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Yeast & Fermentation
#1

If my first batch is infected with something.
I have a stout in secondary, and after a week I have orange spots on top of the fluid. It still smells good, as in the way it smelled in transfer.

What signs would I look for to confirm a bad batch. I searched on here for infected batches, but all I saw was fungus/mold looking contamination.

Cant post pics here since I have a iPhone (unless someone knows how to do that, inform me please)

So I’m ready to give more detail, when asked… So what do ya need to know?

-Lanham

#2

its hard to say. how orange is it? it could very well just be krausen

with an iphone you can take a picture, then email the picture to yourself. save the image, and upload it on here with the ‘upload attachment’ tool

#3

I would say a hunter or blaze orange, and doesn’t the Krausen go away after the first 5-7 days. The orange spots started as one or two that I could see on the edge of the Carboy.

Left it covered for a few days maybe 7. When I looked again to check the air lock for water… Orange spots all across the top.

It’s looks like orange pepper sprinkled on top of black water.

Hopes that helps alittle more.

Oh and yeast was Irish ale.

#4

interesting. usually its pretty rare that a first batch is infected. new brewers are pretty uptight about sanitation. most get infections later due to scratches in plastic and used equipment.

try to send us a picture if you can

#5

I take pictures with my Droid, crop them some, then upload from it.
If I phones are that different,then that probably doesn’t help you any.

#6

I just observed this with two of my lagers, a red and a schwarz. I sampled both and they were perfect. If it smells fine, chances are the beer is fine. Taste to be sure.

#7

First- just bottled the spotted stout… And I tasted it. My first AG stout tastes like burnt fruit… Ok maybe roasted flowers, and not really in a bad why. It’s drinkable, can’t wait to see how it tastes after conditioning.
Second- so after 3weeks in primary, and 2weeks in secondary the gravity is still at 1.050. Now I had never tested it for og, but should it be lower for bottling?
Third-I need to get a computer… So I can upload pics and post them. The button to is grayed out, if someone wants to message me with a walkthrough, I would be thankful. But it is about time I built another computer anyway.
Thank for all the help
-Lanham

#8

the gravity should definitely be lower if you are going to bottle… are you using a refractometer or a hydrometer

#9

Hydrometer.
And tested it with distilled water.

#10

This doesn’t sound good. We need some details post boil.

#1 Did your yeast pack swell?
#2 What temp did you pitch your yeast at?
#3 How soon did fermentation start ( if it did)?

I’m a little worried your yeast was dead, and if the wort sits for that long wild yeast and bacteria will take over and ruin the beer. I hope I’m wrong.

#11

Yeast pack swelled-yes
Temp- 70 degrees and active krausen in 24 hrs

This is my first AG, is it possible that I got far too much of the other partialates

And the fluid is black as sin, I think I used far too much black malt… Could that be the reason after 5 weeks it still so high.

#12

Sounds good so far, how about the recipe and the mashing procedure. Also OG and FG.

#13

No OG, didnt have a way to check at the time. So I went off of what ibrew said.

Warp project #1

Style: American Stout OG: 1.064
Type: Partial Mash FG: 1.017
Rating: 0.0 ABV: 6.16 %
Calories: 210 IBU’s: 51.99
Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 5.83 Gal
Color: 167.9 SRM Batch Size: 5.00 Gal
Boil Time: 60 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Primary 21 days @ 70.0°F
Secondary 14 days @ 70.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
7.50 lbs 52.63 % Black (Patent) Malt 60 mins 1.025
1.75 lbs 12.28 % Weyermann Chocolate Rye 60 mins 1.032
3.00 lbs 21.05 % Briess Golden Light DME 30 mins 1.045
2.00 lbs 14.04 % Chocolate Malt 60 mins 1.034

Hops
Amount IBU’s Name Time AA %
2.00 ozs 28.29 Fuggles 60 mins 4.50
1.00 ozs 9.66 Saaz 30 mins 4.00
2.00 ozs 14.04 Fuggles 15 mins 4.50

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
1.00 pkg Irish Ale Wyeast Labs 1084

Additions
Amount Name Time Stage
8.00 oz Coffee 15 mins Mash
8.00 oz Coffee 15 mins Boil

#14

7.5 lbs black patent??? ive never heard of anyone using that as a base. its intensely roasted, people use it in very small portions because of the strong flavor and color it imparts, measured in the ounces, not lbs. im not positive because ive never heard of such a thing, but id assume that there is a LOT of unfermentables in black patent. thats probably your issue… and its probably done fermenting… and less than 2% alcohol… that beer is nearly 80% roasted malt, where did you get that recipe?

#15

Either you typed that recipe wrong or whoever came up with it has no idea what they’re doing. The SRM on that beer would be like 150-200. With all that black patent, chocolate rye and chocolate malt, it would be undrinkable.

#16

So the story goes… I wanted a stout, with no knowledge of how to make one and this is before I got Ibrew. I had ordered a sack for NB, cause I thought that’s how you made stout. I know now that I was an idiot! I had only seen one of the beertv vids that showed how to make a mash tun. And just understood the rest of the process.
I have always been that guy, that jumps into thing blind. I will learn as I go, mistakes are how you learn.
So I got ibrew and saw that the SRM of the first was leaps and bounds darker than the other stouts.
And that brew is the reason why I got all the right equip. Now. Live and learn. Second batch was tested before going into Carboy. And I know I made mistakes on that one too. Too high of temps.

In one of my earlier posts I said that I thought its gravity might be high due to unfermentables.
I will drink one and see how it turns out in a week, then drink one in two weeks and see, until I know that its a failure.

Either way thanks for the help, and look forward to chatting later.

-Lanham

#17

Gonna tell ya’ right now. I wouldn’t even think of drinking that beer. Your mouth may implode into itself and a black hole may actually begin to take form in your face. Just sayin, you were warned.

Seriously though… black patent, chocolate rye and chocolate malt are used in small amounts to add color, roastiness, some bitterness and chocolate/coffee flavors. So yeah, they’re good in a stout, but not to those levels.

You should pick up a copy of ‘How to Brew’ or another brewing book and read the basics on creating recipes. It’s pretty easy. You just need to understand the differences in base malts, roasted malts, crystals and adjuncts.

Also, read the BJCP guidelines for a certain type of beer is always a great way to start figuring out a recipe.

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php
#18

in the beginning i made my fair share of mistakes as well. its no big deal, sorry for the bad news. its always a good idea to start off with some tried and true recipes, then work your way up to building your own

good luck :cheers:

#19

15% off kits at NB… Bought some last night.

Again, thanks guy.

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