause elevated esters and/or fusels. But that's not what you asked about.

Regarding the open lid, the two risks here are microbial contamination and oxidation.

When you say the lid popped open, did it actually come off (as in blown completely off by escaping gasses)? Or was it just cracked open a little? The more open in was, the greater the chance of exposure to contaminating bacteria/wild yeast.

And at what stage of fermentation did this happen? The more active the fermentation, the less oxygen would have reached the wort/beer, and the chances of microbes (bacteria/wild yeast) reaching the wort/beer would also be lower.

 

[Jamie02173]

I think i was actually between 22 and 24 ( it was recommended on the package ) celscius and the brew had only started a few days. I have left it and will check in a few days

 

[Jamie02173]

It happened because there was pressure on the bucket as it was a tight fit in the fermenter and it was only 3 days into fermentation .. schoolboy error im sure but will not let it happen again. Whats the negative outcome if i continue brewing and signs?
Thanks also

 

[VikeMan]

Well, the fact that it was CO2 pressure that caused it is a good thing. That means it was very actively fermenting when it happened. Assuming it was still actively fermenting when you reset the lid, any exposure to oxygen and microbes was probably minimized.

The negative outcome of microbial contamination would be a sour and/or funky beer. The negative outcome of oxidation would be faster beer staling.

The best course of action would be to continue fermenting and see how it tastes when it's done.

 

[D.B.Moody]

It happened because there was pressure on the bucket as it was a tight fit in the fermenter and it was only 3 days into fermentation .. schoolboy error im sure but will not let it happen again. Whats the negative outcome if i continue brewing and signs?
Thanks also

Don't you have an air lock to let pressure out?

 

[Jamie02173]

Don't you have an air lock to let pressure out?

I do but because i had to squash the bucket into the fridge i think the tention made it pop so i could possibly trim the fridge down

 

[Knightshade]

You’re already more than halfway through the process. Follow through with the few steps you have left and it sounds like you’ll still get beer.

Quality may be ? but take some notes, learn and enjoy a frosty beverage!

I suspect taking a swig when you’re ready to measure FG will be the moment of truth.

 

[Jamie02173]

Im pretty happy with the outcome.. cheers guys!

 

[RM-MN]

You're not the first to have a brew ferment without the lid on tight.

 

[Jamie02173]

You're not the first to have a brew ferment without the lid on tight.

From understanding fermentation I thought this was a major flaw but it resulted well and learned a lesson from day 1

 

[Jamie02173]

You're not the first to have a brew ferment without the lid on tight.

Thats a pretty cool vid

 

[RM-MN]

I have to post one similar to that every so often when someone freaks out about the lid coming loose during fermentation. I suspect that Sierra Nevada tries hard to make that entire room sanitary but the fact is fermentation stops most infections.