WTF is this!!!

[dionbill]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1432946583.656382.jpg

This is a Karma Citra AG sitting in third fermenter. After secondary i transferred 5 gal to a keg and another 5 gal to third fermenter as I didn't have another keg available. It's sitting in a keeper at 68F. Looked great until I added a primary fermenter with recently brewed chocolate milk stout. With a few days, this web'ish thing formed on the top with a bubble right in the middle. Does anyone have any ideas what caused this or if it is ruined? I am meticulous about sanitizing. Carboy washer with PBW and hot water for about 20 min, then sanitizer with Star San....

 

[day_trippr]

That is a beauty of a pellicle.

No idea what it is, but it's definitely not the yeast you pitched that did that...

[edit] I think I'd check that keg right about now...

Cheers!

 

[masskrug]

Why is it in a third fermentor and not a bottle?

 

[lschiavo]

View attachment 281251
third fermenter. After secondary Does anyone have any ideas what caused this

It seems most around here use no secondary much less a tertiary. However meticulous you are with sanitizing, racking introduces a risk of infection that does not exist if you go from primary to keg/bottle.

 

[vincentAlpha]

Waaay too much headspace, that's probably the issue. Either way take a sip sometime and see what it's like. Could be a good sour.

 

[ntculenuf]

one drunk spider

 

[madscientist451]

Pull a sample and taste and smell it. If it seems ok, rack it off to bottling bucket and bottle it up. No idea what it is.

 

[beergolf]

Nice Pellicle....

No way to know what caused it. The only way to identify it is with a microscope. But taste it and if it tastes ok then good.

If you keg and it tastes good then keg it up and drink it. If you are bottling then you have to wait to make sure the bugs are not going to eat more, otherwise you could end up with bottle bombs.

 

[brewguyver]

Looks like Lacto, but I could be wrong. Be careful with bottling - wild yeast/bacteria can chew up fermentables -> bottle bombs. You could have an infection in your bucket, cane, or tubing that nailed you when you racked. Check and see if you have any hairline cracks in the racking cane.

 

[brew_ny]

with all that head space and at 68 F

that could possible happen

 

[ThatVideoKid]

A Citra sour could actually come out pretty good. Never throw away an infection without a taste! Who knows!

 

[doug293cz]

It is strangely beautiful. Not sure I want one though.

Brew on

 

[Frilock]

Mother nature bagging your beer for you.

 

[Hello]

So beautiful. It's infected, how does it taste?

 

[cyberbrew]

First off, very cool pic!! Secondly, I have no idea what the infection is, but am very interested in how it turns out...let us know!

 

[lschiavo]

It may taste great and I hope it does. It doesn't seem this is the result the OP was shooting for though. If it does turn out the best ever sour, is it repeatable?

 

[bigdaddybrew]

Too many transfers, too much headspace, most likely an infection of some kind...mold?

 

[Colorowdy]

Pull a sample try no to disturb the pellicle too much. If it tastes good let it sit in the carboy for eight to twelve months. If it is palatable you may want to you may want to consider getting pitches of lacto, pedio and brett. Also wait until gravity is stable for a month before bottling.
As far as repeatability it could be possible if you bottle it and harvest the bottle dregs.
On the down side unintentional pellicles rarely taste good. Either way I'm interested in how this turns out. Keep us updated.

 

[j1n]

im guessing that is an IPA by the name of it.... if so i highly doubt thats lacto since the high IBUs. its prob some type of bacteria or wild yeast taht got into it from the air in the head space. could let it ride but i would dump it. it prob wont get sour if it really is an ipa since the high ibus.

 

[ong]

I'd give it a taste, and if it's ok try to get it into a keg, keep it cold, and consume quickly. I agree it's probably the combination of transferring and way too much headspace (which, since you transferred, is not filled with co2).

Sure looks like lactobacillus to me.

 

[beergolf]

I agree with j1n.. It is some kind of infection, but you cannot identify it by pecllicle. I emailed Wyeast a while ago and asked if an infection could be identified by pellicle. Their response was, you can only guess because many infections can produce a similar looking pellicle. Like j1n mentioned, if it is an IPA it is probably not lacto because hops inhibit lacto growth.

good luck with this brew. Hope it ends up tasting good.

 

[xandersaml]

Why is it in a third fermentor and not a bottle?

Then how would you get to see this pretty....... WTF!?