infection? pics on the way

So i'm pretty sure I just got my first infected batch. Opened my primary and I saw this greenish kinda bubbly scum floating on top. I stuck my head in and took a whiff and wow, my nostrils burned something fierce. Definitely a strong vinegar or even an alcohol-y smell.

Its a session APA that I made, 1.048-1.012, 40 IBU's, Pacman yeast that I reused. I racked to keg anyway (leaving the scum behind) and threw some co2 on it, since it tasted fine. I'm gonna try to just drink this one fast I think. After I hit it with some co2 and purged the o2 the stink coming out of the PRV reminded me of a lager stink.

I believe I can pinpoint my problem to one of four areas. Bucket (6 yrs old), hoses (equally as old), my new spigot did not get cleaned properly before I used it, or the yeast. Regardless, I'm done using spigots in my primary. I'm going to get either an unported bucket, use my 6 gal Better Bottle, or get a new glass carboy.

Anyway, I'll get some pics uploaded soon. I just have to get an app installed on my blackberry so I can post them to Picasa.

I bet you are seeing krauzen with a lot of hopscum floating on it, and more than likely what you inhaled that knocked your socks off was CO2 and nothing else. Some folks have nearly fainted from it. It burns really bad.

Post a picture and let us see, but more than likely, like 99.5% of these threads, everything is fine.

http://picasaweb.google.com/1aaronsmith/Infection?authkey=Gv1sRgCIau34aEvLm0owE&feat=directlink

Could be, I don't recall seeing anything like this before in my 6 yrs of brewing but there's always a first for everything. lemme know what you think.

I tell folks never to compare one fermentation with another, too many wild cards with yeast. Looks to me like nottingham yeast maybe with those ugly "Krauzen Curdles" and lots of hop scum on the surface.

Smell's no way to tell if you're getting co2 burns. Draw off a sample and give it a taste. You'll know immediately.

hoboscratch said:

I stuck my head in and took a whiff and wow, my nostrils burned something fierce.

Click to expand...

I ferment in a chest freezer and that happens to me every time I stick my head in there to check the temperature. It is presumably just CO2. It can be really strong. So, I'm not necessarily sure that is a symptom of infection.

Well, that's some good reassurance. As I said, it really did taste fine, so I already got it carbing.

Just looked at your pics. To me it looks like yeast rafts mixed with CO2 bubbles. Like Revvy said, I see something extremely similar to that when I use Nottingham. Never used Pacman yeast, but it could certainly do something similar.

I agree that the pics look non-menacing. Taste it, but you should be fine.