Possible infection/mold?

[newpain01]

Hey everyone!

I brewed a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale around 2 weeks ago with US-05, fermented to 1.010 within a week, but I didn't have time to keg it so I left it for another 3 days qt 68F, then cold crashed to 36F and let it sit for another 3-4 days. Finally I had some time to keg it today and poured a glass, beer has a funky taste and had something white on the surface, doesn't have smell, but when I dumped the yeast from the bottom of the bucket is smelled sour, kinda like kefir. Beer looks clear in the glass, though.

I've brewed this recipe probably 10+ times so far and I can tell this one is not right, but I just don't know what's wrong and I'm hoping someone more experienced can chime in.

Question is, is this some infection, is it safe to drink?

 

[day_trippr]

Welcome to the party at Homebrew Talk, @newpain01

What I see in those pictures are yeast rafts (the seed size floaties) and dried krausen (the cream to brown colored stuff clinging to the bucket wall).

That's all quite benign. I don't see anything potentially malignant so far that would explain any off character stuff...

Cheers!

 

[hotbeer]

We really can't tell you if anything, even plain water is safe to drink from just looking at a picture. For that you should take it to some kind of laboratory.

However infections in beer are more about whether other yeasts or bacteria got in there and changed the taste of it from what it was supposed to be. So if it tastes good enough, then drink it. If it tastes too bad, dump it.

Many of the possible wild yeast and bacterial contaminators are not going to make a toxic brew. At the worst you might just have a brief case of the runs.

 

[fluketamer]

what he said you arent going to make the plague. if it taste bad dump it. sour smell is usually not a good thing in yeast or bear unless you are trying for that.

 

[tracer bullet]

I've brewed this recipe probably 10+ times so far and I can tell this one is not right, but I just don't know what's wrong and I'm hoping someone more experienced can chime in.

I think you answered your own question about keeping it. I agree it should be safe to drink, but I think you won't enjoy it - every sip you will still have that doubt in your head and also know that it didn't turn out like you wanted it to. Life's short, don't drink crappy beer.

Generically speaking, clean everything super thoroughly and replace any silicone pieces.

 

[newpain01]

Thanks guys, appreciate the advice!
I let it sit on CO2 in the kegerator and will try is in the next few days just to see how it tastes when it's carbonated. I have thirsty friends coming over for the holidays, so we might finish it, I was more concerned about food poisoning and something like that.

I think you answered your own question about keeping it. I agree it should be safe to drink, but I think you won't enjoy it - every sip you will still have that doubt in your head and also know that it didn't turn out like you wanted it to. Life's short, don't drink crappy beer.

Generically speaking, clean everything super thoroughly and replace any silicone pieces.

I realize that I failed to mention that I slightly changed the recipe (which might be the reason why it tastes different). I usually use around 8lbs of 2 Row + 2lbs of Caramel malt for this recipe, but this time I ran out of 2 Row and added some Pilsner malt, so instead of 8lbs 2 Row, I have around 5lbs 2 Row and 3lbs Pilsner.

 

[tracer bullet]

I ran out of 2 Row and added some Pilsner malt

Ahh, indeed that will change the flavor. But I've found it is a bit more... sigh, hard to explain - malty, maybe sweet? I recognize it as "American lager", but that's a terrible answer because it's obviously used all over the world. So if it's Sierra Nevada with an American lager twist, it may be fine.

When I've had my handful of infections over the years they've commonly had a sour / vinegar / wine kind of thing going on.

 

[balrog]

When I've had my handful of infections over the years they've commonly had a sour / vinegar / wine kind of thing going on

Plus they continue to ferment to much lower FG than expected which if bottled leads to "gushers". So you could test SG and see if it keeps dropping into the cellar, so to speak.