Barrel cracked - what should I do?

[weevaa]

Hey all,

Last night we were brewing up a partial extract brew, everything was going fine, got it into the brewing barrel, got the yeast pitched and everything was just great - until we hoisted it into the hotwater cupboard and the bottom cracked! There was a spilt about 1.5" long in to, so after a few evil words we decided to leave it sitting in the kitchen sink wrapped in a towel. That was at 1am by the time we finished.

So this morning I ran to the new Brewcraft store in Albany and got a new barrel, cleaned it and siphoned the brew into that barrel. My question is, it was exposed to the air etc for quite a while. Do you think it will most likely be infected? Since it is early in the game (under 24 hours) should i whack it in the pot and reboil it? Then pitch more yeast? Only problem with that is I only have a 10L pot, and 19L of brew. Plus no easy way to cool that amount down (no ice prepared). Should I just leave it and hope its OK? Or should I pitch more yeast to make sure it gets going?

Hate spending all that time brewing to have a mistake at literally the LAST mintue! We were inches away from victory!

Cheers

[Horace]

I don't think you'll have a problem. Not unless you had a particularly dirty sink. As long as fermentation gets under way quickly should be all good.

H

[Tony]

I had a failed yeast on my stout. Reboiled it and pitched some more yeast it was fine.

[weevaa]

Is the reboiling needed? Or can the yeast just be re-pitched?

[Horace]

I would just repitch - has fermentation started already?

Have had a batch that I forgot to pitch yeast for a few days. No problems with it (or rather only minor ones) - gained a medal at last years NHC albeit a bronze.

If you reboil you will be changing the characteristics of the beer. Boiling the yeast that is already there will create some form of off-flavour no doubt. It will be dificult for you having only a small kettle and with all the extra transferring risks infection anyway.

[weevaa]

Repitched the yeast yesterday (yeasterday!) and it is sitting in the hot water cupboard. No fermenting yet but fingers crossed it gets going OK.

The recipe was


2.70 kg. Black Rock LME - Pale
160g Crystal 60L
100g Carapils

12g Sticklebract @ 60min
12g Cascade @ 30min
12g Cascade @ 15min

OG 1.047

Yeast Safale US-05