"Bugging Out" - Infection?

[user 197168]

So I have quite a few brews under my belt now (in more ways than one). Up until now I have managed to avoid any infected beers. "Until now" being the operative words.

Recently I brewed a couple of English bitters and another ale and they have sat in carboys for about 3 and a bit weeks. Just last week I did a sampling of all of them and they were tasting great. This week, there is a distinct sourness to them, the oldest of the three being the most sour.

Not having had much experience with infected beers, I wanted to know if this WAS an infection, or if my description sounds typical of an infected beer.

If it is, I'm really at a loss as to what caused it. My sanitation practices certainly haven't gotten any worse. And if it is, where to from here? Do I chuck things out and purchase again? I've heard certain bugs are hard to get rid of.

As always, any help or ideas much appreciated!

 

[snow16]

I wouldn't chalk it up to infection just yet...

What yeast strain did you use? I use WY1968 for all my British beers and it can have a sort of 'twang' or tartness in the finish of the beer that I wasn't accustomed to when I first used it. I was a little worried about it at first, but I've come to really enjoy it. I find that it works well to balance the richer malt flavors that 1968 can produce.

...but I would only go so far as to describe it as slightly 'tart', and in a pleasant way. If you're beers are straight-up SOUR, it could well be something else.

Maybe this was of help, maybe not - either way, good luck!

 

[snow16]

...the fact that the third batch is the most sour could point to some sort of bug though. What I described with WY1968 does not get increasingly sour with time.

 

[user 197168]

Cheers Snow! I'm going to have another taste when I get home this evening. I might have a look inside as well. That said, I think the taste was somewhere between "slightly tart" and "straight up sour". I didn't spit it out. I just screwed my face up slightly at the end of the taste.

And all three used different yeasts - WLP013, MJ British Ale, and a recultured Australian Coopers yeast.

 

[snow16]

I've never used any of those yeasts so can't comment on them - but give them time. They're all still very young!