{"id":2140,"date":"2015-09-16T12:27:07","date_gmt":"2015-09-16T12:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beer-syndicate.com\/blog\/?p=2140"},"modified":"2017-10-11T18:07:04","modified_gmt":"2017-10-11T18:07:04","slug":"how-to-save-a-bad-batch-of-homebrew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beersyndicate.com\/blog\/how-to-save-a-bad-batch-of-homebrew\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Save a Bad Batch of Homebrew- Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sooner or later, every homebrewer brews a batch of beer that doesn\u2019t quite live up to expectations.\u00a0 Sometimes, a batch falls so far below the mark that a swirly sacrifice is rightfully demanded by the insatiable porcelain god.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other times, the beer can be saved.\u00a0 So let\u2019s talk about those other times.\u00a0 Those times when there\u2019s still hope— when it\u2019s still possible to bring your beer back from taking that final step into the light.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s consider three cases in particular: infected beers<\/strong>, stuck fermentations,<\/strong> and meh<\/em> beer<\/strong>, and then three corresponding solutions to each problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fair warning<\/strong>: the better the beer you\u2019re starting with, the greater the likelihood of successfully salvaging said beer.\u00a0 As far as brewing a quality beer goes, there are plenty of best practices including using fresh ingredients (malt, hops, yeast, etc.), following careful sanitation, fermentation, and recipe procedures, and a few other recommendations you can find on the Top 40 Ways to Improve Your Homebrew<\/a><\/span> article.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, in every case where your beer doesn\u2019t turn out as perfect as intended, it\u2019s a good idea to go back through your process and figure out how to improve it.\u00a0 But this article isn\u2019t about woulda, shoulda, coulda nor are\u00a0any of the solutions discussed here intended to be taken as a way around trying to brew the best beer possible from the very start. \u00a0The aim here is to talk about what can be done on those hopefully rare occasions where you find yourself with less than satisfactory\u00a0homebrew.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Infection Resurrection <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Hang out long enough in any online brewing circle, and invariably an anxious brewer will post a photo of something growing on top of their beer inside a fermentor along with a\u00a0question like \u201cIs my beer infected?<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For practical purposes, an infected beer simply means that some uninvited dinner guest (usually wild yeast and\/or bacteria) has gotten into your beer and started to chow down, potentially altering the brew\u2019s intended character.\u00a0 To be clear, an \u201cinfected\u201d beer is a matter of prospective.\u00a0 For example, if you were intentionally using 100% bacteria to ferment your beer and somehow a common ale yeast found its way into your beer, your beer would be \u201cinfected\u201d with common ale yeast; sort of the same way roses in one person\u2019s garden may be considered weeds in someone else\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

Semantics aside, sometimes it\u2019s possible to make an educated guess as to whether a beer fermented with common brewer\u2019s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Saccharomyces pastorianus) is \u201cinfected\u201d with some other unintentional microorganism by simply looking at the beer in question.\u00a0 For instance, common souring bacteria like Lactobacillus or Pediococcus and sometimes<\/em> yeast like Brettanomyces (Brett) can form a pellicle (protective barrier) on top of beer which often looks like a layer of off-white or tan stationary bubbles covered with chalk dust or powdered sugar as in the image below.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lactobacillus<\/a>

Lactobacillus Pellicle<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Other times, it\u2019s harder to tell if a beer is infected based on appearance alone as with the picture below of an uninfected<\/em> Imperial IPA fermented only with Safale US-05 (formerly called US-56) which formed “yeast rafts”, or clumps of flocculated yeast, floating throughout and on top of the beer in the fermentor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Yeast<\/a>

Safale US-05 Yeast Rafts<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

[While only aesthetically unappealing if present, yeast rafts can be settled to the bottom of the fermentor after\u00a0about a\u00a0week of cold crashing (i.e. lowering the temperature of the beer to near 32\u00b0 F), and gently rocking the fermentor while cold. \u00a0Otherwise, the rafts can be skimmed or filtered out.]<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, an infection usually suggests that you need to tighten up your cleaning and sanitation procedures, being particularly mindful of anything that comes into contact with your wort.<\/span><\/p>\n

