Is my batch ruined?

What went wrong? Was this supposed to happen? Should I throw it out? What do I do now?

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achau
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 12:18 am

Is my batch ruined?

Post by achau »

Hi,
I recently brewed a Light Wheat Ale, partial mash, and used a Hefeweissen liquid yeast. It took about 36 hrs for fementation to began. Once it began, it was going crazy. The foam blew right through my airlock and sprayed everywhere! I was not home during that time, and when I returned 2 days later, the airlock was crusted with dried wort, yeast etc. I had to remove the airlock and replace with new one.
I've since racked my beer and its been conditioning in the bottle for about 1 week. When I look into my bottles, I see some sort of sediment inside the beer. It almost looks like slime, but because of the brown bottle I can't be sure. Is my beer ruined? or is that the cloudy nature of Hefeweissen? I did taste the wert right before bottling and it tasted fine. Anyone with experience with this?

Andy
Brewer2001
Double IPA
Double IPA
Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2001 1:56 am

Slime?

Post by Brewer2001 »

Andy,

Wheat ales and Hefeweissens are by nature cloudy and will take time to settle, if they do at all. The also have a distinct phenolic (medicinal or bannana) aroma. This is a character of the yeast.

I have a couple of suggestions for your future batches.

First make some 'simple' ales. Homebrewers tend to 'jump around' with out getting a handle on brewing. This increases their learning curve. If you find a style that you like brew it until you can get consistancy.

Secondly, ALL yeast needs to be produced as a starter to get the best fermentation. Other may disagree, and you may get fermentation, but good quick fermentations come from conditioned yeast brought pitching 'strength' in a low gravity wort.

Third, rig a blow off tube on your airlock. This will enable you to fill your fermenter closer to the top, should the need arise. You may want to get a larger fermenter to give the beer more head space.

For this batch I would open one and decant it into a clear glass (do this warm). This will help you determine if it is bad. At warmer temperatures you will be able to taste more of the beer flavors. If the 'slime' is rope-like you have aceobactor bacteria and probably dump the batch. If not and it does not taste bad let it sit.

Good brewing,

Tom F.
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