After about 3 years on I ended up not being able to brew for about 1.5 years. Things that could have gone wrong did.
I was planning to brew last weekend and smacked my yeast pack. It sat on the counter for a week at 65-70 degrees. Is this a problem?
I was brewing in a new place and didn’t realize my kettle didn’t fit the sink. I added cold water to help cook it down. Would this cause any issue adding cold water to the kettle before dumping it into the carboy?
In pouring into the carboy, I spilled a bunch on the floor. Any tips when you are dumping to prevent spills?
After I top off the carboy to five gallons with cold water, my temperature is still way above what I could pitch my yeast at so now it is sitting waiting to cool. Anything that I should expect, or not expect since I waited so long to pitch?
A day like you had is not the best way to get back into brewing. Not a total disaster though. Some planning and you will be ready for the next one.
The yeast could be a little stressed but not much. You could make a quick half liter vitality starter while the wort is cooling if you have some DME on hand. 50 grams to a half liter. Probably won’t get a krausen forming before your wort is down to the low 60°F range to pitch the yeast. It will give the yeast a start though.
Do you have snow where you are located. Set the fermentor in tub and add snow with some water for faster cooling. Next brew day you could have gallon jugs of water at near freezing to top off in the fermentor. Some ice for the tub to set the boil kettle in.
I had been pouring the chilled wort from the boil kettle through a funnel with a strainer into the carboy. My wife would sit in a chair to hold the funnel up right. A piece of copper wire in the mouth of the carboy for displaced air to escape through rather than burping in side the funnel.
Now I pour into a bucket that holds a mesh bag for straining. Tube from the buckets spigot into the carboy. I think I put pictures of old way and new way in the DIY category.
This is just a quick response. We can surely solve your brew day problems so you can look forward to the next one.
I would before i start a sort of battle plan. Got everything in order. Before you start. The yeast maybe stressed a bit. But make a starter. I might works. The yeast. For the rest just do it make notes. And brew
Did the yeast pack swell up? If so you at least know it is viable. If it’s an Activator from Wyeast and your beer isn’t a high gravity, you might get away with just pitching it. A starter would still be cheap insurance though.
To get the wort into a carboy without spilling, look into one of the giant funnels made just for that like this one 9" Anti-Splash Funnel w/ Strainer
