Making progressively more mistakes with each batch...

[jsweet]

I'm guessing that's normal though

First batch, the only thing that really went wrong is I had a small boil-over. Meh.

Second batch, I scorched the LME, and then the yeast (S-05) took me by surprise and the krausen wound up going right up and out the fermentation lock.

Third batch, I did a bigger boil than I've done in the past but didn't plan any better way to chill it, so I was up till 3AM waiting for it to cool enough to pitch. Then I severely underpitched given the OG of the beer, and to top it all off I learned a new word the next morning: "top cropping", and I left virtually no headspace since I figured I'd just rely on the blowoff hose.

So how many batches in do I start making fewer mistakes instead of more? heh...

 

[Priemus]

And yet...Im guessing they all turn out fine.

Beer is tough stuff

 

[jsweet]

Yep, the mistakes in the first two batches were nothing more than minor annoyances. I'm a little worried that with this 3rd batch I'll wind up with a stuck fermentation, though. Still nothing unsalvageable, and I've got a plan for that contingency -- but it'll still be a PITA dealing with it if I have to go that route.

Actually, the only "unrecoverable" problem so far is that the recipe for batch #1 called for a full pound of black patent malt, which I followed faithfully without understanding the full impact it would have on the flavor -- and SWMBO hates the taste of smoke. Not even a mistake per se, but it's probably the "worst" thing to happen in regards to my brewing It's still a bit young, though, so who knows, maybe it will mellow enough for her to enjoy it.

 

[carnevoodoo]

Next time your wort isn't cool enough to pitch, just go to sleep and pitch in the morning. No need to wait that long.

 

[Homercidal]

You know what they say, "Can't really play the Blues until you've lived them." and also, "The Blues aren't about making you feel better, it's about making other feel worse!"

 

[Jsmith82]

My DFH Aprihop clone was the closest I've came to blowing Krausen right out of the CO2 lock though it never actually made it all the way out. These things happen and no 2 fermentations will tend to be the exact same. Just pull the lock, clean it, put some vodka or sanitized water back in, and plug it back up. Blowoff tube may be your option if your fermentation bucket is too full.

Chilling a big boil can be a pain in the butt, I found that out myself last Friday. If your sink isn't cutting it, try your bathtub. Cold water and lots of ice, just be sure you have that pot secured, lid fully intact.

+1 with Priemus though, I have made tons of mistakes and continue to make them as I go, just how you learn, but I have yet to brew a batch of beer that wasn't drinkable. (even the worst batch I brewed, I gave away the entire thing except 3 bottles, was absolutely delicious after 3 months... yet another lesson learned)

Onward!

 

[jsweet]

Next time your wort isn't cool enough to pitch, just go to sleep and pitch in the morning. No need to wait that long.

Almost did that. Probably should have. Especially since I had a sanitized hole-less cork for the carboy ready to go, I could have just capped it, gone to bed, and slept easy knowing there was virtually no contamination risk.

I just had it pointed out to me I made yet another mistake with this batch: The blowoff hose is not submerged in anything, it's just hanging in the air. So, I think I'm getting all my mistakes out the way with this batch, so next one will go perfectly smoothly (yeah right)

 

[Priemus]

I think having the blow off tube submerged in some star san etc is more about not making a mess

Only thing to be careful of is when you remove it you dont pick it up and let gravity feed the contents back into your carboy.

 

[KevinW]

Ehh, if it weren't for mistakes we would not have vulcanized rubber!

Making beer is all about making beer, who cares how you got there as long as you like the results. If others like it then all the better

Keep on brewing and keep on learning!

Good luck

 

[jsweet]

Update: It was the fourth batch that was the turning point, where I finally started making fewer mistakes. The only major fubar was that I did something really, really, really dumb in regards to sanitation: I was decanting the wort into the carboy, the first time I decided to try doing it without a strainer, and more hops were coming out than I wanted... and without thinking, I reached down and blocked them with my hand. So yeah, I was pouring cooled wort through my dirty fingertips into the fermenter for about 5 seconds or so before I realized how dumb that was. hahahaha... looks like I got away with it, though, since brewday was Monday and it is currently bubbling away nicely and appears to have a normal healthy uninfected kraeusen. RDWHAHB!

And on my 5th batch, I made no major mistakes!... in regards to the beer itself, that is. I did manage to spill (diluted) StarSan on my laptop keyboard. 8O I immediately turned it upside down, popped the battery out, and dried it as well as I could with paper towels. It appears to be undamaged.

My wife is still baffled as to why I thought it would be a good idea to have Beersmith open on my laptop six inches from the bucket I was using for sanitizing. I guess I'm baffled too... Live and learn!

 

[Zixxer10R]

Update: It was the fourth batch that was the turning point, where I finally started making fewer mistakes. The only major fubar was that I did something really, really, really dumb in regards to sanitation: I was decanting the wort into the carboy, the first time I decided to try doing it without a strainer, and more hops were coming out than I wanted... and without thinking, I reached down and blocked them with my hand. So yeah, I was pouring cooled wort through my dirty fingertips into the fermenter for about 5 seconds or so before I realized how dumb that was. hahahaha... looks like I got away with it, though, since brewday was Monday and it is currently bubbling away nicely and appears to have a normal healthy uninfected kraeusen. RDWHAHB!

