My first failure (I think!)

[barley ben]

Last night I racked my rauch into the secondary and as always gave it a taste. It was real medicinal. First thing I did was pull out Palmer's book and it says it is caused by chlorine. I do sanitize my glass with it and always rinse with alot of hot water. I know that is what it was because when I had filled the primary, I remember smelling a bit of bleach. Didn't notice it till I started filling which was too late. Just thought the smell was in the air in the carboy. Guess not. It's sitting in my secondary right now and I don't know what to do. It really wasn't very good. Should I dump it? Never had this problem before.

[kutuyach]

NO, do not dump it just yet. Bottle it, let it carbonate, chill and try it. And in future do not use bleach !! Use Yodofor. It is more expensive, but much more convenient, too. First, you only have to let it be in contact for only 5 minutes. Second, you only need to airdry it. No rinsing is necessary. Actually, rinsing is bad, because you are desanitizing with water something you have just sanitized !

[ray m]

I would do what Kut' said...you never know, maybe aging it some in bottles, with carbonation, may do it some good. It sure as hell can't hurt!! I used to use bleach solution to sanitize things, until I got sick & tired of rinsing, rinsing & rinsing. I've heard great things about Iodophor...I use Starsan, which is great stuff, too. Two minute contact time, no rinsing & no air drying required.

[tubetek]

Howdy-
There's also a great product called 1-Step that you mix 1Tbs/Gal water; No rinse and oxygen based! I've been using it to sanitize everythind on brew day. I just mix 4 or 5 Gal in a plastic bucket...
Avoid rinsing to avoid chance of re-contamination.
Enjoy

[Tom C]

Originally posted by tubetek
Howdy-
There's also a great product called 1-Step that you mix 1Tbs/Gal water; No rinse and oxygen based! I've been using it to sanitize everythind on brew day. I just mix 4 or 5 Gal in a plastic bucket...
Avoid rinsing to avoid chance of re-contamination.
Enjoy

I beleive this is just a cleaner and not a sanitizer. I recommend it to clean, but also sanitize with Idophor.

Tom C

[fuji6100]

Actually, One-step is an excellent sanitizer. I've used it successfully since I began brewing.

Here is the description right off of Northernbrewer

"Contains no chlorine, which can leave a film on glassware and corrode stainless steel. One Step is an excellent oxygen based sanitizer. Sanitizes with two minutes of contact time, no rinsing required! Environmentally friendly. Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water."

[Fast_Eddy]

I have always used One Step on everything except my kegs and keg lines. It's all I've ever needed - and (I can't believe I'm gonna say this) I've never had an infected batch. Geez now I know I'll have a plague of Lactobacillus descend on my house.

For the keg and lines I use Iodophor.

[ray m]

Yep, you went ahead & said it, Eddy. I don't have to tell you what's next!! Doh!

[barley ben]

I usually use bleach every few batches, but only on my glass. I have never had a problem till now. I do admit it is a pain in the a$$ to rinse it all out and after what happened here I may never do it again. I thought I had it all out but found out too late that I didn't. As far as sanitizers, I've used one step since I started and just bought iodophor about a month ago. Personally, I find no difference except one step doen't need to air dry. Just rinse a bit, pull it out and its ready to go.

[danno]

like Ray, I use StarSan to sanitize and am extremely happy with it. it has a nice foaming action that gets into all the nooks and crannies of my kegs, and the 16oz bottle I bought at least 6 months ago is still half full. And I really dig the built in measuring...

[Quoodle]

After about 10 years of brewing i too just had a bad batch - (for the first time ever):( I jinxed myself on this board when I mentioned my problem free brewing - I have never been overly superstitious \ but will do my best not to offend the beer gods again.

My beer was quite sour - a contamination problem I am sure and I am starting to rethink my sanitizing after the above posts - I have only ever used bleach untill this point.

the beer tastes slightly like a non fruity kriek - if you can imagine that - with the distinct tartness. The only thing I did differently this time is leave my cleaned bottles for a few extra hours in the dishwasher - I usually boil them in the hot water of the dishwasher and then bottle soon afterwards - this time I waited a few hours. I also used cheese cloth in my wort to hold the hops and I wonder if some contamination entered this way although it was boiling so I am unsure. I also wonder if I gargeled with alchohol each time I siphoned - I think this would be rare because I enjoy the Scotch gargle so much - but I am wondering?


It is drinkable - yet sour at this point so I will just be extra clean next time and keep my fingers crossed.

[Beerconnoisseur]

Originally posted by Quoodle
I also wonder if I gargeled with alchohol each time I siphoned - I think this would be rare because I enjoy the Scotch gargle so much - but I am wondering?

:eek: What's the matter with a good auto-siphon (http://www.northernbrewer.com/siphon.html) ? Your mouth is full of bacteria, so there's really no need to use it for siphoning purposes... doing so is just begging for trouble.

[mmmBeer...]

Bought some Star San…love it and will never use anything else again! Although getting past the fact that bubbles (foam) would not hurt the beer took some time!

I have to import the stuff from the US, as no one in Canada sells it, and even though I emailed the company asking for Canadian distributors and never heard back (talk about shitty customer relations), I will still use their product.

No rinse…2 minute contact time…what can beat it?

Just my honest opinion.

[paul84043]

Star San....

I thought it was only 30 second contact time???

It's what I use and judging by the rate that it dissolves skin off my hands, it's damn good stuff!!!

