Another potential infection thread...

[BeerBalls]

I brewed an all-extract, full-boil honey wheat from Williams about 4 or 5 weeks ago. OG was 1.059. I posted on HBT back then because I had problems with my smack pack and was considering re-pitching after 2 days with no activity, but on the day I bought a new pack (brew day +3), fermentation started. Visible fermentation stopped after about 4 days. It's been in the primary for as long as it has, basically because I've just been too busy to bottle it. Tonight, I took a sample for FG. The beer has clumps of whitish-grey crap floating on top. If it was completely covering the top, I'd feel sure it was krauzen. In any event, I took a whiff from the bucket and it nearly made my eyes water. The FG reading was 1.009, which corresponds to an ABV of about 6.5% - high for this type of beer. I tasted it - it tastes like crap (figuratively). Very sour and yeasty tasting. What should I do? Is it possible that the batch is infected, or should I just bottle it and hope for the best?

 

[JMSetzler]

Prime it and bottle it and let it sit in the bottle for at least two weeks and try it again. The floating stuff is leftover from the krausen during fermentation.

 

[BeerBalls]

Thanks - nothing else? Anybody? Bueller?

 

[sundowner]

Thanks - nothing else? Anybody? Bueller?

If it's white filmy spidery stuff, it's contaminated.

FWIW: Beer can't get infected, but it can become contaminated...

 

[Runyanka]

Sounds like leftovers, and maybe some clusters of CO2 bubbles. It's all good

 

[sundowner]

It's all good

If it's very sour and taste like crap (figuratively), how can it be all good?

 

[JoeMama]

I think your eyes watered from the CO2 blanket hovering over the fermed beer (this is normal) stuff floating on top (normal too)
I would be willing to venture that the absolute worst case scenario would be you have some bottle bombs or gushers (IF) <-- Thats a big IF... You have an infection.

Bottle those buggers and forget about them in another batch that you are going to brew and wait for in the primary. Chances are you are fine, and your beer will be tasty.
-Me

 

[sundowner]

Stuff floating on top of a honey wheat after 4-5 weeks is not normal...

 

[sundowner]

"I tasted it - it tastes like crap (figuratively). Very sour and yeasty tasting."

 

[JoeMama]

Ive had stuff floating on top of every batch Ive brewed. Fact of the matter is, he isnt going to know if his beer is shot or not until he gets it bottled (or kegged) and lets it age the proper amount of time. Chances are he has nothing to worry about and will be pleasantly surprised. If not, no big deal - you throw it out and you will never know.
-Me

 

[Runyanka]

Stuff floating on top of a honey wheat after 4-5 weeks is not normal...

I've had stuff floating on top of beers that have been in the primary for over 5 weeks, Including a wheat beer. You cant predict what yeast or what its going to produce in the end.

 

[sundowner]

No doubt stuff floats on beer in the primary, but he's talking about 4-5 weeks. I agree, bottle it and see what happens...but put it in a safe place.

 

[sundowner]

You cant predict what yeast or what its going to produce in the end.

Well I certainly can. Now if you're new to brewing then it's a different story. We all need experience to learn.

 

[Runyanka]

Well I certainly can. Now if you're new to brewing then it's a different story. We all need experience to learn.

You must be a scientist in order to predict what a live organism is going to produce. If you new to brewing, you will also realize that yeast produce some really weird stuff, including clumps of bubbles at the top of the brew.

 

[sundowner]

I'm talking about brewing beer. If I use a certain yeast strain with a certain type beer often enough, I can pretty much figure out what it's going to produce...has nothing to do with science.

I think the OP wanted some honest answers not rah rah stuff. Perhaps I'm wrong. If that's the case...my apologies.

 

[BeerBalls]

I guess the concensus is bottle it. I guess the only reason I hesitate is that if it is a lost batch, emptying and cleaning 50 bottles is a pain in the ass compared to emptying and cleaning a bucket... I'll bottle it anyway and hope for the best. Thanks for all the tips.

 

[sundowner]

emptying and cleaning 50 bottles is a pain in the ass

Yes it is! Honestly, it's a tough call...

1. You had a 3 day lag time...not good
2. A whiff almost brought tears to your eyes...I never experience that
3. Stuff still floating after 4-5 weeks...not good
4. Very sour...not good
5. Tastes like crap (figuratively)...really really not good

I hope it turns out ok for you.

 

[ChillyP]

Do you have a picture of what it looks like?

 

[BeerBalls]

No pic, but maybe I'll post one tomorrow.

 

[ChillyP]

Yes, definitely post a picture and whatever you do, don't dump the beer.