With respect to bacteria-formed pellicles,\u00a0the earlier an infection is\u00a0caught, the better chance\u00a0you may have of\u00a0minimizing the effects of the\u00a0infection by lowering the temperature of the beer.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, and this is critical, EVEN IF<\/em> you find a full-blown pellicle formed inside your fermentation vessel, it’s not recommended that you\u00a0automatically dump your beer.\u00a0 You have to smell<\/u> and taste<\/u> your beer first (pull a sample using a sanitized wine thief or turkey baster) in order to make the best decision.\u00a0 Depending on the stowaway\u00a0bacteria or wild yeast, your beer may or may not turn sour or funky.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, the image of the Lactobacillus pellicle in the photo below\u00a0occurred after pitching a mixed culture of yeast and the lactic acid producing souring bacteria, Lactobacillus.\u00a0 Even after months of aging with a visible pellicle and then a year of bottle conditioning, the beer never really turned sour. In fact, it’d probably be an overstatement to say that the beer was vaguely<\/em> tart, but it was nevertheless exceptionally refreshing and delicious with no hint of an off-flavor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lactobacillus<\/a>

Developing Lactobacillus Pellicle<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Naturally, it may be helpful\u00a0to attempt to deduce what type of pellicle-forming microorganism(s) you\u2019re dealing with in order to respond accordingly, although 100% positive identification would require an appropriate microscope and proper training, assuming the microorganism(s) in question has already been identified and recognized by science.<\/span><\/p>\n

Profiling Possible\u00a0Invaders<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Three common safe-to-consume pellicle-forming bacteria are Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Acetobacter, and the yeast Brettanomyces may form one as well. \u00a0Although it may not be possible to identify the mystery bacteria or yeast by the particular appearance of the pellicle, smelling and tasting the infected beer may potentially narrow things down, especially if you know a little bit about how the\u00a0different microorganisms can behave.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lactobacillus is probably the least influential of the bunch, often adding nothing more than mildly tart amounts of lactic acid over the course of about a month.\u00a0 Pediococcus, on the other hand, typically takes a longer time to ramp up lactic acid production compared to\u00a0Lactobacillus (months versus weeks), but produces lactic acid over a\u00a0longer time period and the sourness is often increasingly more noticeable than with Lactobacillus.<\/span><\/p>\n

But even more telltale of Pediococcus is the buttery byproducts (diacetyl) that most strains produce. \u00a0\u00a0If you like your new buttermilk beer, roll with it.\u00a0 But if you\u2019d like to remove the butter and leave the sour, try inoculating your brew with a vial of Brettanomyces (Brett) yeast which should clean up the diacetyl for you. \u00a0In addition, some strains of Pediococcus may eventually develop slimy, viscous, gelatinous “ropy” strands in beer, which can also be eliminated\u00a0in a few weeks after adding a culture of Brett.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of Brett, if you see a pellicle, you may be able to further\u00a0speculate on the presence of\u00a0Brettanomyces based on the aroma.\u00a0 Depending on the strain of Brett, and there are quite a few, you might detect aromas of pineapple, mango, apricot, peaches, pear, mustiness, or horsiness and the taste may be tart or not. \u00a0Although with\u00a0significant quantities of oxygen, Brett can produce acetic acid as well, but not as easily and quickly\u00a0as Acetobacter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Acetobacter\u00a0is probably the most potent souring bacteria\u00a0which can form a thin white film of a pellicle (few if any bubbles), but is easier to identify by its distinctive vinegar (acetic acid) aroma which\u00a0can develop\u00a0within a week, usually after primary fermentation is complete.\u00a0\u00a0 Acetobacter thrives in warmer temperatures (75 – 85\u00b0 F) and in oxygen-rich environments.\u00a0 Early detection is the best defense against Acetobacter which if left unchecked will continue to convert ethanol into acetic acid, potentially leaving you with an intensely vinegar-y beer. Luckily, the majority of beer styles are fermented below 75\u00b0 F, but reducing the temperature and ensuring that your fermentor is properly sealed are two actions that can reduce the effects of Acetobacter.<\/span><\/p>\n

It should also be noted that bacteria and Brett do not always form a pellicle (they only do so in the presence of oxygen), which means your beer could develop an infection with no visual indicator.<\/span><\/p>\n

