You have to be #$W(%&$W(*% kidding me

[CDGoin]

Proof no matter how long you have been doing this you sometimes screw up royally.

Transferring from Primary to secondary..

Secondary is a 25L S.S. Deep Caverns container (with a Petcock Valve)

Transferring is going well, I think everything is clean as possible, that said, its been a few months since I last brewed.. but something seems "off" and can't put my finger on it.

Maybe its the gurgling noise.. don't remember that..

Maybe its that I don't remember this much empty space in the secondary.

Then it hits me as the last drop is transferred - #$@#%@%^$$$ (Remember the part about Petcock valve.. >.< )

I look over and realize the petcock is open on the secondary ( Thankfully its in the sink.. so its not making a mess..) Lost ~3 gallons of a 5 gallon batch.. :smack:

Taste the sample.. and I am about now 100% more pissed at myself than I was when I closed the petcock.. as I know the best part of the batch went down the drain.

I swear sometimes I feel as I am never going to get a batch I can 100% replicate or for that matter try out in my corny keg.

Speaking of which.. ( This is actually the reason for my tale of woe.. )

Now that I have 2 ( MAYBE 2.5 ) gallons.. how much harder is it going to be to use the corny keg and get it up to pressure..?

I just got the kegerator system and such for Christmas and I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I assume I will burn up a good bit more CO2..?

 

[fj605]

You shouldn't have any issues getting it to carb. Just be sure to purge the keg. I've kegged 2.5 gallon batches in five gallon kegs before with no issues.

 

[brrman]

OMG dude - sorry for your loss!

The pressure in the corny will be fine. Should not take much more CO2. You still serve after running through half the keg right? No worries there.

 

[CDGoin]

Thanks, at least that makes me feel a little better.

The other issue I was sitting this on a lb of honey with wood chips ( Boiled the honey with a quart of water and a bag of oak barrel chips )

Well HOPEFULLY the Yeast that are left can handle that much extra sugar.

I guess all said though.. if the little buggers handle it and ferment it.. This could be a wickedly strong beer. Maybe more Scottish Ale than Oktoberfest ( most my beers start as a base Oktoberfest grain bill.. its what I like. )

I have done this before with really good results.

I have tried honey in the boil, honey at boil end, and honey in secondary.. and find the honey in secondary leaves more honey finish, and pumps the ABV a bit less than at the end of boil. Gives a high ABV, yet not too dry and a touch sweet.

This was the first time boiling the honey and water mix with the wood chips and letting them soak it up. I was trying for a unique finish. I guess it will be unique now, as I don't think unless this comes out unbelieveable that I will dump half my batch.

 

[Hoppity]

Been there, done that...except it was a brew day:
11gal batch, transferred about 4 into 1st bucket, then changed to 2nd thinking I'd balance the trub between the two at the end. Got busy cleaning up when #1 Son drives up and says: "Is that supposed to be draining onto the driveway?"
Homer forehead slap "Doh!" (not my words exactly).
Lost about 4 Gallons. Split the batch 4&3 into 2 cornies. Carbed up fine.
Thanks for the reminder, that anxiety closet door hasn't been opened in awhile.

 

[FatDragon]

Makes me glad my sink is so small and I don't have a bathtub. I've done one transfer (kettle to primary) with the valve open but the spreading puddle on the kitchen floor was a dead giveaway - only lost about a half gallon before catching it. If the ale pail had been in a sink methinks I would have lost the whole batch...

 

[C-Rider]

Did that once going into the bottling bucket. Lucky I only lost about 2 bottles worth.

 

[unionrdr]

I was pouring the ESB wort through my strainer into the Cooper's Micro Brew FV last night & I still don't know how the heck I spilled about a pint all over the fermenter stand & running onto the floor? Then the tightened-down spigot popped loose & it was leaking. Had to screw it back in about half a turn to re-tighten it. Must've pulled some threads? So the OG that was 1.060 last time was 1.054 this time. Dammit.

 

[CDGoin]

Glad I am not the only one.. (BTW printed big sign and posted on wall.. CHECK YOUR COCK.. Should make for fun second looks..)

On a positive note.. the secondary fired up again with the Honey.. and the yeast are having a field day. Crossing my fingers when the secondary is done, and I go to lager it will be a fine beer. I have a sneaking feeling this will be my best beer. Of course one I will never be able to replicate, and have very little of..

But if calcs are right on the honey mixture and where the beer was supposed to end up (without the honey) I maybe looking at a 12% or so ABV. But it maybe have a lot of sweetness, almost scottish "lager" territory.

 

[unionrdr]

When my ingredients come in for the Kottbusser, I was thinking of adding the honey (1.3oz) & unsulfured molasses (1/2oz) to secondary to see if it adds a tiny bit of flavor? Having no original recipe surviving from the early 16th century, I'm thinking secondary might be the way to go?

 

[CDGoin]

When my ingredients come in for the Kottbusser, I was thinking of adding the honey (1.3oz) & unsulfured molasses (1/2oz) to secondary to see if it adds a tiny bit of flavor? Having no original recipe surviving from the early 16th century, I'm thinking secondary might be the way to go?

This is what I notice with Honey.. ( I use it a lot.. its a cheap way to get 1-2% ABV..

1) In Mash = No real major flavor difference.. a slight Belgian flavor comes through.

2) In Boil = brings the honey sweetness in and again slightly a Belgian tang to it

3) In secondary = Lot more sweetness.. and can really decern the honey

I recommend if you secondary, do it just as it slows down but yeast are still active. Take a OG before an after.

In Secondary isnt a real issue if you Keg. You can stop the yeast when ever you want and the flavor is where you want it. BUT If your bottling.. make sure you still get to your expected FG. otherwise you maybe left with too much sugar.

I Lager and Keg.. so no worry about that on my end.

 

[unionrdr]

Hm, well...from what I've been learning about German beers, adding it at flame out might be best to just add a bit to the complexity from what you're saying. They're known for well-balanced beers & that's what I'm shooting for at this point.

 

[IslandLizard]

Sorry about your lost beer. You aren't a brewer until you've done something like this. Why not brew another batch this weekend and pitch it on half the yeast cake? Turn it into a batch and a half.

Purging that half full keg will take quite a bit of extra CO2. Since every time you add some, it mixes in with the gas that was leftover from the previous purge.

I would do this:
Fill the keg with Starsan, push the Starsan out with CO2. Now you've got a keg filled with 100% CO2. Remove the gas post, pour the remaining Starsan out. Reset the post. Fill the keg through the liquid post, with the PRV open. When done close the PRV and pressurize. No need to purge. Half Beer / half CO2.

 

[madscientist451]

Bummer, at least it was in your sink, I once lost 5 gallons of a fine porter because of valve that unexpectedly broke. Lost it all and it soaked into the wood floor of a closet I was using as a fermentation chamber. The beer smell actually went away quicker than I thought it would.

 

[madscientist451]

Bummer, at least it was in your sink, I once lost 5 gallons of a fine porter because of valve that unexpectedly broke. Lost it all and it soaked into the wood floor of a closet I was using as a fermentation chamber. The beer smell actually went away quicker than I thought it would.