Possible 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.

DonPritchard

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
I brewed a knockoff of Dogfish Heads "Raison D'être" and just bottled it yesterday. The home brew smelled fine, but there was a hazy "film" covering roughly 85% of the surface. I've heard that infections are fairly uncommon especially when the brewer is very clean about the whole operation. I let the brew sit on the yeast for about 3 weeks as a friend who brews advised me to do so. Do you think I'm just being paranoid?
 
Couple questions. Was this in a primary fermenter with a large surface area for the brew? Did you peek at it during the three weeks? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, there is a possibility you have an infection. Another reason to secondary. How does it taste? Could be just some residual yeast hanging on the surface.
 
I don't recall the specifics of that recipe but when does it call for adding the raisins? Possible source of contamination there.
 
It was in a coopers bucket. I took the lid off once to remove the krausen sleeve from the fermenter. This was about 6 days after fermentation began. I haven't tasted the brew yet. The raisins were puréed with 2 cups of boiling water and added for the last 10 minutes of the boil.
 
As to how it tasted...it wasn't medicine like or necessarily foul tasting, though warm, uncarbonated, unconditioned "green" beer doesn't taste that hot to begin with. I'm just gonna let them condition in the bottles for a few weeks and then see what I end up with.
 
i would bet its not an infection, you'll find out for sure in a few more weeks tho. RDWHAHB



a secondary wouldnt reduce the risk of infection, if anything it increases the chance

I meant that a large surface area in a primary bucket, combined with a large volume of air above it would increase the chances of introducing airborne microbes. A sanitary siphon into a sanitary carboy with minimal head space would decrease the chance introduction of those microbes. In the former case it of course helps if one resists the urge open the lid to peek, sniff, taste etc.

In this case I'll bet the brew is going to be fine.
 
It sounds like you have that thin film that can look sorta like an oil leak on wet pavement.If you do,then it's just hop oils floating on the surface. They tend to look like that ime.:mug:
 
That is exactly what it looked like! Thank you sir. My worries have been eased...until next brew day.
 
There is no "possible infection". You'd know right away if it was bad. Many people just worry too much that their sanitizing wasn't effective. If you used star San you're fine.
 
Back
Top