3 days into open fermentation... is this another infection?

[BayernOasis]

Hi

I had an infection a while back and stopped brewing. Since then instead of throwing out my old equipment I thoroughly cleaned everything with steeping in black overnight plus countless rinses with star san.

When it came to fermenting this dark wheat beer I noticed my lid was broken so it was partly open fermented however cover with sanitised cling film.

3 days in and as the primary fermentation activity has subsided I decided to check on how the beer was coming along and noticed this on top...

Is this just yeast mixed in with the dark beer, by products of fermentation, or do I have another infection?

Thank you

 

[Dgallo]

That looks like yeast rafts of a dark beer to me. Your most likely fine but you need to get a lid and cover it or you will run a much higher risk of infection after fermentation slows

 

[BayernOasis]

Nice one. Thanks.

Would I get these after 3 days? It's just worrying because it has that broken ice look to it which indicates an infection. I am weary about whether to move this to a secondary incase I also infect that vessel too.

Is there anything else I can do?

 

[McKnuckle]

Yes, cover it up and don't expose it to the air.

It doesn't look like an infection at all. It's yeast rafts in dark beer which has a brown appearance, along with pockets of CO2 bubbles. It also looks to be winding down, with the yeast probably falling in a day or two. At that point it will be completely unprotected from the environment.

If you are not able to keep this airtight, you should move it to another vessel where you can. Otherwise, confirm that FG has been reached, then bottle it without delay after that point.

 

[day_trippr]

What I can see in that pic is totally yeast rafts. Don't see anything of concern.
That said, open less often so it stays that way

Cheers!

 

[BayernOasis]

Thanks for the advice to you both! Made me feel a lot better

Have got 3 different batches of beer on the go just now. Just in the process of cold crashing my first true lager in my shed... however I tasted a sample and it tastes kind of sour... any ideas what this could be? It does not look as though it would have an infection and reading up on this has suggested it may be acetaldehyde... don't think it is diacetyl as does not smell or taste like butter.

I did a complete 90 minute boil on the German pilsner malt and created a 1.5L starter using saflager 34/70... over 2 weeks and increasing the temperature to 18C for the last few days. My sanitation with this was also diligent.

Someone else suggested lagering and fining with gelatin... as this sourness may even out over several weeks.

Any ideas on what this could be and whether this would work? I was even thinking about adding an ale yeast at bottling hoping it will clean up the lager?

Thanks again I really appreciate all of your input