Is this an infection?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Michael357

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2014
Messages
74
Reaction score
7
This is my second brew. So i'm unsure if this is normal or a infection.
It's a Robust Porter. Brewed on 8/24/14. I didn't secondary. Temps have been between 66-68 degrees.

20140915_000459.jpg


20140915_000508.jpg
 
If it's at FG & cleared pretty well, I'd rack to the bottling bucket from underneath that stuff asap. It won't stop it, but it'll slow it down quite a bit.
 
What kind of yeast did you use? It doesn't look like my "normal" English ale ferments.
 
The light brown stuff is just yeast rafts. The white stuff, looking like broken ice pack, looks to have white bubbles in it. That's the beginning of an infection. sometimes, when letting a beer sit too long with a lot of head space will cool down & create a partial vacuum. This can cause suck packs & get air &/or nasties in the head space. And since Co2 is no longer being produced, the o2 isn't absorbed by the Co2 as much at that point. Then infections can take hold.
 
I've seen a lacto infection up close and it just doesn't look like it to me. Lacto infections have a wispier, denser look to them than the pics show IMHO. I see too many bubbles in the white areas and I also notice there are a LOT of smaller white areas. Either this batch was VERY carelessly looked after and it resulted in numerous infections, or they're just bubbles from off-gassing. Since the beer has been in primary for 22 days, my guess is CO2 bubbles.

But I could very easily be proven wrong, too. :) But I would say don't give up hope yet. However, I would bottle ASAP to be on the safe side and take precautions against bottle bombs.
 
ummm, taste it, it won't kill you:) If it tastes sour it's infected, if it tastes fine package it.

If it tastes sour and you still package it beware of bottle bombs as the infection will consume all sugars slowly over time. Otherwise let it ride and become a sour:)
 
Thanks for all the responses. It's been closed tight for the last 22 days. I opened it to take a sg reading, and saw the floaties. I'm very meticulous about sanitation, which is one of the reasons I'm unsure if this is an infection (the other is because I'm new at H.B.). I'll taste it tonight when I get home from work.
 
Back
Top