keat64
Landlord.
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2015
- Messages
- 518
- Reaction score
- 150
I took my kit over to my cousins on Saturday to do a brew at his.
All went to plan.
I left him with a digital thermometer and told him to pitch the yeast when the temperature was down to 20.
A few hours later, he called to say that when he put the yeast in, the temperature rose to 33.
I suspect the thermal probe was in a cold spot, and when he stirred in the yeast this agitated and equalised the temperature.
He said that he managed to cool it down to low 20's within an hour.
Now we are on Wednesday and he says that there's no activity from the airlock.
I've asked him to send me a picture of the wort this evening.
There could be a number of reasons why there's no activity from the airlock I suppose.
1. The vessel I lent him was one i'd inherited and it turns out that the hole for the bung was a bit big, I'd had to build up the bung with cling film, so maybe it's not air tight.
2. Maybe he didn't snap the lid on the vessel when he pitched the yeast, so it's not air tight.
3. Maybe 33 degrees did in fact kill the yeast.
Of course, if either one is the case, then there's potential to have ruined it, but considering it's only a few quid for another sachet of yeast, the only additional thing to lose from here on, is time itself.
Now in all honesty, in almost 30 years of brewing in one form or another, I've never lost one due to infection, and i've taken some real short cuts and made mistakes etc.
Based on this, I'm happy to proceed and see what he gets.
Until I see the pictures of the wort tonight, I'll not know the outcome, in the mean time, I'm wondering what your thoughts might be on this.
All went to plan.
I left him with a digital thermometer and told him to pitch the yeast when the temperature was down to 20.
A few hours later, he called to say that when he put the yeast in, the temperature rose to 33.
I suspect the thermal probe was in a cold spot, and when he stirred in the yeast this agitated and equalised the temperature.
He said that he managed to cool it down to low 20's within an hour.
Now we are on Wednesday and he says that there's no activity from the airlock.
I've asked him to send me a picture of the wort this evening.
There could be a number of reasons why there's no activity from the airlock I suppose.
1. The vessel I lent him was one i'd inherited and it turns out that the hole for the bung was a bit big, I'd had to build up the bung with cling film, so maybe it's not air tight.
2. Maybe he didn't snap the lid on the vessel when he pitched the yeast, so it's not air tight.
3. Maybe 33 degrees did in fact kill the yeast.
Of course, if either one is the case, then there's potential to have ruined it, but considering it's only a few quid for another sachet of yeast, the only additional thing to lose from here on, is time itself.
Now in all honesty, in almost 30 years of brewing in one form or another, I've never lost one due to infection, and i've taken some real short cuts and made mistakes etc.
Based on this, I'm happy to proceed and see what he gets.
Until I see the pictures of the wort tonight, I'll not know the outcome, in the mean time, I'm wondering what your thoughts might be on this.