Cult Of One Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 On 1/11/2021 at 12:31 AM, Quack Brewer said: Carrying too many English Bitters in PET bottles at once down the corridor.... Dropped one and it split at the base, causing it to spin around a couple of times whilst spraying the walls and floors like a fire extinguisher... Messy.... I picture it like a break dancing back spin 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 16 hours ago, Oldbloke said: Yep, my father did a coopers lager for years. No real temperature control, no idea about hydrometers, just very basic stuff. Always bottled on the 6th day. Never a problem. Produced good grog. My dad still does . Which I don’t understand because he is very handy with electrics and fridges etc. Although I have got him onto kveik in summer now! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 7 minutes ago, RDT2 said: My dad still does . Which I don’t understand because he is very handy with electrics and fridges etc. Although I have got him onto kveik in summer now! I have posted this before but when I was a kid my old man & his brother used to brew in an old plastic garbage bin & would have used plain sugar, their temp control was either an electric blanket or wet towels, fans & standing the bin in the bath with a beaten-up block of ice. In my teen years I can remember tasting it & it was awful but over the years they continued brewing with similar but less primitive methods, but the quality of the brew didn't improve much. Dad passed in 2008 & he has tried mine on different occasions, but he never really commented much just drank it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbloke Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Yep, dad just did coopers lager and a cup of sugar. Avoided hot weather and light globe when it was cold. But did use a good fv. I'm currently using dads old fv. Must be at least 15 years old. Lol. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBooz2 Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 On 10/25/2022 at 3:39 PM, Aussiekraut said: Yeah I know. The rationale behind it is usually that the FV should not be contaminated, hence things being ok. I did actually spray it with Stellarsan around the walls and the rim but apparently not well enough. I don't think I will do another any time soon. Although 17 bucks for two sachets of W34/70 to make a nice lager does sting a little. That is more than the grain going in. @Aussiekraut , sorry to hear of that failure there AK. I have done dozens of dirty batches and so far they turn out just like the first brew, (the lagers possibly much cleaner and crisper due to the over pitch). I never ever interfere or wipe away the previous krausen crud, touch the insides or spray sanitiser on the internal FV walls. I just carefully take the lid off the FV and dump the cube of wort into the yeast cake. I then spray some sanitiser on the inside of the lid, around the rim of the FV only and re-fit the lid. I then spray sanitiser up into the tap (read absolutely flood it) and also up around under the rim lip where my fingers go in order to lift it out of the FV fridge and put it back in the fridge. Did you remember to flood your tap with sanitiser after bottling or kegging as that can bring you unstuck. Also I have no experience with the yeast you used so maybe its a little sneaky on you too. Perhaps @Greenyinthewestofsydney can comment on that yeast strain. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 3 hours ago, iBooz2 said: @Aussiekraut , sorry to hear of that failure there AK. I have done dozens of dirty batches and so far they turn out just like the first brew, (the lagers possibly much cleaner and crisper due to the over pitch). I never ever interfere or wipe away the previous krausen crud, touch the insides or spray sanitiser on the internal FV walls. I just carefully take the lid off the FV and dump the cube of wort into the yeast cake. I then spray some sanitiser on the inside of the lid, around the rim of the FV only and re-fit the lid. I then spray sanitiser up into the tap (read absolutely flood it) and also up around under the rim lip where my fingers go in order to lift it out of the FV fridge and put it back in the fridge. Did you remember to flood your tap with sanitiser after bottling or kegging as that can bring you unstuck. Also I have no experience with the yeast you used so maybe its a little sneaky on you too. Perhaps @Greenyinthewestofsydney can comment on that yeast strain. Not sure if your talking about Verdant or W34/70 but they are both great yeasts. Verdant is my go to for any hoppy beer these days and W34/70 is my tried and true. I use it mostly for Asian Lagers and do 3 batches in a row (initial batch plus 2 dirty batches) works a treat. Never tried Verdant with a dirty batch. I do dirty batches on lagers only. