Possible Infection?
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This discussion was created from comments split from: Temp controller.The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
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Love the new site, thanks for the help
I like the thermowell route, but the ferm chamber is intriguing. I have heard a chest freezer is an easy option, even if it does not work great you can use a heating pad of sorts I see in Midwest brewing. Room for one is an issue. I am using a downstairs bathroom shower as a ferm room, but keeping it warm enough is hard. Stays around 66F, and a few of my recents beers have continued to ferment in the bottles, they end up foaming a lot and the flavor changes as well. They were stable in the secondary, but I suspect they were stuck, even though they were pretty close to my target FG. I think it might have something to do with the temp, but of course I don't actually know. I am trying to remove some unknowns. Probably another question for another thread, but if you guys are willing, let's ride this out here. -
I struggle to keep temps up in the winter and down in the summer. The thermowell with the ferm wrap worked great on my black saison. i was able to start fermentation around 75 then ramp to 78 and then 80 and held it there.
In the summer i plan on using the kegerator as the ferm chamber.
Once thing you may want to try on your fermentation is to leave it in primary for a minimum of 3 weeks and longer for higher gravity beers. This will allow a couple of things to occur. 1) fermentation you know will be done when you move to secondary (if you secondary) 2) it allows the yeast to completely flocc out and will ultimately give you a cleaner beer.
Sounds like you are thinking about things ion the right way. -
what styles are you making that might be getting stuck, and what yeast?
change of flavor and lots of foam almost sounds like an infection.
house is set on 58 in the winter, and all my beers ferment just fine. i give them 3-4 weeks in the primary, then keg and force carb.
fermenters get placed in the living room, which has a fireplace so it warms up for 5 hours or so every night.
as everyone here knows (you know this as well) i don't take the beer side of alcohol making all that serious, wine/mead/cider....well, that's a different story -
Could be an infection, you got me. I have had trouble with a Belgian blonde. Only my third brew, very proud after conditioning. Then a few weeks later they became fizzy and off flavor. Then a strong ale. Same thing pretty much. Also that one seems to have separated as well, first half of un-mixed bottle is off flavor, bottom of bottle is better. I started turning those over before opening, they sort of explode, foam at pouring, but flavor is pretty good. Presentation obviously bad, I stopped giving them out.
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This is odd. I had a friend email me the exact same situation this morning. 12 oz bottles great the bombers are almost like two beers. Overly foamy, top not so good bottom tastes good and two different colors.
This one is beyond my knowledge. -
sounds like an infection to me, age some of those, especially the blonde, and see if they turn into sours.
get me one of those bottles of strong ale at the next meeting and i'll tell you if its infected. -
Dumped all the blondes, all turned awful. I have a lot of bombers of strong left I will get you one. Seeing Mindy in two weeks at next meeting. Most are still in cool, storage temp, not in fridge. Hope you have some insight. If infected, a whole new string of comments. I can't wait.
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Benvarine said:
Dumped all the blondes, all turned awful. I have a lot of bombers of strong left I will get you one. Seeing Mindy in two weeks at next meeting. Most are still in cool, storage temp, not in fridge. Hope you have some insight. If infected, a whole new string of comments. I can't wait.
This is a great discussion. Thanks for posting and keep asking questions, stories, etc.
