I just dropped a measuring tape into my beer

[Bradinator]

As I was transferring my no-chill brew from the pot to the fermenter I knocked an old measuring tape right into the cooled wort. I quickly grabbed it out (my hands were clean at least) and pitched the yeast hoping it would take hold before anything nasty did.

Please ease my conscience; Relax? Don't worry? Have a Home Brew?

 

[jonmohno]

if you hydrated dry yeast or had a starter for liquid. and what temp did you pitch? Then you should have a quicker start,it always takes me less than 6 hrs hydrating dry yeast. It should be fine,hope for a quick start but if not i still wouldnt worry about it.

 

[Bradinator]

I pitched dry this time and I did not have any boiled/cooled water on hand to safely rehydrate my yeast. I know beer is pretty tough... But that was a pretty dirty measuring tape.

 

[birvine]

Maybe yes; maybe no. I'd continue on and hope for the best.

B

 

[Ravenshead]

Beer is pretty tough but measuring tapes are pretty nasty. I'm pretty much a RDWHAHB kind of guy but I can only give you 50/50 on this one. Still, the only thing you can do is wait and see so RDWHAHB anyway.

 

[eltorrente]

I'm sure it'll be fine. Consider yourself lucky - now you can name your beer a cool name, and have a story to tell. Call it something like Tape Measure Ale, Surveyor Stout, or something goofy like that.

 

[Tubba]

The problem with measuring tapes is that it'll be fingered pretty thoroughly by everyone who ever used it, all over, and covered in all sorts of skin oils that bacteria thrive in. So it might be a bacterial colony, waiting to conquer your wort.

It could also be out-competed by the yeast and not make a noticeable difference at all. You'll know in time, anyway.

 

[AUMonkeyBoy]

MY O-ring fell in when I was putting the air lock on and I reached in there to get it. Beer was fine.

 

[Germelli1]

What is done is done...What is the use worrying about it now? Just relax and ride it out :fro:

 

[Bradinator]

Well visible signs of fermentation already, but that still doesn't mean it cannot get nasty on me. I am pretty hopeful it will turn out fine. If it doesn't I guess I will be putting up some pictures in the "Post your Infection" thread.

 

[kh54s10]

That is the weirdest ingredient I have ever heard of.

Well, only time will tell. Good luck.


WHERE ARE MY MEASURING TAPES???????

 

[jonmohno]

Could be worse,if your dog took a dump in it. Just lookin at the ol brite side/glass half full side o' things. :>

 

[bengerman]

maybe you just caught a new, wild, superyeast... harvest it, maybe in a few years we'll all be buying:
"WLP 5300 - Craftsman Ale"

 

[arturo7]

Were you trying to determine the depth of flavor?

 

[bengerman]

Were you trying to determine the depth of flavor?

no, no, no.
you use a sounding line to determine depth.

he was looking for the brew length.

 

[sacrifice]

he was looking for the brew length.

And then dropped it from the shock that his brew length was quite a bit shorter than he imagined? :fro:

Which may effect his final brew..Yes, I was talking about beer.

 

[eastoak]

at least you now know the cause of the metallic taste.

 

[Diaperload]

Only time will tell if your beer will "measure up."

 

[hadabar]

Not the correct way to take a gravity reading...

 

[Bradinator]

Well if this beer turns out I already know what I will be naming it: "Good Measure Pale Ale"

 

[aiptasia]

^ +1 to that.

 

[Bradinator]

So I checked in on the beer today and it almost looked normal: One thing I found a bit odd was a single big bubble, clear and slightly oily looking sitting on top of the wort. I have never seen a bubble like that before, but it really didn't look horrifying. Possible fermentation leftover?

The other concern was the very low SG... 1.003. Very low. Very fast (fermenting since Sunday, 3 days ago, from 1.040). BUT I kind of struggled maintaining the mash temp, starting at 150 and having it finish at 145F. Still... That was a very low SG. It's also been quite hot here this week and my other beer, which had no issues is already down to 1.006 (since Saturday, 4 days ago, from 1.040).

I will check on it again this weekend and see if anything nasty is growing in it. If so I will probably scrape and rack from the bottom like I did the last time I had an infection.

 

[Monkey55]

Sounds like it just might turn out ok.

If it was anything like my tape measure, no beer would have been able to survive. My tape tape measure has gear on it, WD40, metal shavings, dry wall, engine oil, wood dust, and I think gas too.

E

 

[sj_engr]

So how did it "measure up"?

 

[two_hearted]

you're fine...

 

[Germelli1]

The bubble would concern me...especially if it is oily. It sounds like acetobacter a little bit which is the one bug that you can't manipulate into a soured beer.

That is WAY too soon for anything to really be effecting the final gravity.

If I was in your situation, since it is at FG, I would bottle/keg asap and enjoy them fast. That way you can enjoy your beer before finding out if it is infected!

 

[Bradinator]

In hindsight I should have taken a photo of the oily bubble for peer-review, but instead I popped it with the hydrometer . In further retrospect I should have just reboiled and re-cooled the wort to be safe after the tape measure fell in... Could of, would of, should of.

I don't have the confidence everyone else does this beer will turn out alright, but only because it was my tape measure. Its is Unclean. Still I am going to do the 'wait and see' as there is not much else I can do at this point.

Its still a bit early for bottling, but I am planning to rack it this weekend (and take a sample taste) as its already fermented out and give it a couple weeks.

The bubble would concern me...especially if it is oily. It sounds like acetobacter a little bit which is the one bug that you can't manipulate into a soured beer.

That is WAY too soon for anything to really be effecting the final gravity.

If I was in your situation, since it is at FG, I would bottle/keg asap and enjoy them fast. That way you can enjoy your beer before finding out if it is infected!

I am hoping for Brett or another Lacto if it is... What does acetobacteria taste like?

 

[Germelli1]

In hindsight I should have taken a photo of the oily bubble for peer-review, but instead I popped it with the hydrometer . In further retrospect I should have just reboiled and re-cooled the wort to be safe after the tape measure fell in... Could of, would of, should of.

I don't have the confidence everyone else does this beer will turn out alright, but only because it was my tape measure. Its is Unclean. Still I am going to do the 'wait and see' as there is not much else I can do at this point.

Its still a bit early for bottling, but I am planning to rack it this weekend (and take a sample taste) as its already fermented out and give it a couple weeks.


I am hoping for Brett or another Lacto if it is... What does acetobacteria taste like?

Acetobacter is what makes vinegar
It takes oxygen, eats your alcohol and pisses vinegar out

 

[Germelli1]

I should also add that I am not trying to set off the panic alarm. I have just had a bad encounter with acetobacter on two occasions with my favorite brews. You definitely want to catch it early if possible!

 

[mc_eric]

Anything that might have infected your beer will inch along very slowly. If it doesn't smell like feet, I'd say you're OK