There's a Bee in my wort!

[37OliveStBrews]

Hi folks,
Over the weekend I did a brew of a RyePA. After the wort chilled I was racking to fermenter when a few bees took a liking to my wort. I fended the wort off pretty well until one got past me and drowned in the wort. At this point I figured I would gamble by pitching the 7 dollar yeast into the batch and see what would happen. Has this ever happened to you? I see bees as being somewhat different than a mosquito or other bugs so just wondering what you all think about my chances to have an outstanding brew or a spoiled brew. The worst was very syruping (partial mash) and tasty so I can't complain about the bees taste. Oh and I did remove the Bee once he/she showed up at the bottom of the wort.
Thanks all.

 

[wyzazz]

Heh, I found 2 Yellow Jackets in the bottom of a fermenter once... ...after I had racked the beer to a keg! FWIW it was a good Pale Ale.

 

[Sydwaiz]

BEEr!!! I'd drink it!

 

[KeithMoonsLiver]

that beer will give you one heck of a buzz

 

[jtlawlor]

There are a ton of threads of this very same thing... you should be fine. Did you make a starter and get the yeast going --- unlikely anything the bee was carrying would infect the beer if the yeast take over quickly. (guess it is possibility that they might add some wild yeast... again not necessary a bad thing.)

BUT I would fish out that bee and make sure it spits out any beer/wort it might have drank!

 

[Grizzlybrew]

my guess is that you will be fine. I chill my wort under a bunch of water oaks and have had leaves, flies, etc. fall into the chilling wort and have never had any issues with infection. As long as it's in trace amounts; you have a healthy, active fermentation; and don't plan to age the beer forever, you should be fine.

 

[frazier]

Give the beer an appropriate name.

Hop Stinger
Buzz Brew
Fizzy Yellow Jacket
Hornetgaarden
- you get the idea.

 

[Fantastical]

Maybe it will have a slight mead flavour?

I would drink it!

 

[JLem]

"There's a bee in my beer, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's a bee in my beer, dear Liza, a bee!
Then drink it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Then drink it dear Henry, dear Henry, drink it!"

 

[weirdboy]

Oh, now I want one, too!

 

[TheMan]

I found one in my beer when I went to bottle once. I don't think it affected my beer at all. The beer was delicious.

 

[37OliveStBrews]

Thanks everyone for your advice and experience. I did a search for bees in beer and didn't find any so that is why I posted this. Sometimes I get paranoid at everyone talking about sanitation as I try to be "clean room" clean when I brew that the bee really threw me. The wort was delicious and I am very hopeful it will turn out to be one of my better batches.

I love the naming idea and will put some together.

Thanks all.

 

[Grizzlybrew]

that beer will give you one heck of a buzz

ba dum pshh...

lol

 

[jjones17]

that beer will give you one heck of a buzz

Yeah, either that or he could get stung with an infection!