Should beer in my primary look like a swamp?

[cwb124]

I am brewing a red ale. It's been in the primary since sunday morning. Directions said 3-6 days fermentation. I cracked it open today to get a gravity reading, and it looks like swamp water. It smells kind of like what beer should smell like, sort of. There's a bunch of crap floating on top, and some wierd green slime along the edges. I did forget to strain, so everything I boiled went in here.

My gravity is still a little high so I put the lid back on and will let it sit until this weekend. Final should be 1.004 to 1.010, and it's at 1.016 now. Beginning was 1.042. It bubbles maybe twice in 3 minutes.

So should my beer look like a swamp?

 

[RichBrewer]

The gunk on the top is Kraeusen and it's supposed to be there. The green gunk on the sides I'm not sure about but I'll bet it is hop material.
I would give it a few more days in the primary to be sure fermentation is complete then rack it to secondary.
Good luck.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Look like a swamp, smell like a swamp, and taste ike a swamp...you're making beer, dude!!

 

[RichBrewer]

Look like a swamp, smell like a swamp, and taste ike a swamp...you're making beer, dude!!

Who wound you up tonight Bill?

 

[cwb124]

The gunk on the top is Kraeusen and it's supposed to be there. The green gunk on the sides I'm not sure about but I'll bet it is hop material.
I would give it a few more days in the primary to be sure fermentation is complete then rack it to secondary.
Good luck.

Yeah I am using a secondary, and will do that this saturday if the gravity is right. 2 weeks in the secondary sound about right? Going with the 1-2-3 rule.

Swampwater rocks. At least I know I'm on the right track and didn't ruin anything yet.

Last question. How important is it to have sanitized tools dried completely before contacting the beer? I sanitized my hydrometer tonight and forgot to dry it and put it right in the beer with a few drops of sanitized water on it. I saw them drip into the beer. Couple drops won't hurt 5 gallons of swampwater will it? I doubt it.

 

[brewawan]

My first brew as well and I'm glad I have someone with the same concerns. My American Honey Wheat started bubbling at 16hrs at 2 bubbles/sec. But now at day 3 going into day 4 it is going at a rate of 1/3sec. No concern right? Planning on racking to secondary on Saturday (day 6). I'm going down the right path?

 

[olllllo]

Yeah I am using a secondary, and will do that this saturday if the gravity is right. 2 weeks in the secondary sound about right? Going with the 1-2-3 rule.

Swampwater rocks. At least I know I'm on the right track and didn't ruin anything yet.

Last question. How important is it to have sanitized tools dried completely before contacting the beer? I sanitized my hydrometer tonight and forgot to dry it and put it right in the beer with a few drops of sanitized water on it. I saw them drip into the beer. Couple drops won't hurt 5 gallons of swampwater will it? I doubt it.

Wet is fine.
No it won't hurt your beer.
No it won't affect the taste.

 

[olllllo]

My first brew as well and I'm glad I have someone with the same concerns. My American Honey Wheat started bubbling at 16hrs at 2 bubbles/sec. But now at day 3 going into day 4 it is going at a rate of 1/3sec. No concern right? Planning on racking to secondary on Saturday (day 6). I'm going down the right path?

No need to rush it. It can stay put for weeks if need be.

 

[lostnfoam]

yeah the firt time you look at your beer you wonder if your going to drink it. haha thats why i gave my friend the first bottle to try. now he wont leave me alone. cool name for a beer not to sure if you would get people to line up for it

 

[david_42]

You must have some interesting swamps in your area.

 

[Yooper]

Well, the IPA I just bottled grossed out my husband while it was in the carboy. It was dryhopped, and there were pieces of hop leaves throughout and it was pretty brown looking. He called it "tag alder swamp water". He is a wildlife biologist, so he amused himself greatly with that one.

He took a sip yesterday while I was bottling, and pronounced it, "Fantastic. As good as Stone IPA". And no, it's no longer brown!

Lorena

 

[homebrewer_99]

Who wound you up tonight Bill?

Too much home brew...