Infection in Secondary?

Newb poster, been lurking for awhile.

Everything 'looked' fine Friday before I left for the weekend and I was planning on bottling tomorrow. However this is what awaited me when I returned home tonight.

A brown sludge floating on top and lots of small bubbles floating up the side of the carboy.

Am I infected?





larger resolutions available:
http://www.108stitches.org/beer

Misc info:
LME Amber Ale Kit
starting SG 1.046
finished SG 1.013
1 week in primary
3 weeks in secondary

Thanks.

not sure... may just have not finished?

Did the temperature rise at the weekend?
Does it smell?
Did you have an airlock on it?

I didn't get close enough to take a smell.

Airlock, yes. Just popped it to get the straight-on shot of the sludge.

SG reading was 1.013 when I transferred to the secondary, and still at 1.013 when I checked again last Wednesday (2.5 weeks had elapsed between those readings).

Temp is a constant 69 degrees in the room where I store and I left the AC on while we gone so I don't believe a temp change took place. However I can't rule it out as I wasn't home.

very odd. take another sample and give it a taste.

It's not fuzzy, hairy or moving under its own power so you are prob ok.

Draw a sample from under all the goo and taste the beer. If it tastes horrible, you just may have an infection. If it tastes good (which I would guess it will), you could just be seeing another round of fermentation and can scoop the goo out and carry on as usual.

fermentation is fickel man. there is a battle between microbes and your yeast going on constantly! No beer has zero contamination and homebrewing creates many variations of fermentation attributes. Do not throw out your beer until you are sure it is infected and tastes bad! i had a beer that tasted and smelled like rotten apples and vomit but after 1 wk in secondary it was fine.

good luck!