Expert: Alan Ward - 3/29/2005

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hello my husband has and I emphasize "tried" to home brew beer for about a year. he uses an extra bathroom in the basement for his home brewery he has even bottled and sold the crap and actually made some money. However a very nasty stench permiates the house especially during the summer months I have even gone down there and have noticed a thick black gelatinous slime in the bathtub. The smell is out of this world I would like to know how to stop him before he kills sombody with ths stuff. I am conserned that some harmful molds and or bacteria miht be present in the merky mess.
Answer -
Brenda,

Lets start with the basics.  First I would have your husband check into  the legality of selling his home brew.  Depending on where you are located there may be some laws to be concerned with.  Having said that on to the bigger issue.

The smell could be that of the hops which would be normal but only present during the actual brewing time.  Some hops have a strong odor but that smell should go away quickly.

I am concerned with what you call ?a thick gelatinous slime in the bathtub?.  I have been brewed both indoors and outdoors.  Never have I ever seen a substance that could match your example.  Brewing should be done in a very sterile environment.  The beer should only be exposed to the air while the batch is being brewed and then stored in an air tight container.  Is he brewing it in the actual bath tub?  That could lead to major health issues.

He may also be dumping his trub  into the bath tub.  If that is the case have him stop using the tub and simply dump the trub into a garbage bag and through it out.

I hate to say this but you may be well advised to have concern.  With out more information I would say to tell him to stop for the health reason alone.  If you can send more information I may be able to figure our just what he is doing.

Alan


Hello thanks for your response I asked my husband and he told me that he brews 2 kinds of beers grain and a sort of a bach well he tries anyway. and I guess he dosent brew them at the same time. He used a an aquarium as the fermenter for the grain, and for the bach he uses a bath tub which he covers while the beer is brewing. he then uses the tub to boil the worts for both beers then when he isint using the tub and using the aquerium he dumps the slimy trub from the bottem of the tank. when he uses the tub he dumps the trub into the aquerium. he uses heating coils to heat the wort to a boil. he also pours excess germinated malt into the tub and lets it rot all of this with out using any cleaner on the tub or aquarium he is half Irish and half German be says it is the way of his grandfathers...  I have also noticed a strong odor of mold he buys Irish mosses and ads them to the wort he says thats how they do it. I am very conserned he is going to kill himself or me by cultivating some harmful molds etc. He is very relutnat to tell me what e is doing he says beer is a mans invenion and women don't know a thing about it and have know business knowing...

Answer
Brenda,

First, I understand your concerns.  I myself would be a little concerned about the health aspects.  The good thing is that even if the beer is contaminated he can not do himself any real harm.  

After your explanation I understand what your husband is doing. The process has been used since beer was first brewed and was used until the late 1800 in most parts of the world.  The use of open vats means he is also most likely using wild yeast or reusing the yeast batch to batch.  

Irish moss is used usually to remove proteins and does nothing to clean the batch.

I guess what most bothers me now is the fact that he dumps the used grain and lets it rot in the tub.  This is what is causing the odor.  This is not part of the historical beer making process.  Most of the time the spent grain is used as fertilizer.  

Perhaps you can strike a happy medium with your husband.  You allow him to continue to brew his beer and he agrees to dumb his grain in the garden. The beer will still be brewed, the garden will benefit and the house will smell better.

I am sorry but it seems that I have no real answer to give but to say he can not kill himself.  My hat is off to you.  My wife would not put up with me letting grain rot in the bathroom nor would I want to.  

I hope this has helped some.

Alan