To be clear, the presence of a pellicle does not mean that your beer will make you sick, nor does it mean that the character of your beer will have changed for the worse.\u00a0 And as discussed, depending on the pellicle-forming microorganism in question, the beer may not even become tart, let alone sour. \u00a0Lastly, if you notice an unexpected pellicle, there may be more than one type of bacteria and\/or Brett at work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hold \u2018em Or Fold \u2018em<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re uncertain about the type of bacteria (or yeast) forming the pellicle on your beer and you happen to be an adventurous sour fan, why not double down and add a culture of a pre-mixed bug blend like WLP 665 or dregs from one of your favorite unpasteurized sour beers to your existing beer, wait three months to a year and you might have created a most epic accidental sour.\u00a0 If this is your first sour, just remember that unlike a yeast krausen, a pellicle may never fall, so when you\u2019re ready to rack your beer away from an existing pellicle, simply pierce the pellicle with your auto-siphon and proceed as normal (just try to leave the pellicle behind when racking underneath it).<\/span><\/p>\n

If you decide to let the infection run its course, keep in mind that bacteria like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus may consume sugars and reduce the gravity of the beer slowly over time (weeks and months, respectively), so you\u2019ll want to take gravity readings until you notice no change in gravity after a three day period (five days to be safer), particularly if you\u2019re bottling (in order to avoid potential bottle bombs).<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t want to find out where the unknown bacteria or yeast in your beer may be taking you, smell and taste your beer, and if it tastes good enough<\/em>, you may decide to keg or bottle the beer and drink it immediately.\u00a0 \u00a0If bottling before the bacteria or wild yeast has finished fermenting your beer, the microorganisms may very well still be producing excess CO2 in your bottles and you are taking the risk of potential bottle bombs.\u00a0 So to mitigate that risk, as soon as your bottled beer is carbonated to your liking, refrigerate the beer and keep it cold as bacteria and yeast tend to slow the rate of metabolism at lower temperatures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you decide to drink the infected beer quickly or let it age in the fermentor, it\u2019s recommended that you buy a new set of whatever plastic and vinyl equipment that comes in contact with the infected beer so as to avoid accidentally contaminating future batches of beer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mold and Beer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you notice black, green, or fuzzy hairy patches growing on your beer, mold is the likely suspect.\u00a0 A couple cases where mold has been known to crash the party are when unsanitized fruit or wood is added to the fermentor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, what to do in the case of mold is somewhat controversial.\u00a0 John Palmer advised in his book How to Brew<\/a><\/em><\/span>, that if you encounter mold, take a sample of the beer, and if it doesn\u2019t taste foul, you can skim the mold off [or rack the beer out] with no lasting effect on the beer\u2019s flavor and infections in beer caused by mold are not dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the USDA points out<\/a><\/span> that while some molds are beneficial, there are types of mold that cause allergic reactions, respiratory problems and produce poisonous mycotoxins that can make you sick.\u00a0 One such mycotoxin\u00a0called “aflatoxin” is produced by some species of Aspergillus mold (A. fumigatus and A. flavus),\u00a0and\u00a0can be found on grain and groundnuts; aflatoxin is both carcinogenic and can be a deadly toxin in high enough exposure levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientific research on the ability of foodborne pathogens to survive in beer is scarce.\u00a0 While one study<\/a> [2014]\u00a0showed<\/span><\/span> that certain common bacterial pathogens could survive in fermented beer for up to several weeks, no mold (fungal) pathogens were tested.\u00a0 Another study<\/a> [2011]\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0<\/span><\/span>poor survival of common bacterial pathogens in moderately hopped wort, with a final ethanol concentration of 5 % ABV, and concluded that if the pathogens tested* were to contaminate such a wort, \u201cthere would be no immediate concern to public health.\u201d<\/span> [* Tested pathogens:\u00a0Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus.]<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, no molds were tested in either case, so until there are more (or any) scientific studies concerning the growth and survival of pathogenic mold species in beer, proceed at your own risk when it comes to mold.<\/span><\/p>\n

One final note to keep in mind about infected beer is that it may not turn out as you originally planned prior to the infection, and you may not personally like the end result or want to tie up your brewing equipment while the beer develops.\u00a0 That said, an infection doesn\u2019t mean the beer is unsafe to drink nor does it mean the beer can\u2019t be saved.\u00a0 If you have the time and patience (and a penchant for sours, depending on your particular infection), you may be pleasantly surprised with the final product.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cheers!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

P.S. Join us next time where we’ll wrap up the discussion of how to save a bad batch of homebrew with tips on how to bounce back from a stuck fermentation<\/strong><\/span> and how to transform\u00a0meh<\/em> beer into a\u00a0meh<\/em>-raculous brew<\/strong><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

[As fate would have it, \u201cnext time\u201d is already here. Read part two of this article, How to Save a Bad Batch of Homebrew- Part 2<\/a><\/span>]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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