Infection forming? Or just lots of thick bubbles?

Hey guys.

I've attached a picture. This is my 2nd ever attempt at beer. I'm just making a pale ale. (Using a wort bought from the local department shop) Does it look like an infection is starting at the top? Or is this normal? As in, just lots of bubbles clumping together? It just looks awfully white in certain areas! It's day 9 of fermentation. Been kept around mostly 20 degrees Celsius (reading on my thermometer on my fermenter). It's around 22-26 degrees outside the house during the day, but it's cooler indoors. I was much stricter with sanitisation 2nd time round. Upon tasting, it tastes fine, but has an very very slight bitter/sour after taste in comparison to the commercial stuff. As in, it goes down really easy, just a very slightly weird after taste. Besides the very slight after taste, it has a softness to the fluid that the commercial stuff doesn't have. I can definitely stop buying commercial stuff if I get this right one day! =)

Should I bottle immediately? To prevent the infection from spreading (if it is an infection)? It's only day 9, or am I just being paranoid and it's just a thick layer of bubbles forming?

I've never opened the lid of my fermenter btw. Until today, where I noticed some weird stuff forming at the top. Hence me taking a picture........

Thanks!



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looks fine to me. bottling wouldn't stop/contain the infection, by the way. all it would accomplish is a lot of glass shrapnel and loud booms.

I'm not an expert on infection, but it looks normal to me. The white might just be yeast floating and the bitterness may be from the hops (its early).
Don't bottle until its done fermenting, you will get bottle bombs.

Okies. Thanks for the info. I was going to bottle at the 21 day mark. Is that about right? Or the 14-15 day mark say?

bottle it when the hydrometer says to!

hoppin_mad said:

bottle it when the hydrometer says to!

Click to expand...

+1

Cool. The bitter taste i don't mind, but the very slightly sour taste, will that improve over time with ageing? Or is there a chance there's just a bit of stuff in it, since I'm not using a carboy with an airlock. Guess i should invest in one?