iridescent small bubbles on mash in tun... familiar?

[DSorenson]

So I'm getting better about this relaxing thing. It has been two days since brewing my first all grain in a converted cooler.

I washed out my cooler with detergent and rinsed it off and out with a garden hose. I rinsed off the new bazooka screen and ran hot water through and out of the cooler. I also did this with my boil kettle, just to be sure It was clean. I used the boil kettle to bring 5 gallons of water to mash temp.

I've read somewhere that people think using soap is a cardinal sin. I'm pretty sure I rinsed it out well.

After I conducted the mash for an hour I opened up the cooler and noticed some oil-slick looking small bubbles on top among the grains. I tried to forget it but finally I'm overcome with concern that my first and other wise glorious all grain is corrupted with soap or some leeched chemical.

I did not use star san, so it cannot be that.

What say you, HBT? Got some experience here?

 

[twistr25]

Sounds like some could be due to soap residue. Depending on how well you rinsed out. Hopefully it's minimal, but most will say never to use soap on any beer equipment. PBW or Oxiclean are the ways to go.

 

[Revvy]

You do know grains contains small amounts of oils, and fats don't you? When you crush things, you tend to extract those oils. When you the heat things with trace elements of oil with water, you tend to get slight oil slicks.

Sometimes the most obvious answer is the right one.

 

[DSorenson]

Dammit. I hope I didn't just make soap beer.

Also, my LHBS friendly personnel helped me install the ball lock and bazooka screen there, so I didn't get to read the package to see if I needed to clean off manufacturing oils like I did with my chiller.

 

[DSorenson]

Love it revy. You're making me feel stupid and better! Cheers for that.

 

[Revvy]

And evidently it's a miracle cure...



Funny the guy consuming it is all buff....but how I prefer my "barley oil" just gives me a gut and manboobs....

 

[hogwash]

I get them too. I wouldn't worry about it.

FWIW, you should have probably given your mash tun a good soak in some PBW or Oxiclean before you used it, but again nothing to worry too much about. You'll know soon enough if you messed it up and can chalk it up to learning.

 

[bob1852]

After I conducted the mash for an hour I opened up the cooler and noticed some oil-slick looking small bubbles on top among the grains.

I get that all of the time. It tends to be more noticeable on darker mashes.

I just rinse my cooler MLT and braided line, never use soap, and don't use sanitizer.