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Rancher

Rancher

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OK, this is about batch 10, still a newbie, I decided to try racking off my secondarys into a tertiary carboy. Primary looked good, Secondary looked good but with a lot of trub, so I racked it off into a Tertiary carboy, after a few days the surface looked like the surface of Mars, about 8 white dots with a thin line of white interconnecting them. After a week this is what it looks like:
5448371824


http://www.flickr.com/photos/12752019@N08/5448371824/in/photostream/

What do you all think?

This was a "Liberty Cream Ale w/ Munton's 6 gm dry yeast" from Midwest.

Rancher=John
 
Well. I'll say that I haven't had a beer look like that, but I dropped some flour in a bowl and left it for a couple days and it did, so...

Give her a taste and see if it's sour.

In the future, I would suggest not racking to a tertiary, unless you really need to.
 
That is an infection for sure. But it doesn't mean it's bad. I'd taste it and if it's good go ahead and rack it off there pronto and bottle it. Drink it relatively quick once bottled and carbed. Infections won't hurt you and ones that look just like that are introduced on purpose for certain styles of beer.
 
That actually looks infected to me. Lactobacillus perhaps.

It doesn't mean all is lost. Rack from underneath that layer and see how it tastes. If it tastes ok, then go ahead and bottle, but be sure to leave a decent amount behind (a couple inches maybe).
 
OK I did syphon out one bottle which I added 1/2 tps powered sugar to, yesterday, I was going to wait to this weekend to taste test it.

Is the concensus to bottle now, or can it wait.

Rancher=John
 
I'd bottle now, it could go south really quick with an infection. You'll also want to attempt to keep them all cold once you get good carbonation to prevent bottle bombs.
 
I'd probably taste it (yep, sour) then dump it. An infected homebrew Ale does not a Lambic make.
 
Rancher said:
OK I did syphon out one bottle which I added 1/2 tps powered sugar to, yesterday, I was going to wait to this weekend to taste test it.

Is the concensus to bottle now, or can it wait.

Rancher=John
Click to expand...

Your processes really have me confused. First off, why are moving it around so much? There is absolutely no need for a tertiary for a cream ale. Second, why did you siphon off a bottle, add powdered sugar to it, and wait to try it until the weekend? Pull a sample and taste it, uncarbed right now. If it tastes ok bottle it as soon as possible. And then drink it as soon as possible. Thanks for the pic though, that is one awesome looking infection.
 
This doesn't help you or your beer, but that looks freaking awesome. Just not on beer...

Sorry for your loss.
 
rjwhite41 said:
Second, why did you siphon off a bottle, add powdered sugar to it, and wait to try it until the weekend?
Click to expand...
Because any warm, uncarbonated beer tastes bad to me...

I took everyone's adice and bottled it today, and drank the test bottle, if I don't reply back in a couple of week, it killed me.

Rancher=John
 
I can understand why you don't want to drink warm uncarbonated beer but it's just a sample to check the flavor. Not a pint to drink with dinner.
 
rjwhite41 said:
I can understand why you don't want to drink warm uncarbonated beer but it's just a sample to check the flavor. Not a pint to drink with dinner.
Click to expand...
NOW you tell me, I chilled that puppy down in the ice tray of the freezer and drank the whole think, it wasn't bad, but not my best either, we'll see in 2 weeks.

Rancher=John
 
Rancher said:
OK, this is about batch 10, still a newbie, I decided to try racking off my secondarys into a tertiary carboy. Primary looked good, Secondary looked good but with a lot of trub, so I racked it off into a Tertiary carboy, after a few days the surface looked like the surface of Mars, about 8 white dots with a thin line of white interconnecting them. After a week this is what it looks like:
5448371824


http://www.flickr.com/photos/12752019@N08/5448371824/in/photostream/

What do you all think?

This was a "Liberty Cream Ale w/ Munton's 6 gm dry yeast" from Midwest.

Rancher=John
Click to expand...

You probably got that infection from moving it around so much. The more you move it around the more chances you're giving junk to get into your beer. Hell, unless I'm bulk aging a big brew for an extended period of time I don't even bother with a secondary. I go from primary, cold crash it, then put it in my bottling bucket on brew day.


Also my jedi powers are telling me that's a lacto infection.
 

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