Please tell me it's not infected!

[Mountainsax]

Our second batch of beer, an Irish Blonde and I'm afraid it may be infected. I thought it was just bubbles but if you look closely there are white things floating in it. Does this look like an infection? If it is, is there any saving it? Can you assume the infection is only on the top and just leave more of the beer in the car oh when you rack to the bottling bucket? We were hoping to bottle tonight and it would suck to loose our second batch!

 

[alefort]

Our second batch of beer, an Irish Blonde and I'm afraid it may be infected. I thought it was just bubbles but if you look closely there are white things floating in it. Does this look like an infection? If it is, is there any saving it? Can you assume the infection is only on the top and just leave more of the beer in the car oh when you rack to the bottling bucket? We were hoping to bottle tonight and it would suck to loose our second batch!View attachment 236706View attachment 236707

I don't think it's an infection.

Also, that's mighty dark for a blonde.

 

[Mountainsax]

Thanks alefort, I hope you're right! It probably looks dark because it is sitting in a black trash can full of water. It's my ghetto ferm chamber! This is what it looks like with some light. This was a couple weeks ago.

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

I wouldn't worry for now, beer gets all sorts of weird looking mid fermentation.

IMHO, even if it is, not all infections are the worst thing in the world. Some of the nicest beers I've ever had were infected. You wouldn't believe what a Flanders Red looks like when it is aging. I pulled this off a quick google search. This particular style of beer can be absolutely amazing, if you've never had it. And all that awesomeness comes from a big purposeful infection from a cocktail of different bacteria.

I say let the beer finish, bottle it, and see what happens. Doesn't look infected to me, and if it is it still might be good.

 

[RmikeVT]

What did it taste like? Smell like? The real big bubble in the middle of the pic looks suspicious.

 

[Mountainsax]

I have to say, that made me smile! This goes against all logic! An infection can be good??!!

The beer has been fermenting for 4 weeks now. Hopefully we will bottle tonight and know if a few weeks if it is ok...

 

[Mountainsax]

I pulled a hydrometer sample on Friday and it tasted fine. Smelled like beer this morning. Nothing super obvious that I could detect in the aroma anyway.

 

[unionrdr]

That's not a bubble in the middle. It's the reflection of the neck of the bottle from the flash in the surface of the beer. Just krausen left-overs with some yeast rafts.

 

[TheZymurgist]

I have to say, that made me smile! This goes against all logic! An infection can be good??!!

The beer has been fermenting for 4 weeks now. Hopefully we will bottle tonight and know if a few weeks if it is ok...

There's a whole subforum on the topic...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/

And this will let you know what a contamination can look like...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/pellicle-photo-collection-174033/

 

[RmikeVT]

That's not a bubble in the middle. It's the reflection of the neck of the bottle from the flash in the surface of the beer. Just krausen left-overs with some yeast rafts.

If it is just a reflection of the neck, I would say it looks like yeast rafts. In addition if it tastes like a duck and smells like a duck, its probably not infected.

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

If it is just a reflection of the neck, I would say it looks like yeast rafts. In addition if it tastes like a duck and smells like a duck, its probably not infected.

But it is probably a duck. So there's that.

 

[Mountainsax]

Bottled last night and it all looked and tasted good! Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Mountainsax]

But it is probably a duck. So there's that.

No ducks were harmed in the making of this beer!