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 Beer from a particular keg was coming out stuttery and foaming. I figured and hoped the ball lock disconnect may have just been clogged or partially jammed, so the easiest solution was to try a new disconnect and hose. Luckily it worked but the beer now tasted rancid. Then it dawned upon me. Note to self: Always clear the hose of sanitiser before pouring beer. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 57 minutes ago, Malter White said: Beer from a particular keg was coming out stuttery and foaming. I figured and hoped the ball lock disconnect may have just been clogged or partially jammed, so the easiest solution was to try a new disconnect and hose. Luckily it worked but the beer now tasted rancid. Then it dawned upon me. Note to self: Always clear the hose of sanitiser before pouring beer. At least you will be clean & pure on the inside Malter. Just watch out when you have a beer you don't start stuttering & foaming. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted November 1, 2022 Share Posted November 1, 2022 Been out for a few days. Come home and go onto the deck to pull a beer. Flies everywhere around my kegerator and something growing on the deck. Seems I have a leak on my IPA. By my estimation probably half a keg has been lost. Doesn't appear to be the connection at the tap but appears to be in the cable tied roll. Will change both tap lines tomorrow. It's time as they are the originals so are about 5 years old. Deck going to have to be cleaned as well 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spursman Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 On 10/6/2022 at 6:47 PM, kmar92 said: I think that a lot of us have done that @iBooz2. I have also lost a stir bar down the drain once after I had forgotten it was in the wort and I dumped the trub down the drain at the end of the ferment, including the stir bar! No, No, No. Pour off any liquid left in the fv, dilute the trub with 5 litres of water and pour it on your vege patch - they love it! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 Massive fail. No pics -trust me pics won't do the foul taste sensation justice. 3rd dirty double batch went south. #1 a KL FWK of Cloud 9 HPA and the KL FWK of Lager wort. Both using ale yeast. The taste of the HPA is just awful - warm mouth feel at the end (like a cheap neat spirit) and a /solvent/chemical/sourly sort of taste . I consider my cleaning and sanitising methods to be in order....I've done some reading and it seems like the wort may have somehow gotten too hot in the FV -I have temp control, but maybe the 3rd go with the yeasty was a bit much - the 3rd brew went nuts and almost spewed out over the rim of the FV . It's possible there was a power outage and being the 3rd dirty batch the wort simply overheated overnight or some such.....In all I have 3 tippers - 3 kegs down the shoot. Sad Day at Mickep's brewery. And no beer left to drink... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 5 minutes ago, Mickep said: Massive fail. No pics -trust me pics won't do the foul taste sensation justice. 3rd dirty double batch went south. #1 a KL FWK of Cloud 9 HPA and the KL FWK of Lager wort. Both using ale yeast. The taste of the HPA is just awful - warm mouth feel at the end (like a cheap neat spirit) and a /solvent/chemical/sourly sort of taste . I consider my cleaning and sanitising methods to be in order....I've done some reading and it seems like the wort may have somehow gotten too hot in the FV -I have temp control, but maybe the 3rd go with the yeasty was a bit much - the 3rd brew went nuts and almost spewed out over the rim of the FV . It's possible there was a power outage and being the 3rd dirty batch the wort simply overheated overnight or some such.....In all I have 3 tippers - 3 kegs down the shoot. Sad Day at Mickep's brewery. And no beer left to drink... Sorry to hear the bad news Mick, that is the pits, hope you get it sorted. I know I will get shot down in flames & I don't care - I will NEVER do a 'dirty batch' as I simply don't trust it. For those that do it, so be it but I keep hearing of fails so that is another reason for me not to do it. Our friend @Aussiekraut reported one recently so I rest my case. In the meantime, it looks like will have to crank up the brewery ASAP. Cheers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 8 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said: Sorry to hear the bad news Mick, that is the pits, hope you get it sorted. I know I will get shot down in flames & I don't care - I will NEVER do a 'dirty batch' as I simply don't trust it. For those that do it, so be it but I keep hearing of fails so that is another reason for me not to do it. Our friend @Aussiekraut reported one recently so I rest my case. In the meantime, it looks like will have to crank up the brewery ASAP. Cheers. For what it's worth I studied this a while ago & although I have only ever re-used the slurry for the next brew a few times I am still hesitant but yesterday the Pale Ale batch yeast was re-used for my Real Ale & it looked & smelt fine, it was stored in the fridge for 10 days. I will only ever repeat this process once though. https://learningtohomebrew.com/how-many-times-can-you-reuse-brewing-yeast/#:~:text=The process of reusing yeast is called yeast,only certain types of yeast should be harvested. