Post your infection

Dry hopped late last night and it was smelling great so it must be yeast rafts. Thanks all!

This is one of my favorite threads...mainly because I get to see everybody's beer fermenting.

And here is that beer a few days after dryhopping

Might be OK have a closer picture

Whats the brown
???

Usually trub sitting on top of the krausen foam.

I think you're ok. Might just be suspended yeasties.

This is my dark saison. I pitched Brett L from Wyeast in secondary, as well as some Orval dregs. I didn't notice anything for a couple of weeks, but then I see this.

Pretty gross looking.

Must be the brett doing it's thing.

Ya Brett does big bubbles it gets worse. That's the start ha

Relatively new to homebrewing, I think I got my first infection. This is a double chocolate stout that has been in the primary for 12 days. This does not look like the last two batches I did.

Looks OK to me so far, the film is probably just Star-San. I'd be surprised if an infection showed up so quickly (12 days). Keep an eye on it, but I think it's too early to panic just yet.

Idk...looks like some kind of infection is getting started?

Okay. I feel kinda bad posting my newb "is this infected??" pics, but I gotta be sure. I'm pretty sure it's just yeast, I just never had this much floating around. Musta did something wrong. How does this happen? Any thoughts? It's Danstar Windsor Ale yeast in a Bourbon Barrel Porter, FYI.

I've brewed about 40 batches. The first time I've seen something strange was this Octoberfest, the first time I brewed it. I dumped the batch. This is a try at it again, and 5 weeks in, it looks infected?

This is a lager. Should I dump it?

rskelhorn said:

I've brewed about 40 batches. The first time I've seen something strange was this Octoberfest, the first time I brewed it. I dumped the batch. This is a try at it again, and 5 weeks in, it looks infected?



This is a lager. Should I dump it?

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Does look like an infection. Is that the same fermenter as the first infected batch?

I had an infected batch. Used the same bucket for the next batch and got this. Now i know not to reuse an infected bucket!

nikkuchan said:

Okay. I feel kinda bad posting my newb "is this infected??" pics, but I gotta be sure. I'm pretty sure it's just yeast, I just never had this much floating around. Musta did something wrong. How does this happen? Any thoughts? It's Danstar Windsor Ale yeast in a Bourbon Barrel Porter, FYI.

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Looks fine to me, just yeast rafts and residual CO2 bubbles. Carry on!

My turn. This is after 16 days in primary, 7 of it dry hopping, 2 of it cold crashing. I wouldn't sweat it but it looks an awful lot like a bottle infection I've struggled with in the past. I had it beat for several batches, but now I'm panicking that it's back! Some of it I know is hope debris from the dry hop, I'm worried about the "slime."

BGBC said:

Does look like an infection. Is that the same fermenter as the first infected batch?

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I didn't keep track of what bucket the first infection was in, figured the star san would kill whatever was in it.

Do I dump it?

Any idea if this is lacto or Brett?

rskelhorn said:

I didn't keep track of what bucket the first infection was in, figured the star san would kill whatever was in it.

Do I dump it?

Any idea if this is lacto or Brett?

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Hard to say what it is for sure from the pellicle. What to do with it is a personal call. Any smell/taste test results?

Are you a fan of sour/funky beers? Are you willing to leave that beer in the fermenter for an extended period of time? If the answer is no to either of those, I'd say dump it.

But for me personally, assuming the taste test is not terrible, I would pitch some additional bugs to give it a better chance of going where I wanted to (sour/funky).

BamaPhil said:

My turn. This is after 16 days in primary, 7 of it dry hopping, 2 of it cold crashing. I wouldn't sweat it but it looks an awful lot like a bottle infection I've struggled with in the past. I had it beat for several batches, but now I'm panicking that it's back! Some of it I know is hope debris from the dry hop, I'm worried about the "slime."

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Wheres the pic?

Never dump it unless you taste it first.

I racked 4.25 to a keg lastnight, This is what was on the top floating, mold. This was the first time I dryhopped and the first time I ever got mold. I noticed the mold started growing on the hops that acumulated at the top.
I scraped it off filled the keg and sampled it, This was a split batch and It tasted bettter than the other 5 gallons I bottled. it was a also more clear. I guess time will tell, but I have nothing to loose by waiting!

theck said:

Never dump it unless you taste it first.

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So if it tastes good, what then?

Don't I risk bottle bombs bottling infected beer? Any way to stabilize it?

Could I kill the bugs if I transfer to a clean one, and freeze the whole damn thing outside for a few weeks? Then, put some new yeast in to ensure bottle carbonation? It's -20C outside I'm up north.

rskelhorn said:

So if it tastes good, what then?

Don't I risk bottle bombs bottling infected beer? Any way to stabilize it?

Could I kill the bugs if I transfer to a clean one, and freeze the whole damn thing outside for a few weeks? Then, put some new yeast in to ensure bottle carbonation? It's -20C outside I'm up north.

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Not sure about bottles since I have yet to bottle an infected beer. I think you use Potassium Metabisulfite (camden tablets) when racking to the bottle bucket, but if your FG is high you might want to wait a bit longer to avoid the bombs. I've been kegging for the last 3 years and before bottled but never had an infection till this previous summer. I kegged it anyhow and turned out fine. After I'm done I plan on reusing those buckets and line and see if I get another infection for the fun of it.

