Third time is a charm.

[Stanlimal]

I did few extract kits and they where ok. I got a BIAB system l, grew some hops, and made an all grain. It molded so I tossed it. Two ish weeks ago I had another go with the last of my grown hops. Brewed it, fermented it, cold crashed it. I washed my bottling, satized everything, moved my fermenter into the bottling area, and dropped it. I spilled 5 gallons of beer all over my sun room. Good thing it's an addition so it's just carpen on slab. So, ordered some more grain and hops. 3rd times a charm.

 

[hotbeer]

Have you figured out why the first two did what you say they did? If not then you are leaving that third time charm up to chance.

2¢ more you didn't ask about..

Moldy beer in the fermenter is a tad unusual. Are you sure you didn't just have a really good krausen that left a lot of crud in the headspace?

I'd be a tad leery of using home grown hops in my first few brews. Home grown is any guess IMO as to what the alpha, beta and cohumulone ratio is. The people that sell hops have a laboratory to test each crop.

 

[jdauria]

Do you mean your first batch was infected? Like had a white pellicle growing on the top of the beer? Mold is a fermenter is very unusual, especially if you cleaned and sanitized properly.

 

[Stanlimal]

Yes, white layer on top. All spidery looking. I didn’t want to chance it. And I don’t care about the nuances of the grown hops. I want to grow them and make beer. I buy specific hops for specific recipes but for the ones I grow I just toss them in. I don’t even remember what I planted where. I also like growing them for the vegetative matter to compost. I garden like crazy, and it’s really just something else to use from my garden. I just ordered an all grain kit for my next beer, I’m all out of home grown hops now. happy brewing, and thanks!

 

[hotbeer]

White and spidery sounds more like lactobacillus. You might have had a really nice slightly sour brew.

My comment on the home grown hops is more about not knowing what your bittering levels are in your brews. So I might be inclined to use them more as flavor hops near the end of boil and do your initial bittering with something else. At least until you get some successful brews in to start gauging how much bittering they are giving you.

 

[Stanlimal]

White and spidery sounds more like lactobacillus. You might have had a really nice slightly sour brew.

My comment on the home grown hops is more about not knowing what your bittering levels are in your brews. So I might be inclined to use them more as flavor hops near the end of boil and do your initial bittering with something else. At least until you get some successful brews in to start gauging how much bittering they are giving you.

I considered trying my brew, but didn’t want to end up living in my bathroom For 3 days. Thank you for the tips on the hops. this Is fun! I’m looking forward to my next brew day in a couple weeks.

 

[IslandLizard]

I can recommend reading John Palmer's How to Brew, 4th Ed.

 

[Kickass]

Yes, white layer on top. All spidery looking.

Please be sure to do a very thorough cleaning. I introduced some funk from wine barrel staves I got from a local winery. This was the only time I manically cleaned everything with bleach. You will have this again if you don’t clean thoroughly.

didn’t want to end up living in my bathroom For 3 days.

A little pellicle won’t cause the squirts.

 

[millatime]

Good luck on the third!