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  • #76
    Thanks for the hopping advice guys!

    I'll keep it all in mind when day 7 comes up and I do a hydrometer reading. Haven't decided on whether I'll be doing secondary or not yet.

    However I am a bit bleak today as it is day 14 in the primary for my stout so I gave it another test and all the wonderful flavours (coffee and chocolate) that were there a few days ago are now gone and have been replaced with sour notes and there is white and black gritty sediment and flakes that have formed (which taste almost woody). My fermentation got stuck at 1022 after the first week (OG of 1044) and I followed some advice of pitching an extra 1g of yeast and giving the bucket a shake. The gravity is still at 1022 and I think I have infected the batch as well. Very sad day indeed.

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    • #77
      Post a photo
      The Problem With The World Is That Everyone Is A Few Drinks Behind.!

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      • #78
        Originally posted by HoboSpit View Post
        Thanks for the hopping advice guys!

        I'll keep it all in mind when day 7 comes up and I do a hydrometer reading. Haven't decided on whether I'll be doing secondary or not yet.

        However I am a bit bleak today as it is day 14 in the primary for my stout so I gave it another test and all the wonderful flavours (coffee and chocolate) that were there a few days ago are now gone and have been replaced with sour notes and there is white and black gritty sediment and flakes that have formed (which taste almost woody). My fermentation got stuck at 1022 after the first week (OG of 1044) and I followed some advice of pitching an extra 1g of yeast and giving the bucket a shake. The gravity is still at 1022 and I think I have infected the batch as well. Very sad day indeed.
        Relax. I don't know why, but my stouts generally get a "white layer" on top. They've all been fine, including the one I'm drinking now. It's the only beer that gets this, and it's also the only beer I make with lactose, so I think it has something to do with that. Anyway, unless the beer tastes bad, bottled it and drink it.

        PS: What stout are you making? Dry? Sweet? With lactose? Those sort of questions are interesting and help to pinpoint possible problems.

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        • #79
          Unfortunately it's not a white layer on top or anything like that. It's big chunks that clump together on the bottom after a pour (definitely not yeast). Maybe it is the lactose as it's the first time I'm using it. But I didn't get any of these chunks before I tried to 'unstuck' the fermentation the other day. If it weren't for the huge change in taste with no movement in gravity I wouldn't be quite as stressed. This is the recipe - https://www.diybeer.com/au/recipe/ma...ato-stout.html

          I will post a picture tomorrow if you guys will be kind enough to weigh in

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          • #80
            "Huge change in taste" could indicate an infection. Pictures would be best, yeah!

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            • #81
              It's a lesson best learned early. You can never be to sanitary. I lost a batch at the start of lockdown due to screwing that up and had to go beerless for a week.

              Sent from my SM-A750F using Tapatalk

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              • #82
                It's unfortunate because I'm really not sure what I did wrong when pitching that extra gram of yeast. I sanitized everything barring the yeast packet. Perhaps that what it was. Anyway, thanks guys! Here comes the pictures. It looks pretty damn gross.

                This is directly after pouring:

                After Pour.jpg

                Settled for 3 minutes:
                3 minute settle.jpg

                After dumping most of the glass:
                After dumping most of the glass.jpg

                There is no noticeable coffee or chocolate flavours anymore. Just a bitter stout taste, sour notes, and a somewhat slimy mouthfeel instead of silky.

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                • #83
                  Acetobacter (bacterial) infection, vinegar taste? Its turning the ethanol into acetic acid. The blobs are our pelliciles if I'm not mistaken. Likely from the lactos

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                  groenspookasem
                  Banned
                  Last edited by groenspookasem; 24 May 2020, 11:47.

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                  • #84
                    Originally posted by groenspookasem View Post
                    Acetobacter infection

                    Sent from my SM-N970F using Tapatalk
                    It's got a sour taste but nothing close to vinegar sour. Perhaps it's still an early infection? Should I dump the batch or wait it out? Will I be able to clean the bucket out properly after this batch?

