Can i drink an infected batch

[benzy4010]

This isn't my first vetch bit it's my first infection. Looks ugly but smells good still. Can I still drink it. Any bad things about still drinking

 

[benzy4010]

 

[ShaneHed13]

Being a noob myself this is probably not great advice. But everything I heard suggests to continue with everything as planned and go for it. I don't think that there is usually harm in some infection and it's a waste of a batch to discard it before trying. So my noob opinion is to bottle and condition it and see what you got. Obviously when bottling only siphon the liquid part and stay away from e top as well as the bottom. This sound right for all you pros our there?

 

[Mirilis]

depends on what its infected with.. more than likely its just lacto baccillus and in that case the worst you can get is some stomach cramps and the ****s...

keep this in mind, Berliner Weisse, Flanders Red, etc are all styles where you purposfully infect the batch to produce certain flavors.

I would recommend tasting it out of the fermenter.. if it tastes like crap id dump it.. if it seems to taste drinkable id keep it around.

 

[ShaneHed13]

In think lienenkugel must brew all their batches with lacto bacillus then because that stuff always cleans out my insides! Brewed in my home town!

 

[cjones]

Beer has a very low PH and I have herd nothing common should be able to grow in it that can really hurt you. Key world being should. - yes the craps and flagiants typical signs, if you cant drink it due to the tast and smell being really bad then it can probably hurt you and I would throw it away. - but then again it is not drinkable so...

with that said here is a list of common flavors, go to these links.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-1.html

 

[jrgtr42]

You CAN drink it, but I don't see why you'd want to.
As someone else said, due to a combination of factors, nothing that can really hurt humans can live in beer.
Most of the time, when you have unintentional infections, they won't taste good.
VERY occasionally you have ones that do. Go to town on those.
The rest you really should dump out. IN this case, taste it before making a decision, but either way, I would dump that fermenting bucket. Get a new one. The bugs that cause infections can live in the tiny imperfections in the surface, and are basically impossible to get rid of.
Also any plastic that touches it. Likewise, that can harbor bugs.

 

[Homercidal]

There isn't anything in the infection that will hurt you. It's the same stuff (probably) that's in many foods you eat, like sauerkraut, sourdough bread, etc. You probably won't enjoy the flavor, but then again you might. Give it a taste and see what you think. People say it might give you gas or upset stomach, but some people get that from drinking uninfected beer too.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I've not had to deal with an infection yet (knockknockknock), but from what I've read it seems that most people skim off and discard what they can and hope for the best.
I'll throw my hat in with everyone else here...if it's good, drink it. If it's not, try again next time

 

[benzy4010]

Do I need to probably dump my auto siphon?

 

[benzy4010]

Also tastes like a regular IPA. Didn't seem to really add to much off flavor that I can notice right away. I have glass carbons now so these plastic fermenters are a gone

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

Replacing your auto-siphon won't hurt and would probably be the safest thing, but I don't see why it's necessary. Your plastic fermenter may have had tiny scratches from normal wear and tear where bacteria could hide out, but if you kept care of your siphon I don't think normal wear would lend itself to scratching.
If you opt to keep it definitely give it a good soak though.

 

[Homercidal]

I'd just clean and soak in a sanitizer. It depends on how much you can afford to spend. An autosiphon isn't nearly as expensive as a cheap batch of beer.