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 4 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said: Sorry to hear the bad news Mick, that is the pits, hope you get it sorted. I know I will get shot down in flames & I don't care - I will NEVER do a 'dirty batch' as I simply don't trust it. For those that do it, so be it but I keep hearing of fails so that is another reason for me not to do it. Our friend @Aussiekraut reported one recently so I rest my case. In the meantime, it looks like will have to crank up the brewery ASAP. Cheers. Yeah, I am not in any hurry doing it again On the other hand, some people do it all the time and never have issues. I don't like wasting 5 hours of brewing, just because I was too stingy to use a fresh pack of yeast. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 17 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said: Yeah, I am not in any hurry doing it again On the other hand, some people do it all the time and never have issues. I don't like wasting 5 hours of brewing, just because I was too stingy to use a fresh pack of yeast. Yeah, definitely not on the cards for me, re-using slurry & placing it in a sanitised FV is as far as I will go & I figure if I don't do it all of the time, I further reduce my chances of fails. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmar92 Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 10 hours ago, Mickep said: Massive fail. No pics -trust me pics won't do the foul taste sensation justice. 3rd dirty double batch went south. #1 a KL FWK of Cloud 9 HPA and the KL FWK of Lager wort. Both using ale yeast. The taste of the HPA is just awful - warm mouth feel at the end (like a cheap neat spirit) and a /solvent/chemical/sourly sort of taste . I consider my cleaning and sanitising methods to be in order....I've done some reading and it seems like the wort may have somehow gotten too hot in the FV -I have temp control, but maybe the 3rd go with the yeasty was a bit much - the 3rd brew went nuts and almost spewed out over the rim of the FV . It's possible there was a power outage and being the 3rd dirty batch the wort simply overheated overnight or some such.....In all I have 3 tippers - 3 kegs down the shoot. Sad Day at Mickep's brewery. And no beer left to drink... I reckon Mick that it was caused by an overpitch of yeast, the yeast cells would have multiplied exponentially over 3 brews, and when you put the 3rd brew on top of the yeast cake they just went crazy. Your description of a strong spirit taste and solvent/chemical/sourly sort of taste seems to sort of indicate that. I doubt that it was caused by an infection or some other reason. I am no expert, but that is my thoughts. It would possibly be better to just take a portion of the trub to use in subsequent brews, rather than using the whole yeast cake? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmar92 Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 (edited) Just to add, the strong spirit taste and the solvent taste, all point to a high level of fusel alcohols that may have been caused by an overactive ferment due to an overpitch of yeast. I know that you have already dumped them, but Palmer says they should dissipate over time (conditioning). No doubt @Classic Brewing Co will disagree and have a different opinion as he does not like the idea of laying down a brew on a used trub!! A lot of people do it though with very good results and zero problems. Edited November 9, 2022 by kmar92 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 3 hours ago, kmar92 said: I reckon Mick that it was caused by an overpitch of yeast, the yeast cells would have multiplied exponentially over 3 brews, and when you put the 3rd brew on top of the yeast cake they just went crazy. Your description of a strong spirit taste and solvent/chemical/sourly sort of taste seems to sort of indicate that. I doubt that it was caused by an infection or some other reason. I am no expert, but that is my thoughts. It would possibly be better to just take a portion of the trub to use in subsequent brews, rather than using the whole yeast cake? Yes, that's what I'm reading too. Over pitch. I was not reducing the trub/yeastcake as each brew was placed in the FV one after the other. I've tipped one but I could wait to see if the others come good I guess.