Is this infected?

[Danger_D]

3 out of my past 6 batches have been infected... In suspecting this one is too. What do you think?

 

[brick]

Looks fine to me. I see a little foam in secondary and normal gunk around the primary. If it grows a translucent skin and the fg drops unusually low then you can worry.

What did the infected batches look like?

 

[Hackwood]

Looks beautiful to me.

 

[Dynachrome]

Looks perfect. What does it smaell/taste like?

 

[Danger_D]

It didn't taste "as infected" as the last 2. But didn't taste great. It does seems to have a sheen forming at the top of it too

 

[Gear101]

Looks beautiful to me.

What he said

 

[SandstoneCityBrew]

+1 on everything looking normal.

 

[brick]

It didn't taste "as infected" as the last 2. But didn't taste great. It does seems to have a sheen forming at the top of it too

A "sheen" last an oil slick is nothing...happens with every batch I brew. The thing to look out for is a solid layer (looks like ice almost) with bubbles trapped beneath it. Ride this one out and see what happens.

 

[Danger_D]

Ok thanks brick!

 

[angrysparrow]

Why did you think 3 of your last 6 were infected? Are you just being paranoid?

Here's a good example of an infection - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/those-you-worrying-about-infection-what-looks-like-442030/

 

[Grinnan5150]

May be duplicative but I see nothing wrong. What does it taste like? Do the off flavors taste like a band aid or plastic? Buttery? Like apples?

 

[RainyDay]

If you think it's infected, Im not certain your other batches were. Contrary to a lot of the internet, it's really hard to infect a beer.

Disclaimer: I have no info on the other batches, so I could be way off base on them

 

[The_Idiot]

Let's just say the previous batches were infected - so you don't feel bad about dumping good beer!!!

This batch looks more than normal; it looks good.

In decades of brewing I've only ever dumped one batch, so infection is rare unless you do something stupid. I once dropped an old t-shirt I used as a cleaning cloth into a bottling bucket as I racked in to it. I had to bottle it anyway - it's the law - and it turned out fine.

I've botlled beer with mould on the surface, and after time to clean up it was fine (took six months though)!

 

[zachssoojdm]

Looks good!

 

[dannysk]

The foam ring and that was removed with it looks like a very healthy and vigorous fermentation. By the pic, all looks good.

 

[crookedibrews]

+1 on things looking great.

 

[hoperific]

What flavors did you attribute to being "infected"? There are a lot of off flavors that are not caused by infections and could be from other causes. I thought my first few batches were "infected" but they had bad phenols from high ferm temps and chlorophenols from tap water I didn't filter.

 

[jrgtr42]

Chiming in here.... THis doesn't look like there's anything wrong with it.
Here's a question: Do you often pop the top on your fermenter to look at things?
Every time you open it, it disturbs the co2 layer, leading to risk of oxidation, and also increases risk of anything else getting in there, that could infect it.
I would say to leave it absolutely be until you check your gravity which should be a couple weeks later an the minimum. It's easy enough to make sure things are happening - I personally just look at the bucket and airlock after about 12, 24 and 36 hours, then I forget about it for at least the 2 weeks, normally close to 3. I may look once or twice, but I will put a lit flashlight on the top of the bucket, just to make sure I see the silhouette of krausen around the top.
Don't open unless you suspect something is seriously wrong.