Fermenting Yeast Exposed To Air

[The_Conisseur]

Last night I started my first brewing attempt and had to go with a large sealable bag as I didn't have anything that would safely hold everything, and I was going to pick up some supplies this morning. I went to check on it and when I touched the bag it popped open, and it was exposed to air for about 15 minutes before I could get it resealed in another container. Did this ruin my entire batch? How much is this going to affect my finished product?

 

[BrewCityBaller]

Last night I started my first brewing attempt and had to go with a large sealable bag as I didn't have anything that would safely hold everything, and I was going to pick up some supplies this morning. I went to check on it and when I touched the bag it popped open, and it was exposed to air for about 15 minutes before I could get it resealed in another container. Did this ruin my entire batch? How much is this going to affect my finished product?

Could you clarify... Did you ferment in a bag? Or did you use a bag as some sort of makeshift airlock?

 

[The_Conisseur]

Yes, I fermented in a bag. It was a one gallon zip lock bag. I just went to the store and I didn't find anything cheap I could use as an airlock, do you think a garbage bag and a rubberband would work? That's if my batch is still good, thanks for the help.

 

[BudzAndSudz]

Why on earth would you ferment in a bag? That makes me legitimately feel sad, you're disrespecting the entire hobby.

Just go get a 1 or 2 gallon jug and you can buy a stopper and airlock that fit it for literally less than a single dollar. There is no excuse to not at least get that much going.

 

[cheezydemon3]

It is fine at this point. If you had the bag sealed, it popped open to let co2 out, this is necessary.

What are you making?

 

[BrewCityBaller]

Yes, I fermented in a bag. It was a one gallon zip lock bag. I just went to the store and I didn't find anything cheap I could use as an airlock, do you think a garbage bag and a rubberband would work? That's if my batch is still good, thanks for the help.

Dude... Ouch.

The guy who responded right after me said it best. Using a bag to ferment was a seriously bad idea. <$10 would get would a glass container and a stopper. That being said, the batch is probably fine, but for pete's sake, don't ferment in a damn Ziploc bag!!!!

 

[NewWestBrewer]

Last night I started my first brewing attempt and had to go with a large sealable bag as I didn't have anything that would safely hold everything, and I was going to pick up some supplies this morning. I went to check on it and when I touched the bag it popped open, and it was exposed to air for about 15 minutes before I could get it resealed in another container. Did this ruin my entire batch? How much is this going to affect my finished product?

Why would you brew if you didnt have the proper equipment at that time? You are taking a big risk but hopefully it will still be alright.

 

[NewWestBrewer]

Why on earth would you ferment in a bag? That makes me legitimately feel sad, you're disrespecting the entire hobby.

Just go get a 1 or 2 gallon jug and you can buy a stopper and airlock that fit it for literally less than a single dollar. There is no excuse to not at least get that much going.

^^^^^ this. If you can't afford a few dollars on equipment then you probably should not be brewing. Your money should probably be spent on more important things.

 

[Indyoshi]

maybe he took the BIB instructions to a whole...nuvvah..level... lol

If its in a gallon ziplock, I would make sure to check on it every 15 -20 min or so for the first two days... depending on the yeast, temp, fermentables, etc. if it kicks off hard you might just hear a loud "POP" and have created yourself a mess...

 

[fmr_army]

C'mon guys - give the guy a break. Sourdough starter begins life in a ziplock bag - if someone doesn't know that beer yeasties are stronger/crazier/gassier, it's not a disrespectful snub.

Letting air in on your fermenting wort can cause off flavors. Depending on how much you lost, you're probably going to have a sad face when it comes time to drink your baggie-beer.

Moving forward, I would suggest that you get a better vessel, if for no other reason than - at some point - you're going to have a gallon bag that explodes at 3am, scaring the doodoo out of you, and making a mess. If that happened to me, my wife would have major second thoughts about me continuing this hobby! Plus, it's not easy to reproduce results if you're not using good measurements and decent equipment.