Home Brew Forum

All was going well planned and filled the GF last night for an early morning session. 6.30am the timer kicks in and the water is all ready for my Belgian Witt.

The brew went well and the smell from the orange and coriander was fantastic. Time to transfer into brewmaster.

As I was transferring I thought I would multitask and start cleaning the hop spider with the hit water from the wort chiller.

There I am washing away and and as I look over I see a pool of wort all over the floor under the American fridge freezer it was all over the place. School boy error of leaving the tap open!!!!

I lost about 5 litres in total. Absolutely gutted.....

Dont worry too much. I think at some point all of us have left a tap open or hose not connected. Mine was the IC chiller hose from the mains water that disconnected itself whilst I was outside adjusting the flow from the tap. I looked through the kitchen window and saw water squirting up to the ceiling. I said this before but the ceiling did need cleaning

I'd guess this has happened to a lot of us over the years, it helps to build up a useful level of paranoia

But (unless it was a 5L batch) you will have 'some' beer to show for your efforts so you're still ahead. As Hellish brew-days go, it could have been much worse - no blue flashing lights involved!

i think its a rite of passage for every brewer to start filling a vessel with valuable beer or pre beer liquor with a tap open.. I know ive done it..

thank goodness you caught it before you lost the lot.. and be greatful it wasnt hot liquor that spat out of the tap at groin level while you were stood in front of it, as that has happened to at least one brewer!!

as beastie boy lirics go as long as i learn i make mistakes

Like most,I've been there,done it and got the T shirt.Seems to be the norm in brewing,everything going smoothly and to plan,you then take your eye off the ball and let your guard down and it starts to go tits up.Your brew day was far from hell in the scheme of things,although 5 litres of any liquid goes a long,long way in the mess stakes,made even more painful that its wort, but the consolation is the remaining majority of wort will become Beer.

I've done it.
I wouldn't have lost as much beer if I hadn't been multitasking.
I've only done it once though.

Meirion658 wrote:All was going well planned and filled the GF last night for an early morning session. 6.30am the timer kicks in and the water is all ready for my Belgian Witt.

The brew went well and the smell from the orange and coriander was fantastic. Time to transfer into brewmaster.

As I was transferring I thought I would multitask and start cleaning the hop spider with the hit water from the wort chiller.

There I am washing away and and as I look over I see a pool of wort all over the floor under the American fridge freezer it was all over the place. School boy error of leaving the tap open!!!!

I lost about 5 litres in total. Absolutely gutted.....

Did that on my first ever AG batch, completely forgot to turn off the tap to the BK during my sparge, I was livid and there was a lot of swearing. Wife pi$$ed herself laughing, always good to have additional support...

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charlie wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:53 pm

I wouldn't have lost as much beer if I hadn't been multitasking.

Agh the myth of multi tasking. This is doing more than one thing at a time, agreed? But, as you add a task it increases how badly you do all them. You might not want to mention this to the "opposition".

FWIW my "favourite" is allowing the HLT to run dry with the element glowing red with frustration at having no water to heat, cue lights dimming and going out with a bemused brewer stumbling around in the dark wondering what has just happened.

orlando wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:02 am

charlie wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:53 pm

I wouldn't have lost as much beer if I hadn't been multitasking.

Agh the myth of multi tasking. This is doing more than one thing at a time, agreed? But, as you add a task it increases how badly you do all them. You might not want to mention this to the "opposition".

FWIW my "favourite" is allowing the HLT to run dry with the element glowing red with frustration at having no water to heat, cue lights dimming and going out with a bemused brewer stumbling around in the dark wondering what has just happened.

I cold sparge these days.
For the last two brews sparging has been endless though.
Does anybody else suffer a stuck sparge with a grainfather?

I wouldnt say a stuck sparge, but it certainly is slow.

chefgage wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:24 pm

I wouldnt say a stuck sparge, but it certainly is slow.

Perhaps I should be putting in the larger, less floury things in first.

Brew day from Hell when I can`t find the Tin Opener!

WA

Sent from my Sofa whilst supping an Earl Grey Stout!

I make Kombucha in a gallon DJ type container with a tap at the bottom. same kind of thing, stood happily pouring warm tea in at the top, which for a while was below the tap level, then wondering why there's brown liquid cascading down the front of the kitchen units. I'd obviously left the tap open. luckily, with that though, you just make more tea.

done that...awful feeling. Mine was final transfer, 65 litres into fermenter in garage, knocked the valve whilst cleaning up and hadn't noticed...drip drip drip..
next day opened garage door, empty fermenter and flooded garage.

Also in early days brewing...25 litre kit...fermented through and moving fermenting bucket to kitchen to start bottling, handle gave way and 25 litres of sticky beer onto kitchen floor just as wife arrived home from work...picture but no sound in relationship for a good few days