:D

[MagTheGrate]

judging by the rate that it dissolves skin off my hands,

MAN! It dissolves your SKIN!?!??? I use the stuff all the time and have never had any problem. And I pride myself on my soft supple never done an honest days work in my life hands. :D

-Mag

[ray m]

Quoodle....beerconn' is very wise. I've had an auto siphon for about a year & it works great. It only costs a few bucks & is well worth it. Highly recommended!!! Your germy mouth will never never have to blow into your embryonic brew again!! I switched because I was getting paranoid about my own germy mouth blowing in CO2 to start a siphon.

Paul...where are you getting YOUR Starsan? Eating the skin off your hands?!? Yikes!! Are you perhaps thinking about some mutant hydrochloric acid-based cleaner you developed in the lab??

[paul84043]

Yeah...
One day I'll make a batch, the next maybe I'll bottle one and a day later, my hands are rough like I took sandpaper to them...

I always took it as a sign that the stuff really works...maybe I mix it too strong??
I usually fill up a 5 gallon bucket and put 1 ounce in it...

[mmmBeer...]

That is the way it is supposed to be mixed one ounce to 5 gallons. But I have never had it eat my skin. The one time I had a problem with it was after I had done a bunch of cleaning around the house…my skin was already pretty dried out and the star san just seemed to finish it off. My skin was in rough shape for a few days and really itchy!

[paul84043]

I just buy it from my Local Homebrew shop... nothing special, maybe I just have very delicate skin??

[Quoodle]

I have never used an Autosiphon - just always did it the same I guess, but I think I will have to get one. Although contrary to a few on this board I really hate buying new gizmos. I have two glass carboys, a thermo & hydrometer - a hose (which I admit I replace occasionally) and a brewpot that have moved with me through 3 homes and two countries and I am happy with the familier. In retrospect - after my first sour beer episode I guess I should get a Autosiphon. Especially after hearing the wisdom on this board I think I will embrace change and leave my sentimental ways behind.

On a plus note I have drank the sour beer now for a few days and I am starting to enjoy it a bit. I just could'nt bear going to the beer store to make a 'purchase'. The brew has hints of many flavours actually, and seems less sour each day - although I know the reverse is likely true. Its taste seems quite alchoholly (is that a word?) each time I drink it - kind of like a sour Unibroue la fin du monde - the alchoholly taste I mean - if anyone can imagine that

I dont know if I would like to duplicate it even if I could - but I am starting to eye the last bottle (about 40 away) and wonder if I will miss him when he's gone

[paul84043]

There's actually nothing wrong with your beer...it's just sour...mix it with one that's sweet...

The Autosiphon is 12$ and worth every penny.

If you dunk the end in sanitizing solution and put the end of the hose in too, you can pump solition through your hose really fast...it's cool..

[Quoodle]

Paul I guess the concept of "wrong" "beer" is debatable but I would state that their is something "off" about it. I have made a very similar beer several times before (I may have altered the finishing hops a bit come to think of it) and it has never tasted close to sour.

I have accepted that a wild yeast/bacteria entered the brew and recognized that this was not my best brewing effort. Due to the amount of floaties in some beers (which my wife often orders me to toss, or at least double my life insurance) I will have to lable this batch as undesirable, if not exactly "wrong". The good news is I have been able to drink - often when my wife is not home - about half the beer so far, so all is not lost.

[MagTheGrate]

The good news is I have been able to drink - often when my wife is not home - about half the beer so far, so all is not lost.

My first batch tasted like cardboard soaked in vinegar... I STILL managed to choke it all down :D

-Mag

[barley ben]

My first unofficial batch(Mr. Beer) tasted like that. And yeah, I still drank it!!! Drink and learn from your mistakes.

[barley ben]

I can't believe I just gave that advice and I'm the one that started this thread about if I should dump this batch. I don't know what I was thinking but the batch is still in secondary and I'm bottling this weekend. Gonna learn from my mistakes!

[paul84043]

Quoodle, My point was (sort of) that you may well have gotten an infected batch of beer, but that doesn't mean it's going to kill you if you drink it (obviously..) It's just going to taste "different", that's all...
I'd try mixing it with different types if you have any on hand, you never know, you may find a combination that's actually really good. Or you might find one that masks the sourness almost completely.
I have an "Ultimate Porter" from Annapolis Home Brew, it's my one batch that I have had the hardest time drinking, I've probably only wiped out 4 or 5 of them in 5 months....

I found that if I mix them with a lighter beer, they're actually pretty dang good. In fact, I have a batch of Kolsch that didn't carbonate, so I put the two of them together and I have a winner!!..

[Quoodle]

I have now tried a few mixes with the sour batch and I find I enjoy it each time. The best addition has been a ginger flavoured porter that I made around Christmas and right now I am drinking it with a shot of scotch - the scotch masks the flavour a bit and gives it an extra kick. Not quite an 'all' beer anymore but well worth the effort to walk to the liquor cabinet:)

Has anyone ever read the amount of alcohol by volume (or by weight if you know it) that you boost a glass of beer if you add lets say a tablespoon (or two, three etc) of typical 80 proof alchohol? I once read that a quick adjunct to boost alchohol % was vodka / I just could never remeber the reference to know the amounts and percentages

[barley ben]

So I didn't dump it that god! I bottled it last week and after the secondary most of the off flavor is gone. Still taste it a bit warm and flat but its defenitely going away. Hoping to lose the rest of it while it carbonates. If not, its still drinkable. Glad I couldn't get myself to dump it. After primary, it was so bad that there was no way I could have drank it. Getting better though!