Looks like infection before even pitching yeast

[urg8rb8]

Friend brewed, put wort in plastic fermentor, and didn't get around to pitching the yeast until five days later. Opens the lid and sees lots of bubbles on the surface. Infection? Pitch yeast anyway and see what happens?

 

[DatsyukianDeke]

There's no way to know for sure without a picture. Bubbles could just be gas escaping, could be a infected, who knows?

If the wort makes it into the a clean and properly sanitized fermenter it could keep for a bit before the yeast was pitched. Five days might be pushing it. I usually chill down to about 70 then let my ferm chamber do the rest. I'll sometimes wait a couple days before I get around to pitching and haven't had a y issues so far.

 

[urg8rb8]

There's no way to know for sure without a picture. Bubbles could just be gas escaping, could be a infected, who knows?

If the wort makes it into the a clean and properly sanitized fermenter it could keep for a bit before the yeast was pitched. Five days might be pushing it. I usually chill down to about 70 then let my ferm chamber do the rest. I'll sometimes wait a couple days before I get around to pitching and haven't had a y issues so far.

I updated above with a picture.

 

[RPh_Guy]

It's fermenting (there's yeast in it). You made beer!

Maybe it's yeast from the last batch in that bucket, or maybe it's wild yeast it picked up on brew day.
I wouldn't pitch anything new. See how it turns out on its own.

Good luck!

 

[urg8rb8]

It's fermenting (there's yeast in it). You made beer!

Maybe it's yeast from the last batch in that bucket, or maybe from wild yeast it picked up on brew day.
I wouldn't pitch anything new. See how it turns out on its own.

Good luck!

could it be bacteria?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Only yeast produce foam like that, so there's definitely yeast making alcohol.

There may be both bacteria and yeast.

 

[urg8rb8]

There may be both bacteria and yeast.

Only yeast produce foam like that, so there's definitely yeast making alcohol.

This is very interesting. But he JUST pitched the yeast. Hopefully, the WLP004 will overpower the yeast already there.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Unlikely, but that's fine.
Hope it turns out ok.

 

[urg8rb8]

Unlikely, but that's fine.
Hope it turns out ok.

I gave him the idea of auxiliary yeast eating the sugar and he told me that the fermentor had yeast cake on the bottom that he probably didn't completely scrub out. so it makes 100% sense that is it yeast from his previous batch. The previous batch was used US05... it probably already fermented out most of his beer lol

 

[kingmatt]

I gave him the idea of auxiliary yeast eating the sugar and he told me that the fermentor had yeast cake on the bottom that he probably didn't completely scrub out. so it makes 100% sense that is it yeast from his previous batch. The previous batch was used US05... it probably already fermented out most of his beer lol

Not completely cleaning his fermenter before adding new wort and not pitching for 5 days is begging for trouble IMO!

 

[urg8rb8]

Not completely cleaning his fermenter before adding new wort and not pitching for 5 days is begging for trouble IMO!

It was sanitized though.

 

[kingmatt]

It was sanitized though.

If it's not clean, it can't be sanitized (as evidenced by the leftover yeast fermenting the wort he added).

 

[RPh_Guy]

That nasty dark stuff in top of the kräusen is the old yeast cake? Gross.

 

[urg8rb8]

If it's not clean, it can't be sanitized (as evidenced by the leftover yeast fermenting the wort he added).

I know what you mean. I don't think the bucket was fully scrubbed.

 

[urg8rb8]

That nasty dark stuff in top of the kräusen is the old yeast cake? Gross.

Hahah sarcasm?

 

[RPh_Guy]

No, it's a little disgusting using dirty equipment, even though it's probably not harmful.

Would you eat off of dishes that had a layer of old food caked on it? Or use beer glasses with a dried layer of beer on the bottom to serve beer to guests?

In all likelihood that beer is contaminated with wild microbes even though there's no evidence of it yet.

 

[urg8rb8]

No, it's a little disgusting using dirty equipment, even though it's probably not harmful.

Would you eat off of dishes that had a layer of old food caked on it? Or use beer glasses with a dried layer of beer on the bottom to serve beer to guests?

In all likelihood that beer is contaminated with wild microbes even though there's no evidence of it yet.

Isn't there always stuff on top of the krausen anyway? The fermentor wasn't crusty. It was washed, wiped down, and sanitized. I watched my friend clean it. Maybe there was some yeast stuck in some of the edges at the bottom of the bucket.

 

[RPh_Guy]

he told me that the fermentor had yeast cake on the bottom that he probably didn't completely scrub out.

^ this painted a different picture.

I won't be drinking it either way, so it's all good.

Cheers

P.S. Get yourself a good cleaner like PBW or similar and give your equipment a warm soak immediately after every use. Rinse before and after the soak.

 

[urg8rb8]

^ this painted a different picture.

I won't be drinking it either way, so it's all good.

Cheers

P.S. Get yourself a good cleaner like PBW or similar and give your equipment a warm soak immediately after every use. Rinse before and after the soak.

Might be the best beer ever, we shall see haha

 

[RPh_Guy]

Yeah, I hope it's good.
Pitch sooner next time

 

[urg8rb8]

Yeah, I hope it's good.
Pitch sooner next time

My friend and I brewed two batches together. He couldn't pitch his yeast earlier because he was waiting for his new temp controller to ship from Amazon.

 

[rburrelli]

It was sanitized though.

Sanitizing does not kill germs.

 

[urg8rb8]

Sanitizing does not kill germs.

You mean yeast?

 

[rburrelli]

You mean yeast?

No. Sanitizing does not kill germs. Sanitizing is not the same as cleaning. If you don’t clean properly then sanitizing will not help.

 

[bigdawg86]

So it begs to be asked... why did it take so long to pitch yeast? That's the easiest and fastest part of any brew day?

Oh and that Krausen looks fine to me.

 

[urg8rb8]

So it begs to be asked... why did it take so long to pitch yeast? That's the easiest and fastest part of any brew day?

Oh and that Krausen looks fine to me.

Because my buddy that was brewing with me didn't get his temp controller in the mail yet until yesterday.

 

[bigdawg86]

Well we can file this under don't start a brewday unless your 100% prepared. Live and learn. Who knows the beer may turn out good, I would certainly let it ride and bottle or keg it.

 

[urg8rb8]

Well we can file this under don't start a brewday unless your 100% prepared. Live and learn. Who knows the beer may turn out good, I would certainly let it ride and bottle or keg it.

He had US05 in that bucket previously and the wort has been sitting in high 70s room temp. Hopefully the off flavors aren't too noticeable.

How is it possible that tiny specs of yeast can start fermenting 5.5 gallons? All these yeast pitching calculators say you need ridiculously more yeast.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Appropriate pitching rate leads to faster fermentation, less risk of contamination, and much lower risk of off-flavors.

 

[MaaZeus]

He had US05 in that bucket previously and the wort has been sitting in high 70s room temp. Hopefully the off flavors aren't too noticeable.

How is it possible that tiny specs of yeast can start fermenting 5.5 gallons? All these yeast pitching calculators say you need ridiculously more yeast.

Yeast is alive thing, it reproduces. Thing is, less cells you have the more time yeast spends reproducing instead of fermenting, which may lead to off flavors or, in worst case scenario, contamination if another microbe manages to take a hold before yeast gets strong enough.