Oh no!!!

I think mine may be contaminated.

My second brew is a belgian, and there is a wierd clump floating on the top of the wort. It also smells a bit off. I brewed it on 4/28/07. Is this brew contaminated, and if it is, is there anything I can do to save it??? Is it realy possible to tell this early on???

Thanks for the help,
Charlie

 

Without pictures I'd say that the clump is normal, many people have weird stuff floating on their wort. As far as smell, some beers just stink so that is normal also.

RDWHAHB

 

Yeah what Flyin Lion said. Don't jump the gun. Ride it out until it is all done bubbling, and when you transfer or bottle or keg, just taste the sample to see....even then I would caution casting judgement as you still don't know what it really is like until it is 'done'.

 

I run a rescue shelter for contaminated homebrew. Please send it over and I will make sure that it is taken care of and disposed in a suitably dignified manner.

 

I also have an abandoned beer shelter, just drop it on by and we'll take care of it for you.

 

RDWHAHB or 2

 

Congradulations! You made an authentic belgian beer, contamination and all! Do like the belgians do and just age it out about a year or so.

Sorry, I just had to do that. Once it is finished fermenting smell and taste it. It is hard to tell if a beer is contaminated during fermentation due to the various aromas coming from the fermenter. And if you are making a particular belgian style beer, it may even be intentionally sour which for any other beer would be indicate contamination.

Dr Malt

 

wow, i think i had my beer goggles on when I saw that "lump" as I was already about 10 deep and it was 3 in the mornin. it was just some residual foam left from the krausen. sorry for all this nonsense and thanks for the input.

 

And here I thought my beer shelter was going to get a donation. Damn.
It needs it to, the homebrew is starting to be drank faster than I can produce it.

 

haha, I still haven't even bottled my first yet, but I am brewin every weekend so I think I am gonna end up with a stock pile of beer. THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT SUMMER :cross:

 

ditto. .

keep in mind the Belgians frequently open ferment most of their stuff to attract some element of what we would consider "infection."

But, it sounds completely normal.

 

Sayeth he before the increased girth...

 

I once threw away 5 gallons of Apple Wine because I thought it was spoiled from the sulphur smell...

which I found out later is normal. Just wait and see