 

[Shooter]

If you're not willing to waste a couple hours bottling then dump it, but then you will have wasted your money and brew time. If you bottle it, wait a few months and it's still crap then you can decide, but, I'd be willing to spend a couple of hours, bottle it, and see what happens. I don't know, I've never had an infection, it will probably happen someday, but, in the amount of time I've spent on this site I've seen a lot of odd looking junk in beer, accompanied by weird smells and tastes, that turned out to just be normal beer. It's your call, but I'd see it through.

If the original brewer had looked at the bubbling, vomit inducing, foaming, mass of filth in that pot of grain he'd accidently left out and tossed it in disgust...beer would never have been invented my friend.

 

[JoeMama]

No doubt stuff floats on beer in the primary, but he's talking about 4-5 weeks. I agree, bottle it and see what happens...but put it in a safe place.

All of my beers have been primaried for at least a month, and I usually have floaters at the end too. (All batches have come out yummy) I have just seen posts where people have had science projects growing on top of their beer, so they racked under it and had an amazing beer. Good call on the keeping it safe part - on this, I would suggest that you use a rubbermaid container or something similar to minimize the spillage/damage IF you have any bottle bombs from an infection.

Good luck to you on this batch!
-Me

 

[SmugMug]

Just ship your fermenter to me. I'll send it back to you after I've bottled the beer.

 

[BeerBalls]

Fair enough Smug - as long as you return ship the filled bottles too, that sounds like a great idea.

 

[sundowner]

Hey BeerBalls,

My very first homebrew attempt was a William's honey wheat kit with steeping grains. That was back in January of 2001. I thought at the time it was the very best beer I had ever drank.

 

[SmugMug]

Fair enough Smug - as long as you return ship the filled bottles too, that sounds like a great idea.

Now that wouldn't be very smug-like would it? Especially if I'm using my own bottles. You think I'm made of glass or something?

Sheesh. You think you're trying to help someone.....

 

[BeerBalls]

Good point! I'll send you back the empties!!

Thanks again for all the help! I'll re-post after I bottle and let them sit for a few weeks. Who knows - hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised and it'll actually taste like beer.

I just bought a 5-gal. Rubbermaid cooler, some braided steel hose, a valve and some fittings yesterday at the local hardware store. Moving on to partial mash. Thinking of doing a Fat Tire Ale clone. Any tips on whether, or with what, to dry hop are appreciated. Wish me luck.

 

[sundowner]

Moving on to partial mash. Thinking of doing a Fat Tire Ale clone. Any tips on whether, or with what, to dry hop are appreciated. Wish me luck.

I wouldn't dry hop it. Here's my recipe...I toast my own 2-row.

6.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter
2.00 lb Toasted Malt
1.00 lb Munich Malt
0.50 lb Biscuit Malt
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L
0.25 lb Special Roast
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.5%] (60 min)
0.50 oz Williamette [5.5%] (30 min)
0.50 oz Williamette [5.5%] (15 min)
0.50 oz Williamette [5.5%] (5 min)
1 Pkgs American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272)

 

[stageseven]

2. A whiff almost brought tears to your eyes...I never experience that

FWIW, I have experienced this, and it's just an issue of CO2. The belgian that I'm working on smelled great, up until I leaned a little too far down over the bucket I was using for the primary. Got a noseful of CO2 and it burned! Made my eyes water like crazy.

 

[sundowner]

FWIW, I have experienced this, and it's just an issue of CO2. The belgian that I'm working on smelled great, up until I leaned a little too far down over the bucket I was using for the primary. Got a noseful of CO2 and it burned! Made my eyes water like crazy.

I suppose I just don't mess with my beer enough to experience that. Once in the primary, I tend to leave it alone until I'm ready to secondary or keg.

 

[stageseven]

I suppose I just don't mess with my beer enough to experience that. Once in the primary, I tend to leave it alone until I'm ready to secondary or keg.

I suppose if you consider opening up the primary to take a FG reading before racking "messing with it", then yes, I mess with it way too much.

 

[sundowner]

I stopped taking FG readings long ago and I don't use plastic (not that there's anything wrong with that)

 

[BeerBalls]

I bottled it this weekend. I guess time will tell. I'll post an update after I try one in a few weeks.

 

[BeerBalls]

Well, I gave it a nice long wait before trying one. Popped one last night, nice color, nice carbonation, tasted crappy. Still has a yeasty, sour taste. That sucks. I wonder what happened. Lacto infection? Acetobacter? I ferment my beers in the basement, and often find fruit flies in the vodka inside the airlock. Anyone else get this? I'm pissed. I'm tempted to dump the batch, but keep hanging on to hope that the beer will miraculously become delicious...