There's a fly in my yeast cake...

[Praetor]

...dear liza dear liza.

Transferred my Scottish Export 80 to a keg today and I was planning on putting a new bear on top of the yeast cake. During that transfer a fly fell into the beer and ended up on the yeast cake. I carded him and he was over 21 so I wasn't worried about getting in trouble. However, he was sitting on the yeast cake when I finished the transfer. I covered the carboy and then boiled about a quart of water, I let it cool and poured it in the carboy, sloshed it around and just tipped it over flushing him and some of the trub out the top. Saved most of it.

What are my chances of successfully putting a new beer on top of what is left in the carboy? This never happened before, I swear.

 

[Blackmuse]

I don't have an "experienced" answer for you... but if you made a beer on it and it tasted good (as I still assume it would) - I'd drink it!

 

[LarryBrewer]

Who knows what the fly was was landing on prior to diving into the yeast? If the fly was walking around on dog poop, I'd toss it. Too bad there is no easy way to tell.

I have heard stories about a cat jumping into a wine vat, and the wine being OK.

I know this isn't much help, but ultimately it is up to you!

 

[The Brew Mentor]

This is a good reason to always have a backup yeast in the fridge.
I'd dump it! :shock:

 

[EvanAltman36]

I don't know. I mean, I saw what happened to Jeff Goldblum in The Fly when one of those things got into his experiment. I'd hate to see you turn into a fly just because you didn't want to toss some beer.

Okay, seriously though, flies are pretty nasty creatures, but you could have just as many little nasties crawling around on your hands and such. They say your cell phone is more of a bacteria haven than a toilet seat; you ever take a phone call and then head back to brewing? I think that if you take the proper sanitation measures, you should be fine. And you can give it a really cool name and have a great story to tell...after your guests have tasted it and liked it.

 

[chessking]

I agree With the Mentor. Toss it.
Why waste a batch of beer?

 

[The Brew Mentor]

OK, you spend about 6 hour in prep and brewing, about $25 on ingredients, 2 weeks while fermenting, kegging or bottle conditioning, cleaning and everything else and your willing to take a chance on tainted yeast?
Doesn't make sense to me.
Just sayin!
Brian

 

[LarryBrewer]

One way to look at it: this is a good excuse to try a new yeast or reset your yeast generation back to one.

 

[chessking]

I agree With the Mentor. Toss it.
Why waste a batch of beer?

I hope you understand I mean to toss the yeast cake. The transferred beer should be fine.

 

[Praetor]

In the end I used another batch of yeast I had in the fridge. Mentor got it right. It's not the cost, it's the time. I cleaned the carboy and put an new beer in. No hassles and my cycle of beers continues. The transferred beer is just fine and had a few people drinking it tonight at the neighborhood potluck.