Belgian Strong Ale, Infection

[distributistdad]

Hello All,

I have a Belgian Strong Ale that I am pretty sure has an infection. I've attached photos of it, I just noticed the film today.

Short story on the beer is it was brewed on 8/17, I pitched half a cake of WLP500 from a BPA that was about 4 weeks in the fridge, no starter. Original gravity was 1.102. Fermented fine, but got stuck @ about 1.030. I tried the old tricks to get the fermentation going again (swirling, raising temp), but couldn't get anywhere. I read the treads here and found that a fool-proof way to get her going again would be to rack the beer on another fresh yeast cake. I put it on a US-05 cake from a session pale ale (on 9/23) and got her down to about 1.023. I was going to bottle it today and opened it to find this. I last checked the gravity about 3-4 days ago, and there wasn't anything there at that time. I've checked the gravity on this beer probably at least 10 times, so there have been plenty of opportunities for it to have gotten something. The taste has been fantastic throughout, never had any off flavors at all. I'm not sure at 9.5-10% alcohol that too much can survive in the beer itself but I've got some questions:

Should I go ahead and bottle this, or at this point should I try to convert this to a sour? If I should head sour, what steps need to be taken?

If I bottle this, should any precautions be taken in terms of bottling equipment/procedure?

Regarding the equipment that this beer has been in contact with (fermentation bucket), is there anything special I should do to it to make sure the infection doesn't spread to other brews?

Finally, what steps should be taken "brewery-wide" to ensure that I don't get 3 batches of sours (currently in the fermentors) or more brews to come getting infected?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Copbrew133]

I have had one infection before and it had a very sour taste which was not intended in the beer. Mine started with the white filmy bubbles and within a few days I had a pellcle that kinda looked like a spider web over the beer. How does it taste now? The batch I did was fermented in plastic and I switched to glass immediately thereafter. Being paranoid everything else on the cold side was either boiled or disinfected in a weak bleach solution, then Star San . Maybe give it 4 or 5 more days and see if it develops the white film across the entirety of the top. I hope for your sake it doesn't and this is just a freak thing. If it tastes good I'd bottle it and store the bottles in a relatively secure container to carb. Good luck man.

 

[distributistdad]

Thanks. From something else I've seen, it may be a good idea to wait to bottle at least a little while to make sure the infection doesn't encourage more fermentation (though I can't think of how that would work).

I may go taste it, just to see. 4 days ago it was a burnt red-orange in color with aroma of cinnamon, clove, brown sugar. Taste was a little sweet, fruity, malty, a touch of bitterness and alcohol burn. Alright, I've talked myself into another taste. Here's to hoping it is still just as good!

 

[distributistdad]

Well, it tastes good so here goes nothing. I'm actually going to bottle all three beers that I were in fermentors tonight, so I can get everything clean and disinfected before I get going on another batch.

I suppose a picture of something down the road would be appropriate .

 

[eastoak]

that is an infection for sure. if you had a bucket with a yeast cake sitting in the fridge for 4 weeks that could be the source of the infection. lots of fresh air came into that bucket when you racked the beer off. a bug or two got in and had 4 weeks to colonize the cake. might be good, might not. let us know.

 

[Yooper]

that is an infection for sure. if you had a bucket with a yeast cake sitting in the fridge for 4 weeks that could be the source of the infection. lots of fresh air came into that bucket when you racked the beer off. a bug or two got in and had 4 weeks to colonize the cake. might be good, might not. let us know.

That's what I was going to say. It's been many weeks in a bucket with a wide headspace- and that's when oxygen loving bacteria (and wild yeast and mold) will take hold. It's an infection for sure.

I can't tell yet what kind it is, but it's got a pellicle forming.

 

[distributistdad]

that is an infection for sure. if you had a bucket with a yeast cake sitting in the fridge for 4 weeks that could be the source of the infection. lots of fresh air came into that bucket when you racked the beer off. a bug or two got in and had 4 weeks to colonize the cake. might be good, might not. let us know.

To clarify, I had washed and saved the yeast from a previous batch. It was in a sealed jar with no headspace in the fridge (this was used for the initial pitch back on 8/17).

On 9/23, I racked a session pale off a fresh cake and directly racked the Belgian on the cake. The fresh yeast chewed it up a little more and my FG was about 1.024.

I did go ahead and bottle it (now 3 days ago). I'm thinking I'll stick the case in a rubbermaid tote to make sure that nothing blows up.

Does anyone know if that infection is going to grow in the bottles? Did I just waste my time bottling it, or is there a chance? I don't have any experience with this, but I can't imagine too much can survive in the beer as it's almost 10% ABV.

Thanks!

 

[eastoak]

To clarify, I had washed and saved the yeast from a previous batch. It was in a sealed jar with no headspace in the fridge (this was used for the initial pitch back on 8/17).

On 9/23, I racked a session pale off a fresh cake and directly racked the Belgian on the cake. The fresh yeast chewed it up a little more and my FG was about 1.024.

I did go ahead and bottle it (now 3 days ago). I'm thinking I'll stick the case in a rubbermaid tote to make sure that nothing blows up.

Does anyone know if that infection is going to grow in the bottles? Did I just waste my time bottling it, or is there a chance? I don't have any experience with this, but I can't imagine too much can survive in the beer as it's almost 10% ABV.

Thanks!

yes, the infection will stay in the beer. there is no telling how good or bad the beer will be but usually a sour beer will ferment for months or years before bottling. keep us posted.

 

[distributistdad]

So I know it's only been three days, but I chilled one and had it tonight. It tastes like Belgian Strong Ale that's somewhat green. No sour taste to it at all, but at 10.3% alcohol, it tastes like booze and frankly is a little tough to drink a whole one.

I read every thread on here I could find and this was the general consensus:

Beer finished at 1.024 which is high-it i've got Brett it will continue to chew down the beer and I'm asking for bottle bombs with this thing. The thing to do is to have a beer every couple of days to check carb levels, once the desired level is reached, chill and consume quickly, no?

I can't spare fridge space for two cases of beer, so anyone dare me to hold on to some indefinately to see what happens in say, 6, 12, 18 or 24 months?

 

[eastoak]

sounds.....sketchy.

 

[distributistdad]

sounds.....sketchy.

? Could you clarify?