Another "is this infected?" Thread

[inkman15]

Sorry in advance for posting another one of these. I brewed this dark chocolate stout about a week ago and below is how it currently looks. Is this infected? I used a full tin of cocoa powder in the boil and I'm wondering if some of the stuff on top is that. What do you think?

 

[drhookmec]

How does it smell?
How does it taste?

These 2 things can really tell you alot.
As long is it doesn't have some sort of off smell/taste you should be fine.

 

[inkman15]

Smells fine to me. Not going to risk taking a sample right now. There's nothing I can do at this point anyway. Will see how it tastes in a couple weeks

 

[homebrewdad]

Not a classic pellicile, but it looks pretty ominous to me.

 

[Fantastical]

It's hard to say at this point. It is quite possible that the cocoa has formed some sort of layer on top of the wort. However, I ave never brewed with cocoa so I wouldn't know.

I would let it be for now. Who knows... Even if it is infected... A sour chocolate stout might be good!

 

[organ]

I'd call that infected.

 

[libeerty]

I honestly think it could just be fermenting bubbles and cocoa powder.

 

[Revvy]

I honestly think it could just be fermenting bubbles and cocoa powder.

I agree. It looks like oils have formed a thin skin/oil slick (not a pellicule from infection,) on the surface and rising co2 bubbles have become trapped. Looks ugly but probably not an infection. I've actually had it happen with dryhopping with a lot of hops, and the hop oils behaved the same way.

I've found that sticking my chocolate in the mash tun is one way to eliminate excess oils/fat from doing that, and killing head retention, the grain will help absorb/filter that stuff out. I've done chocolate, even tortilla chips in my mash tun that way, and never had any issues.

 

[inkman15]

Thank you guys. I'm really hoping it's just the cocoa oils/fat. I'm going to leave it alone for a little while and then taste before bottling. My sanitation is pretty thorough, so fingers crossed. I had high hopes for this one!

 

[dinnerstick]

even tortilla chips in my mash tun that way

kool ranch kolsch!?

 

[Akavango]

even tortilla chips in my mash tun that way, and never had any issues.

I'm curious to read how that recipe turned out.

 

[Revvy]

I posted on here when I did it. It was no big deal. My Cream ale recipe calls for a pound of flaked corn, I thought I had it but I had exactly 1/2 pound, I noticed a bag of tortilla chips (plain, though nacho cheese might have been interesting ) I figured if it was cooked and shaped from a corn mush, it MIGHT have pre-gelatinized, so I rounded out my grainbill with a half pound, and mashed like normal.

Everyone said I'd have issues with the oils, but nothing like that happened at all, the beer was beautiful. And really didn't taste any different from my original recipe. That's the interesting thing about corn adjuncts, you can use it in any form- even like Maliticious did using popcorn for his.

 

[brewguyver]

even like Maliticious did using popcorn for his.

I'm going to have to try this next time I make a mexi-lager.

Know if anyone has tried Indian corn?

 

[Revvy]

Someone posted something about a south american blue corn late last week