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 21 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said: I will NEVER do a 'dirty batch' as I simply don't trust it. Not that I like the terminology but it works great for some beers. A Russian Imperial Stout goes very well on a yeast cake. As do the Flanders and Berliner. Generally when I reuse I'll use some trub, not the whole thing. 7 hours ago, Mickep said: I could wait to see if the others come good I'd wait, it may well clean up okay 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, beach_life said: Not that I like the terminology but it works great for some beers. A Russian Imperial Stout goes very well on a yeast cake. As do the Flanders and Berliner. Generally when I reuse I'll use some trub, not the whole thing. I'd wait, it may well clean up okay It works really well with Baltic Porters too! I do it all the time with lagers! I have made about 14 batches with my southern German lager yeast. ( I make a starter and harvest some then use it for three batches and then toss it and make another starter with portions I harvested) I have done it with US05 and S04 but removed some of the cake. I always remove the tap and sanitise between batches as I have the coopers fermenter. I haven’t had a problem touch wood. I always go light beer to dark beer or keep it the same. I think if you are careful with your sanitation it should be fine I always boil the crap out of my jars and flasks etc! Edited November 9, 2022 by RDT2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 28 minutes ago, RDT2 said: I do it all the time with lagers! Yes, I think from memory so to does our mate @iBooz2. Says they get better each batch. I clean and sanitise the crap out of everything so I'm confident my cleaning process is in order. I think @kmar92 might be right about the overpitch and the wort possibly generating way too much heat....From what I'm reading ale yeast is prone to fusel alcohols during this type of brewing especially seeing I was not reducing the amount of yeast cake from brew to brew. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 2 hours ago, beach_life said: I'd wait, it may well clean up okay Cheers mate - will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 (edited) Not a super fail but I didn't know where else to post this. Old outdoor fridge is my fermenting chamber. It cost me zip and it's got a crappy coat of cheap, black spray paint, of which one can exploded and made the paint job very dodgy but it works like a champion. Newer stainless steel, indoor fridge cost $200 and while it's been good to have something that will fit kegs, the freezer doesn't work well and continually needs defrosting (even though it's supposed to be frost free). If it doesn't get defrosted it raises the fridge temperature and drinks aren't very cold. So I start perusing the latest Aldi catalogue and there's a fridge for $349. The missus doesn't want me buying another fridge. So I suggest I could swap the two fridges over but that would mean bringing the old ugly one inside. Blow me down - she said, "OK. We'll just close the man cave door when people come over." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Anyway it looks like I'll need to give the old unit a sanding and a decent paint job. Even I think it's too ugly for inside as is. Edited November 9, 2022 by Malter White 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 (edited) 13 hours ago, kmar92 said: It would possibly be better to just take a portion of the trub to use in subsequent brews, rather than using the whole yeast cake? If I try a dirty batch again - although I'm a bit gun shy at the minute I will be reducing the yeast cake each batch. I'll also possibly ferment at cooler temps - I ferment my ales at 18 degrees. I might try 16 degrees for dirty batches.....I've got two temp strips on the Coopers FV's and the inkbird probe attached to the outside of the FV as well. It's possible these read cooler than the temp of the actual wort I'm guessing, especially when the yeast party starts. Edited November 9, 2022 by Mickep 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted November 13, 2022 Share Posted November 13, 2022 Just lifted the Lid on the fermenter to take out the Dry Hop Forgot to hold the string, it dropped to the bottom! Tried to hook it with the spoon but that was a fail, only stirred up the yeast cake. Quick spray of the arm and plunged into the depths to retrieve the hops. Might let it sit for another day before bottling! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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