1st infection

I had brewed a barley wine about two months ago. 1 month in primary one in secondary. So I came back from an ice fishing trip in Indiana, and had discovered that the airlock had become dislodged on my secondary. The next week white dots started appearing on the surface of the brew no film just dots. I took a closer look and they are not bubbles. So my question is how long has anybody left an infection on a batch before they bottled it.

TIA

I don't know if I would really call this one infected. After all if it is a barley wine the alcohol content in that sucker "should" have killed anything that was in it. I would say have a taste and see what it tastes like.

That is what I was thinking. The dots havent really done anything. So I thing I will do a hydro reading and see whats up.

Probably just clumps of yeast.

I guess it could be yeast, but I didn't see the dots until two weeks after secondary. I'll see what it taste like tomorrow, and report back.

pics are always a big help in these situations

Yeah I was thinking that, but I have had too many HB's and I am just not that motivated to take pictures to post. You know how it goes.

We really need to see pictures. More than likey all you have are yeast rafts on the surface. That's what 90% of these threads turn out to be.

No surface is ever truly clear, there is always bits of yeast kicked up to the surface by rising bubbles of co2.

That's probably the case Revvy, and if so this would be my first experience with yeast rafts. The little dotes havent done anything in about a week. I will post a picture so that everybody can see, and use it for refrence.

did this work.https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32574&limit=recent

Yeah it did work. Whats the verdict?

What's it smell and taste like. I haven't seen yeast rafts quite like that before. I'm not saying it is or isn't infected, but normally they aren't so organized.

But at the same time I haven't seen an infection like that either.

What yeast did you use?

That's what got me Revvy it smells like green apple, very young beer. I used a yeast cake of nottingham from a pale ale.

That doesn't look like an infection per say. Tasting the beer is the best way to find out if the beer is infected or not. And hey, some infections are desirable for souring beer. Never dump a beer, no matter how revolting it might look on top, until you've tasted it. You might get a pleasant surprise

Yeah for sure iam not going to dump it. I was wanting to rack it under the dots and bottle it this weekend and hope that it goes well.

Just to put your mind at ease, I would taste a hydro sample before bottling. Chances are it will be a mighty drinkable BEER.

Hello all sorry for the delay in posting. I ended up bottling the Barley Wine today, the hydro sample that I took tasted and smelled great. Iam thinking that Revvy's thought process was right on about the dots being tiny yeast rafts, because the moment I picked up the carboy almost all of the dots went to the bottom. Although just to be sure I did leave a little bit of beer in the carboy just in case they are not yeast rafts. Not really sure if that was a good idea or a bad idea as they traveled from the top of the beer to the bottom of the beer. So in any event sounds like this was one of those DONT DUMP YOUR BEER scenarios, wait and ride it to the end:rockin:.

TIA

Revvy Saves!...beer that is.