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                    • #85
                      http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Pellicle

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                      • #86
                        I'm not a fan of lambics or any sour or salty beer, but some people enjoy it. I personally would dump it and deep clean the fermenter. I also dislike lactose in beer

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                        • #87
                          Yip, I would dump it ... We in lockdown, no time to waste, get the next batch going.
                          The Problem With The World Is That Everyone Is A Few Drinks Behind.!

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                          • #88
                            There's no chance this batch will eventually come right?
                            Unfortunately I only have enough malt for one more batch after this Any idea when some of the LHBS will re-stock?

                            Also, any recommendation on the best way to deep clean my fermenter to limit the risk of infection on the next batch?

                            Thanks for all the helpful input guys, I really appreciate it!

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                            • #89
                              Dishwasher ?
                              The Problem With The World Is That Everyone Is A Few Drinks Behind.!

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                              • #90
                                Cleaning With Caustic Soda

                                I take no credit for this information. I copied it off the web and cannot re-establish the link. It is very useful and thanks to whoever posted it, if anyone knows its origin please let me know so I can give them the credit. Richard
                                "Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide or NaOH) is a dangerous chemical and can cause serious injuries when not handled correctly. Always take precaution and wear protection like gloves and glasses when handling Caustic Soda. Never add water to Caustic Soda crystals, always the other way around.
                                In South Africa home brewers have a limited range of cleaning and sanitizing agents. In the US they have the home brew chemical Starsan and other specialised cleaning chemicals.
                                One chemical we do have is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) or more commonly named Caustic Soda. It is widely used to produce soap and also does a good job at cleaning out your drains and does wonders for cleaning your home beer making equipment. It is available from hardware stores and some supermarkets and is very affordable. However it is sold in a crystal form and must dissolved in water. This is where care must be taken, and mix in the order stated:
                                Caustic Soda 30% Solution
                                1. Pour 2l of cold water and pour it into a pyrex or stainless steel pot, do not use normal glass as this will shatter seeing as when the caustic soda reacts with water it get boiling hot.
                                2. Next add 500g of Caustic Soda crystals, obtainable from supermarkets or hardware stores, to the cold water. Wait for the solution to cool down and pour it back into a normal glass bottle.
                                This solution is approximately 30% sodium hydroxide and can be used to clean fermentation equipment, beer kegs, beer lines etc. Use gloves and protective eyeware when using it and avoid splashing it on your skin.
                                Cleaning Uses
                                · Fermenter: Dilute 4ml of the solution per liter of water, warm water is better, and let it stand overnight.
                                · General Cleaning (excl Aluminum): 4-10ml of the solution per liter of water, warm water is better, and let it stand overnight.
                                · Kegs: Pour 100ml of the solution into the keg and fill the keg with water, leave it overnight and then rinse 3-4 times with water before use. Alternatively you can just pour 30ml into the empty keg and top it off with 2l of boiling water, turning the keg in a different position every half hour to ensure the mixture gets into all the crevices of the keg. You can leave the mixture in the keg until you are ready to use it, just rinse with boiling water before making use of the keg.
                                · Beer Lines: It's recommended that you clean your beer lines every three weeks, this usually goes hand in hand with cleaning your kegs. When you'r done cleaning your kegs leave the solution in the keg, apply some pressure to the keg and simply push some of the caustic soda mixture through your beer lines. Leave it for 20 minutes and then flush with beer through the tap and lines.
                                Please take care when handling Caustic Soda, never pour water directly onto the Caustic Soda crystals. If you should get some of it on your skin wash it off immediately. You will know it's off when your hands don’t feel soapy anymore. As with any chemical, use it in a well ventilated area.
                                The solution can be kept in a normal glass bottle for long periods and should last you quite some time.

                                This article was adapted from the SouthYeasters Caustic Soda cleaning guide".

                                Copied from http://kegsolutions.co.za/kegs/demo

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