Infected Stout - What to do

[BullGator]

Been brewing for around 8 years and finally got my first infected batch! May main question is what to do with it. I finally tried it and it tastes good enough to try and save. The abv is around 9.5%. I'm thinking I should transfer to my boil kettle and heat it to around 180 deg for awhile. Then keg and add my adjuncts. It's a big stout and I'd rather save it if possible. Especially in these times.

Let me know if you need any other detail. I am pretty sure I know what happened. I'm going to address it but just looking for advice on what to do now. Just don't want to infect anything else. I was wanting to bottle this but I can keg it too. I just don't want bottle bombs if there is something that will be working over time.

 

[Funky Frank]

At this point, heating will lose a fair amount of alcohol. What is the gravity now? Do you have access to sour dregs or commercial sour pitches? Do you have equipment to let this sit for several months?

 

[BullGator]

I was just thinking to heat it to kill everything so I can bottle it or keg it without contaminating my kegs or getting bottle bombs. The gravity is 1.053. It started around 1.11. I could pitch some sour dregs but I was trying to just stop whatever bug got in it since it doesn't taste sour. Then continue with my adjuncts as planned.

I do have plenty of carboys to let it sit if needed.

 

[Funky Frank]

If I’m looking at the pasteurization chart correctly 15 seconds at 165F will do it. The boiling point of pure ethanol is 173F so you probably won’t lose a lot of alcohol at that temp. You’ll definitely lose something (flavor? Aroma?) but who knows how much.

Anyone have any kind of experience with anything like this???

Personally, I’d get some good dregs in this and let it ride....but I get it.

Sacc also does a much quicker job than brett so you could let it get down to your desired finishing gravity, chill it for several days to hinder fermentation, and then dose with potassium Sorbate and potassium metabisulfite. If you try to stop an active fermentation in this way, you will get off flavors (still might regardless of chilling). You’d be running the risk of developing funky sour flavors during the remainder of the fermentation and you would have to keg after this.

 

[Dgallo]

I was just thinking to heat it to kill everything so I can bottle it or keg it without contaminating my kegs or getting bottle bombs. The gravity is 1.053. It started around 1.11. I could pitch some sour dregs but I was trying to just stop whatever bug got in it since it doesn't taste sour. Then continue with my adjuncts as planned.

I do have plenty of carboys to let it sit if needed.

Alcohol boils a 173*f and you can pasteurize above 150*, so If you wanted to you could but I personally wouldn’t do it. I’d just throw it in another carboy add 5 lbs of cherries and let it go 3+ months. You might have a gem in disguise. Dark fruited sours are really nice.

 

[BullGator]

I'm starting to come around to maybe going the route of pitching dregs (or just adding fruit). This beer was intended to be a Cigar City Hunahpu stout clone. It is brewed to have a high final gravity to get that chewy stoutness that these big stouts have. It did taste a little hot when I sampled it. But the gravity is right where i expected it. I have only had one high abv sour stout and I didn't really care for it. I have around 8-9 gallons so perhaps I can split it. Try and salvage half and then go the fruit sour with the other half.

With the half I try and salvage, I brewed this around 4 months ago. So certainly no fermentation is happening. That's all great input. I have some of those things (potassium metabisulfite, etc.) as I've done hard cider. I've always shy'd away from them in cider because of the potential of off-flavors (for the record, this is just from researching and not trying myself). What do you think is the best route if I do this? Heat to 165 deg for a short time or the tablets? Or both? This is something I'd like to age and don't want to worry about anything long term.

With the half that I add fruit to, should I just go fruit or add dregs. Or both? If it helps, I think my bugs came from not cleaning my valves good enough. Not sure if that matters.

 

[bkboiler]

If u like the flavor now u could move half onto cherries and pitch dregs if you had a 2.5 gallon fermenter...
or alternatively, you could bottle it and after it's carbed you could bottle pasteurize. I suggest making one of those bottle caps with a pressure gauge in it so you can know how much pressure built up before you pasteurize.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

If you are planning on heating it up.
Consider this, think about a double boiler.
Heat water up in your kettle to boiling, then turn off the heat, and drop in the sealed keg, let it sit there until the water cools, if you have a big enough kettle, it should bring up the temperature of the beer, not loosing any of the alcohol or oxidizing the beer, then let it cool back down to room temperature, if you have a false bottom, you could continue to boil, until the beer got to 150ish, killing the bugs for certain.

Just an idea.

Or put in the back seat of your car, and let it sit there all day in the heat.

Most kegs are rated at 130psi. It should never get anywhere close.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Personally I would keg it and be done.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Personally I would keg it and be done.

And drink it up, quickly to fight off COVID 19.

 

[Funky Frank]

Personally I would keg it and be done.

What do you think will happen in that scenario? Eventual funk or so little funk that all the big flavors just cover it up?

 

[RPh_Guy]

What do you think will happen in that scenario? Eventual funk or so little funk that all the big flavors just cover it up?

Cold will inhibit the wild microbes, so likely nothing will happen and there's probably nothing to worry about.

From my observation, the large majority of contaminated beers don't suffer any negative consequences.

 

[satph]

You can't bottle it at 1.053 with unknown yeast/bacteria in there without pasturizing. And, I personally wouldn't go through the effort of trying to pasturize it. I would start over for the Hunahpu stout clone.

I have some infected 2015 BCBS still in the fridge. It went in there as soon as it was announced. I haven't had one in a while, but last time it tasted fine. I would keg half and chill it. Chilling will slow any activity, but not stop it. If you're worried about your lines, serve out of a picnic tap. I'd think Tart of Darkness clone for the other half and throw in some dregs.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

You are probably done with this by now, but if not, why not hit it with some Campden tablets? They will kill the bugs that are in it as of this moment, then you can through some more dregs in there and let it go for a while.

It did this with a Graff that got infected with a vinegary taste. Used Campden for 24 hours, then split it into two gal, and added some more apple juice, FAJC, and yeast. It finished up in another couple of weeks. I bottled it and it turned out nice. Just a hint of vinegar and a good flavor. Maybe a protocol like this will work for your sour?

 

[RPh_Guy]

why not hit it with some Campden tablets? They will kill the bugs that are in it as of this moment

Campden (sulfite) does not inhibit microbes in beer.

https://***************.com/wiki/Sulfite#Microbial_Effects_in_Beer