Brewing mistakes you really wish you'd avoided...

DuncR · Jun 16, 2022

Thread gone quiet as I think we all find it difficult to compete with an exploding glass Carnoy (ouch).
Weighed out grain and hops etc the night before as usual but due to being mid garage sorting did not fill up with water or arrange equipment before hand (getting the excuses in quick here).
One third of malt stirred in and wondered where the top screen to my Grainfather was. Drained malt and emptied into a bucket before going in with both hands to rescue said screen. No chance of infection there… brew day down hill from there on.

robster62 · Jun 16, 2022

Talking of top screens, I'm sure my brewzilla top screen got thrown out with the spent malt in one of my brews, I've not had one for the last 4 or 5 brews.

moto748 · Jun 16, 2022

cockerhoop said:
Putting a 5 gallon fermenting bucket on the kitchen worktop and using a rolling pin to tilt it forward when siphoning into keg.
And doing all of the above at 11pm.

Yeah, this is why I've restricted my batch size to a maximum of 15 litres these days. Manhandling buckets of beer onto worktops is a dodgy business, I'm always conscious of what a disaster it would be if something slipped.

I don't do it at 11 o'clock, though. Ever!

tigertim · Jun 16, 2022

Just pre-filled my G30 for a brewday tomorrow using a 3m length of 3/8 line connected directly to the tap. Went to sort all the other items I'd be needing and of course the pipe jumped out of the kettle under mains pressure and started whipping round the garage, soaking everything in the process.

Redgrave_3 · Jun 16, 2022

Just remembered another one. I would have preferred not to have added the spunding valve to the beer out line and releasing the beer rather than excess co2.

Brew_DD2 · Jun 16, 2022

Redgrave_3 said:
Just remembered another one. I would have preferred not to have added the spunding valve to the beer out line and releasing the beer rather than excess co2.

We've all been there!

moto748 · Jun 17, 2022

I have to say, in all honesty, but by avoiding spunding valves, filters, pumps, chillers, pipework etc etc, I've been able to avoid 95% of the problems on this thread. There's something to be said for low-tech!

stripeyjoe · Jun 17, 2022

My brew on Monday went really well until I went to pitch the yeast. My first go with liquid yeast. Followed the instructions on the packet about mixing, sterilising and cutting the top of. Started squeezing the yeast out and the inner packet dropped into the wort.
in a panic I dunked my arm into the bucket of sanitiser and took the plunge, it’s fermenting nicely but no idea if it’s now a mixed fermentation or not…

moto748 · Jun 17, 2022

stripeyjoe said:
My brew on Monday went really well until I went to pitch the yeast. My first go with liquid yeast. Followed the instructions on the packet about mixing, sterilising and cutting the top of. Started squeezing the yeast out and the inner packet dropped into the wort.
in a panic I dunked my arm into the bucket of sanitiser and took the plunge, it’s fermenting nicely but no idea if it’s now a mixed fermentation or not…

You mean the little package of yeast nutrient that you have to smash? I wouldn't worry about that, it's all sterile; had it been me, I doubt I'd have even bothered to fish it out.

stripeyjoe · Jun 17, 2022

moto748 said:
You mean the little package of yeast nutrient that you have to smash?

No, this was a normal White Labs london ale, I didn't realise the yeast was in a thicker plastic packet inside the outer wrapping, it fell out into the beer when I was trying to squeeze the yeast out!

An Ankoù · Jun 17, 2022

moto748 said:
You mean the little package of yeast nutrient that you have to smash? I wouldn't worry about that, it's all sterile; had it been me, I doubt I'd have even bothered to fish it out.

It's the sort of thing you strain out with your teeth on the third or fourth pint.

KGB · Jun 18, 2022

cockerhoop said:
Putting a 5 gallon fermenting bucket on the kitchen worktop and using a rolling pin to tilt it forward when siphoning into keg.
And doing all of the above at 11pm.

my father made me a wonderful little contraption; a platform you place the fermentor on and turn a handle to slowly tilt it forward, to help avoid disturbing the trub.

no doubt that without it i'd have eventually been in your shoes, with all the different things i used to use that were near at hand in the kitchen.

KGB · Jun 18, 2022

i made another mistake with my last brewday.

i planned and prepared everything carefully the night before, started the brew early on the day and had everything done, cleaned up and put away by nightfall without the slightest issue. all because i didn't drink a single beer whilst i was doing it.

that was the mistake, because the beer turned out only so-so. not a mistake i'll make again.

Carl66 · Jun 19, 2022

The-Engineer-That-Brews said:
Oh - and here's something else I managed to yesterday:

Number 3: cleaning and sterilising a Corny, then discovering that the edges of Cornies are quite sharp and realising you've dripped blood in it...

View attachment 68273

All to many times my friend and in the same place

DocAnna · Jun 19, 2022

Planning a split batch brew day today, weighing out and milling the grain last night, then this morning discovering that the yellow packs of yeast in my stock were Mead yeast not the Philly sour I thought they were

Ah well I’ve lots of work to do so probably not a bad thing….. still miffed though!

Brewnaldo · Jun 19, 2022

DocAnna said:
Planning a split batch brew day today, weighing out and milling the grain last night, then this morning discovering that the yellow packs of yeast in my stock were Mead yeast not the Philly sour I thought they were Ah well I’ve lots of work to do so probably not a bad thing….. still miffed though!

I have at least 1 Philly Sour in hand. You're more than welcome to it if you want to swing past and get it tomorrow? I would offer to drop it of fbut I have about 19 different thing to do tomorrow, or I could drop it in to you on Tuesday I tihnk

DocAnna · Jun 19, 2022

Brewnaldo said:
I have at least 1 Philly Sour in hand. You're more than welcome to it if you want to swing past and get it tomorrow? I would offer to drop it of fbut I have about 19 different thing to do tomorrow, or I could drop it in to you on Tuesday I tihnk

PM sent x

sifty · Jun 19, 2022

KGB said:
my father made me a wonderful little contraption; a platform you place the fermentor on and turn a handle to slowly tilt it forward, to help avoid disturbing the trub.

no doubt that without it i'd have eventually been in your shoes, with all the different things i used to use that were near at hand in the kitchen.

Any pics of said contraption? Sounds like something I'd like to build...

KGB · Jun 20, 2022

sifty said:
Any pics of said contraption? Sounds like something I'd like to build...

alas, i don't think i have any pictures, and i gave it back to the old man when i switched to a conical fermentor.

i'll see if he can send me some photos.

White Rose Al · Jun 23, 2022

Not checking the weather forecast before running a brewday in the garden

🌧

Brewing mistakes you really wish you'd avoided...

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