And on my 5th batch, I made no major mistakes!... in regards to the beer itself, that is. I did manage to spill (diluted) StarSan on my laptop keyboard. 8O I immediately turned it upside down, popped the battery out, and dried it as well as I could with paper towels. It appears to be undamaged.

My wife is still baffled as to why I thought it would be a good idea to have Beersmith open on my laptop six inches from the bucket I was using for sanitizing. I guess I'm baffled too... Live and learn!

Dude, that's what an iPhone or iPad is for. They have very little chance of internals being damaged since they are not user-serviceable. I suppose that's one of the very, very few times its good to have non user-serviceable parts.

 

[jsweet]

Dude, that's what an iPhone or iPad is for. They have very little chance of internals being damaged since they are not user-serviceable. I suppose that's one of the very, very few times its good to have non user-serviceable parts.

Funny you mention that, I was thinking that the day before brewday I should export the recipe from Beersmith to some format I can view on my Droid, and use that. Not so much for safety, but because a couple times my wife has been using the laptop when I want to start brewing

 

[kpr121]

I have about 20 brews in my career, and it seems like I end up overfilling something with water just about every other brewday. I either leave the faucet running while filling my HLT, a fermenting bucket full of starsan, my boil kettle, or anything else. Its only water, but I need to stop walking away from my garage when the water is running.

You will always end up making stupid mistakes some of the time, especially if your mind is wandering or you are trying to multitask (drinking a homebrew while brewing). The key is to RDWHAHB and try to focus to minimize mistakes.

 

[jsweet]

(drinking a homebrew while brewing)

Alas, I have been taking a short (30-day) break from drinking altogether to get a leg up on doing this Weight Watchers thing my wife talked me into... so I've brewed my last three batches with no homebrews to speak of! Luckily, RDWHAS* works almost as well...

There's so many little thing that can go wrong, that yeah, I figure the mistake-free batch is nigh impossible. Lucky thing this beer is such resilient stuff, eh? I'm just happy to be out of the phase where I was making progressively more mistakes with each batch I finally feel like I'm starting to gain some confidence, i.e. I don't have to settle for "Damn, I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm sure it will be beer in the end anyway."

* "Relax. Don't worry. Have a seltzer." Doesn't have the same ring to it, but it seems to be working. <-- he drank too much seltzer

 

[Shift]

I was decanting the wort into the carboy, the first time I decided to try doing it without a strainer, and more hops were coming out than I wanted... and without thinking, I reached down and blocked them with my hand. So yeah, I was pouring cooled wort through my dirty fingertips into the fermenter for about 5 seconds or so before I realized how dumb that was.

At that point of brewing i think my hands are sanitized as well from cleaning and sanitizing everything that should be. Depends on how you sanitize though, but basicly i have my hands soaked in sanitizer during most of the process.

 

[jsweet]

At that point of brewing i think my hands are sanitized as well from cleaning and sanitizing everything that should be. Depends on how you sanitize though, but basicly i have my hands soaked in sanitizer during most of the process.

Yep, I consoled myself by remembering I had just dipped my hands in C-Brite solution and then rinsed them about two minutes prior (this was the last batch before I switched to Starsan). It's still not exactly best practice, to say the least... say there were beasties under my nails or something, the surface might have been sanitized, but as soon as that washed off by the acidic wort there'd be more where that came from!

 

[maltoftheearth]

The best thing I learned from reading these forums is that there are a whole bunch of ways things can go "wrong" but there are also a whole bunch of ways to correct those "mistakes".

I might be on beer batch #15 now but I have been frustrated with every one up to #14. #14 was a lot of fun and I anticipate the same from my next batch.

 

[badhabit]

Sounds to me like a classic case of relaxing too much.... and having a homebrew....since we all know that there is no such thing as having too much homebrew

 

[dino2gnt]

Dude, that's what an iPhone or iPad is for. They have very little chance of internals being damaged since they are not user-serviceable.

I think you're confused on the meaning of user-serviceable. They would have the exact same chance of being damaged if subjected to liquid, but being non-user-serviceable, there's nothing you can do to fix it. At least with a laptop you can pull it apart and let it dry...

For what it's worth, I found that the biggest process change I made the helped prevent mistakes was to not drink during a brew session. Once I dried out the brew day, eveything seemed to happen much more smoothly.

 

[jsweet]

For what it's worth, I found that the biggest process change I made the helped prevent mistakes was to not drink during a brew session. Once I dried out the brew day, eveything seemed to happen much more smoothly.

My most mistake-heavy batch to date was also the first non-drinking batch But in general you are probably right. There were other reasons for the mistakes on that batch, mostly having to do with it being a somewhat more ambitious brew than the first two I had attempted.

 

[kpr121]

* "Relax. Don't worry. Have a seltzer." Doesn't have the same ring to it, but it seems to be working. <-- he drank too much seltzer

Ahh, I thought it was STOGIE!