Please Help - Is this an infection?

Brewer's Friend 728
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.
Jonnio

Jonnio

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2007
Messages
1,489
Reaction score
10
I was about to keg my wheat beer and it has this funny "growth" on top. It also has a very strong smell...The wife says it smells beery, but I think it has some sort of pungent odor. I was very good about my sanitation, but this is my first attempt at reusing a washed yeast, so I might have done something there.

I have not sampled it yet.

If I am to the point of kegging, is there a good way to go about doing that and not getting the infection in as well?

IMG_5097.JPG
[/IMG]
 
if thats the primary it seems to look okay to me. if thats the secondary you might be in some trouble. i'd taste it....
 
Thanks for the responses. I did just shy of three weeks in the primary and was going to the keg as my secondary/finished.
 
Rack from under the goop on top and keg it anyway. I can't give you an honest opinion on what you are seeing, but no reason to dump it yet until it's sat in keg for a month or so. If it makes you want to vomit after that, then I'd get rid of it.
 
Jonnio said:
I was about to keg my wheat beer and it has this funny "growth" on top. It also has a very strong smell...The wife says it smells beery, but I think it has some sort of pungent odor. I was very good about my sanitation, but this is my first attempt at reusing a washed yeast, so I might have done something there.

I have not sampled it yet.

If I am to the point of kegging, is there a good way to go about doing that and not getting the infection in as well?

IMG_5097.JPG
[/IMG]
Click to expand...

I wouldn't wouldn't be too concerned about the crap on top. I have had some like that and they turned out fine. Is the strong smell an extremely alcholic type smell? Also, is this your secondary? If so, that may be an issue. Your secondary should have nothing like that other than some cluster bubbles.

I'd do a taste at this point and that should tell you if its ok to keg
 
Get that kind of goop all the time, unless the beer tastes wierd don't worry.
 
I've had several beers that formed that "skin" on top. I'd say it's completely normal. Some yeasts just do weird things.
 
I did go ahead and keg it. The spec. gravity seemed on track and the sample tasted fine, so I am sure it was nothing. I didn't have anything handy to filter it though, so I ended up only getting about 4 gal into the keg to keep from sucking up too much of that sludge. Next time I will have to be more prepared to filter so I don't toss so much beer.
 
It looks to me like the krauzen just hasn't fallen completely yet....I opened a bucket last week to find that (after taking a hydro reading) my fermentation had stalled and it looked like that, but even more so....I sealed the bucket back up and will check on it this weekend, figuring that I probably roused the yeast enough moving the bucket to kickstart my fermentation.

If yours is done, I wonder if cold crashing it would help get it to drop...
 
I have recently brewed a spiced porter using 4 lbs Ironmaster Porter Malt Extract and typical dark spices, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. Brown sugar and some Roddenberys Butter Maple Syrup. The batch seemed to be off to a great start. Waited about 10 days and bottled it. When bottling, I noticed a hefty alcoholic smell. Like burn the hairs in your nose smell and Im thinking to myself, this cant be normal. Have sipped it, and it seems fine. What is the deal?
 
Poobah58 said:
Hmmmm, do you have a dog? :ban::ban::ban:
Click to expand...

uglygoat said:
looks like yeast and break material.
Click to expand...

You do realize don't you that this thread is nearly 2 months old don't you??? The OP never came back to tell us the beer was infected, so we assume it turned out fine and he just had n00bitus.;)

amoceri7 just inadvertantly bumped it looking for help for HIS n00bitus.
 
amoceri7 said:
I have recently brewed a spiced porter using 4 lbs Ironmaster Porter Malt Extract and typical dark spices, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. Brown sugar and some Roddenberys Butter Maple Syrup. The batch seemed to be off to a great start. Waited about 10 days and bottled it. When bottling, I noticed a hefty alcoholic smell. Like burn the hairs in your nose smell and Im thinking to myself, this cant be normal. Have sipped it, and it seems fine. What is the deal?
Click to expand...

Reply to your PM was sent :mug:
 
Revvy said:
You do realize don't you that this thread is nearly 2 months old don't you??? The OP never came back to tell us the beer was infected, so we assume it turned out fine and he just had n00bitus.;)

amoceri7 just inadvertantly bumped it looking for help for HIS n00bitus.
Click to expand...

Sorry - no the beer was not infected. :)
 
oh, and ps...I kinda did close it out :)
I did go ahead and keg it. The spec. gravity seemed on track and the sample tasted fine, so I am sure it was nothing. I didn't have anything handy to filter it though, so I ended up only getting about 4 gal into the keg to keep from sucking up too much of that sludge. Next time I will have to be more prepared to filter so I don't toss so much beer.
Click to expand...
 
Jonnio said:
Sorry - no the beer was not infected. :)
Click to expand...

Well, there goes my theory that it was a rare bacteria and the OP croaked.;)

For the sake of making this a nice complete thread, you mentioned that you re-used yeast. Did you wash it or use the whole yeast/ trub slurry?
 
Jonnio said:
I did go ahead and keg it. The spec. gravity seemed on track and the sample tasted fine, so I am sure it was nothing. I didn't have anything handy to filter it though, so I ended up only getting about 4 gal into the keg to keep from sucking up too much of that sludge. Next time I will have to be more prepared to filter so I don't toss so much beer.
Click to expand...

Nah, that's the beauty of a keg, the pickup tube sucks it right off the bottom so after a glass or two of cloudy crap, you're pulling clear beer outta there. You can transfer a lot of that crud into secondary; it'll go away with a minimum of hassle and waste when you start drinkin' it.

cheers!:mug:

--Finn
 

Similar threads

M
Infected equipment
Replies
38
Views
1K
mac_1103
mac_1103
odie
off flavor from transfer to mini keg???
Replies
9
Views
520
odie
odie
slurms
Purge keg with fermentation CO2
Replies
14
Views
892
mac_1103
mac_1103
chrispokey
Time for another round of "Is this beer infected?"
Replies
15
Views
404
IslandLizard
IslandLizard
D
Years long infections
Replies
30
Views
811
depecid
D
CornyKegs 300

Latest posts

Back
Top