What Happened?????

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hey guys went to start bottling after cleaning all my bottles and equipment to be faced with this...then the smell at first was like very sharp and like vinegar, but then in glass trial jar and measuring jug, not as bad, I'm wondering if I cold crashed and dry hopped before it had finished fermenting, it still had that krausen on it when I dry hopped....the gravity reading was around the 1.014? I put it bac in fridge to do another cold crash was that the right thing to do? please help, very disappointing....

Daza :-(

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

another shot.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

my ph level might have been around 7 being it's just straight tap water!!! make much difference? should I get a PH tester?

[dean fisher]

during mash ph usually will fall within 5-6 most tap water is high 7s

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

so the mash falls to within the right ph level then? maybe I don't need to worry about that then just yet? concentrate on mash temp amongst other things. Hey besides sanitising what do you think is the most important aspect of all grain brewing?

[dean fisher]

learning your equipment is by far the most important. you will see other Brewers using similar simple recipes making amazing beer purely because they know how their system works. I always stress to newbies to start with basic or even smash recipes and learn your equipment. you will thank yourself in the long run

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

ok will pay particular attention to detail, like last time I did note where exactly my gas regulator adjuster needed to be in order to have a rolling boil and not a hard out vigorous one. And "equipment" this would be mainly you kettle and heating device, be it gas or electric eh? I will try a smash brew, after my Birthday Pale Ale recipe which is next then open to try soome more simple and smash-like brews. cheers.

[Peter Church]

Yeah it should work out close on its own, temp is important for now, if you spike the remp the ph can drop and the ezymes also might quit.

Comsumption is important, keeping notes also, temp control then not worrying to much about the little details,

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

well when my mash temp did spike that couldn't be good... and yes I agree note taking definitely, and consumption the best bit (after building stuff!)  

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

sorry just have a side question on mixing Star-San, I used 175ml for 18.5Litres is that right I converted the 1oz per 5 gallon and then times both by same amount, I have it in a fermenting bucket with lid so i can re-use it for a while? when I used it after cleaning bottles there was heaps of bubbles still in bottles but, internet says the foam and bubbles are fine in your bottles......which i didn't use on the weekend so put them in a box and sealed it up, now wondering if I need to re-sanitise or not?

Cheers guys.

[dean fisher]

1oz is 30ml 5 gallons is 20 lts so I'd say you mixed 5 times too much starsan

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

crap your right, well close enough, Google says 5 gallons is 18.92Litres and 1oz is 29.5ml so I used 175ml for 18.5Litres bugger that's a waste it was only on bottles and the auto-syphon I used in current beer in fermenter and a glass I also used today sanitized it first, will that do any harm? hey thanks for bringing that to my attention mate.