The stuff stuck to the top of my fermenter...

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ryan_george

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I've been lurking these forums for a bit and I've started my first extract brew about a week ago. This forum has been a life saver!

There was a very aggressive fermentation within the first day or so, causing the airlock to clog and pop the lid! Not a big mess, fortunately. Next time I'll use a blow-off tube...

I'm planning on transferring it to the secondary in the next day or so, so I popped the lid and had a look inside. The lid and upper walls of the fermenter are caked in this green, foamy stuff. I assume this is SOMEWHAT normal. My question is, are there any "goodies" in that stuff, or is it best to leave it separated? I looks like a bunch of my hops are stuck up there, and I don't want to be missing out on that flavor.

Also, the beer smells very sweet and sugary. Is it possible that a lot of my yeast is also stuck up there and has not had a chance to ferment the sugar?

I'll try to post a pic later tonight if it's needed.

Thanks for the help!

Ryan
 
You should do a gravity test to see if the beer is done....it may smell sweet....but that really doesn't mean anything. I usually leave the 'gunk' there...especially after a week. While the beer is fermenting I've knocked some of it down (Especially with Hefe yeast....likes to stick....). But you said it's been a week. If the beer has finished fermenting (gravity reading is consistant)...then at this point knocking the stuff down may be counter-productive. You want sediments in the beer to settle out. Knocking more into it....will just take it longer...
 
The OG was 1.040, and the reading last night was 1.010. I'm checking it again tonight to see if there's any change, but I expect it'll be the same. I haven't seen any activity in the air lock for a while now.

I'll leave the stuff there then... I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on anything by leaving it there.
 
Agree with Hammy71, I ALWAYS knock stuff off of the sides of the boil kettle to get it all into the batch, but once it's in the fermenter, I just let that stuff stay wherever it ends up.

Sounds like your ferment is progressing fine, but do check it again before bottling.
 
That gunk has some harsh/bitter stuff that is best left out of the beer. A good long soak in hot PBW or Oxiclean (or equal) will basically just float that crap off. Rinse and you're done.

Sounds like everything is perfectly normal though.
 
Oxyclean soak is perfect. I just brewed a 1.100 SG Belgian quad and used a wyest starter plus a vial of WLP500 and the thing blew off for 3 straight days. The blowoff tube and the decanter I used for the blowoff was gunked up pretty good. Soaked both in the oxyclean and it took everything off really well. I expect the better bottle to be just as gunked up, but I don't plan on transferring any of that to secondary. For the first 4 days I gave the fermenter a good shake to collect up all the rising foam, but I've let that sit for the last 8 days. That krausen gets some solids in it that i wouldn't care to get in my final product.
 
That gunk has some harsh/bitter stuff that is best left out of the beer. A good long soak in hot PBW or Oxiclean (or equal) will basically just float that crap off. Rinse and you're done.

Sounds like everything is perfectly normal though.

That's what I was going to say- that stuff is something you DON'T want in your beer! To know why, after you rack your beer out of that fermenter, take a little taste of that ring, or at least smell it.

The trub that settles to the bottom is also something that you don't want in your beer- just siphon from above the trub and you'll get just a little of the trub into the secondary or bottling bucket.
 
We kegged this brew about a week ago, and it's turned out pretty good! Not bad for our first extract...

In the last few days we've stepped things up a bit...
Currently have in the primaries: Dogfish Head 60 min IPA Clone (all-grain), German Weissbier (all-grain). Hoping for good results...

:mug:
 
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