I wouldn't freeze your beer it can have some unwanted effects to the beer itself and the flavors, I think.

Hell, let it sit in the primary another couple months, add the camden and bottle... not like you're going to do another batch with that primary (if plastic) unless you want to chance getting it again. Before you bother bottling just sample it and see if it's worth it. I have a bucket (the third of three infected batches) sitting in my basement now and going to let it sit for about 10 months before kegging when done (keezer is shut down for the winter in the garage). When I get to racking it I'll sample and if its junk toss it, if ok I'll keg it up.

yewtah-brewha said:

I racked 4.25 to a keg lastnight, This is what was on the top floating, mold. This was the first time I dryhopped and the first time I ever got mold. I noticed the mold started growing on the hops that acumulated at the top.
I scraped it off filled the keg and sampled it, This was a split batch and It tasted bettter than the other 5 gallons I bottled. it was a also more clear. I guess time will tell, but I have nothing to loose by waiting!

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Fruit or hops, its usually a good idea to push down anything that is floating to the tp of your fermenter so it doesnt mold. Do you like penicillin in your beer?

Hey all -

I brewed this stout about a month ago (a play on McAustin's Mocha Stout), and I believe it has an infection. After sitting in the primary for two weeks, I transferred to the secondary on top of cold-brewed coffee and a cacao nib/vodka mixture.

It's two weeks into the secondary now, and as you can see, it doesn't look too pretty. The brown bits floating I surmise to be the cacao nibs, but I cannot explain the sheen nor the bubbles. Over the last two days, I have seen what I believe is visible fermentation. OG was about 1.050 and at last read was 1.020. I've never run into anything like this.

According to McAustin's recipe, FG should be around 1.018. Did somehow fermentation kick back up, or is this batch infected? If so, is it salvageable?

Thanks!

UPDATE: I just took another sample and the gravity is still at 1.020, but there are visible bubbles floating to the surface. No weird smells or taste as of right now.

I was planning on bottling this weekend, but I'm not sure if I should bottle or just wait it out for a little while to see what happens.

HotHandsHanon said:

Hey all -

I brewed this stout about a month ago (a play on McAustin's Mocha Stout), and I believe it has an infection. After sitting in the primary for two weeks, I transferred to the secondary on top of cold-brewed coffee and a cacao nib/vodka mixture.

It's two weeks into the secondary now, and as you can see, it doesn't look too pretty. The brown bits floating I surmise to be the cacao nibs, but I cannot explain the sheen nor the bubbles. Over the last two days, I have seen what I believe is visible fermentation. OG was about 1.050 and at last read was 1.020. I've never run into anything like this.

According to McAustin's recipe, FG should be around 1.018. Did somehow fermentation kick back up, or is this batch infected? If so, is it salvageable?

Thanks!

UPDATE: I just took another sample and the gravity is still at 1.020, but there are visible bubbles floating to the surface. No weird smells or taste as of right now.

I was planning on bottling this weekend, but I'm not sure if I should bottle or just wait it out for a little while to see what happens.

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Me, I'd wait till you get the proper FG regardless unless that's your final?

theck said:

Me, I'd wait till you get the proper FG regardless unless that's your final?

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It is just .002 above projected FG so it might be done. I would bump the temp up 2-5 degrees and see if I could get it to drop a couple points though.

Attempting a maple breakfast milk stout again - after 10 days I checked the gravity and noticed a weird smell, kind of reminded me of nail polish remover and saw this on top.

Not sure if it is indeed an infection but it doesn't smell or look right, imo.

Used s-04 at 19*C and added 8oz of lactose at 15 minutes, 8oz of maple syrup on day 3 of fermentation.

It doesnt not look like an infection yet. Too early to really see signs. The Acetone might be coming off because of fermenting too high but not sure

That's a normal krausen. I agree your pitch temp may've been too high.

Thanks. I pitched it at 17.5 degrees then bumped it to 18.5 after 5 days. Now room temp is just 19*C so that's what it's at.

I agree it looks "OK" (wasn't sure though), it was more the smell. I try too cool it down to 18*C.

Thanks again!

Damoxemus, those are good temps. Whatever the smell is, it's not fusel alcohols from too-warm a fermentation.

Damoxemus said:

Attempting a maple breakfast milk stout again - after 10 days I checked the gravity and noticed a weird smell, kind of reminded me of nail polish remover and saw this on top.

Not sure if it is indeed an infection but it doesn't smell or look right, imo.

Used s-04 at 19*C and added 8oz of lactose at 15 minutes, 8oz of maple syrup on day 3 of fermentation.

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Hard to tell but it could have been the maple syrup you added.... id wait and see.

rockdemon said:

I had an infected batch. Used the same bucket for the next batch and got this. Now i know not to reuse an infected bucket!

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I don't know that this is an infection. I've seen similar before. I just transferred a Sol Clone out of a primary last night after being in there for 13 days. Today in the secondary I don't see any of it. Going to let it sit in the secondary for another week or so then keg.

I should've took a pic.

This one is definitely not an infection. Just left-over krausen.

unionrdr said:

This one is definitely not an infection. Just left-over krausen.

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Which one are you referring to?

brewprint said:

Which one are you referring to?

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Post #2151. Looks like left over krausen to me.