Salvagble beer, or pour it?

[Cazamodo]

Ok, My 5gal fermenter was sitting in a water bath, hooked up to an element using the aquarium temperature controller to keep it at a steady 18.5*C.

It had fermented for about a week, airlock activity had almost stopped (I know not a sign of done ferm) and a thick head of stuff (cant spell the word) was at the top.

Well, I left today for about an hour, and my cat took a nap on the temp controller. Somehow, without killing itself, it crossed a wire, god knows how, and the element switch was overridden. Basically, the element heating the water when it dropped below 18.5* got stuck on. I came home to find my temp controller beeping as it read over 99*C, the water boiled down to just above the element, and a very very hot fermenter of beer.

Basically, now I have risen the temperature of my fermenting beer from a nice stable temp, to a huge temperature, and plan to try and bring it down again to fermenting temps, will this beer be ok, or am I better off scrapping and starting again? (or just brewing the same batch again and seeing the diff between them).

 

[SSLocal]

you more than likely killed the yeast which means no more fermentation. Take a gravity reading just to be sure fermentation was/wasn't done. If it looks like it was done, then there's really no harm in racking to a secondary and letting it sit for a while (1 to 2 weeks) to settle. Taste it now and after secondary. If it's horrible, then toss it. If it's tolerable, then at least carbonate it and give it a try. What style were you brewing? That may offer some hope. I've read a number of times not to throw anything away...you can always "fix" or modify wort to do something else with it. I actually blew a batch of dunkel weizen, brewed a new batch of hefe, and blended the two and got one of the better tasting beers that I've made. So, you never know.

 

[Golddiggie]

Well, your cat killed the yeast, that's for certain... Depending on how long it was boiling for, other things could have happened... Once it's chilled to a good level, take a SG reading to see where it's at. IF you were planning to bottle this up, you'll need to pitch more yeast into it.

If it doesn't taste nasty, you could just pitch another packet of the same yeast in... This time, I would put the temperature controller someplace that damned cat cannot get to... Or put an electrified cage around it, so that IF the cat tries to lay on it again, it will get the sheit shocked out of it...

 

[Cazamodo]

Yea ill wait till morning, when its called and take a gravity reading. I bottle so ill need to re-pitch yeast. It didn't boil for long, infact I think it only reached boiling for a minute or so.
It was an old peculiar clone btw.

 

[Golddiggie]

As it rose towards boiling temp, as the yeast were getting all pissed off over the heat wave (before being killed) they probably produced some off flavors in the brew... Fresh yeast could scrub those out of it. Chances are, you'll just need to give it more time on the yeast. You might want to rack off of the dead stuff in the bottom of the carboy before pitching new yeast.

Not sure if anyone's actually had this happen here, and recovered from it... Hopefully one of the people with more years, and batches, over their belts will chime in...

You going to shave the cat?? :rockin:

 

[chicagobrew]

Wow, that's a first. A cat shorts the ferm temp controller and boils the primary. You can't make this stuff up.

I'm with the others to save it. You never know what will happen. If it's not at FG, I'd rack it to another fermenter and pitch a new starter of yeast. I'll bet this batch turns out OK. The temp rise would have been quick enough that the yeast wouldn't have had the time to produce too many off flavors before they died. I'll bet some of the fusels would have boiled off too.

 

[Boleslaus]

I would definitely save it too. And I like the story to go along with it.

 

[Golddiggie]

You'll need to come up with a good name for the brew after all this... Especially if it comes out really good.

I still say you need to inflict some payback on that bad cat though...

 

[beerloaf]

Old Cat Boiled Ale might fit.....

beerloaf

 

[Golddiggie]

Damned Cat Boiled Ale

Dead Cat Ale

Chow Mein Ale

 

[tnbrewer371]

shave the cat at a minimum, straight razor shave the cat at a "bare" minimum