Cloudy/milky beer

[hoserbrau]

I attempted to make a North German Pilsner Lager, but I'm afraid something went wrong. It's an AG recipe I picked up from Austin Homebrew, and I double-pitched the White Labs German Lager yeast. I also added whirlfloc in the last 10 minutes of the boil to help it clarify.

I started the fermentation at room temperature before moving it into my lagering fridge (50 degrees), but it took 3 days before it started bubbling. I thought that was weird, but I went ahead and stuck it in the fridge to ferment and that sucker bubbled for almost 2 weeks straight. I let it sit in primary for another week to settle out the sediment, but it remained very milky and cloudy. Regardless, I racked it into the secondary and it stayed cloudy. It also tasted a bit funky, but I attributed that to whatever is hazing my beer.

It's been in the secondary now for 2 weeks and it's still cloudy as ever. It was actually much clearer just before I added the yeast, and it just hasn't cleared up at all (I think it's gotten worse).

Do I have some kind of infection? Is my batch ruined? I've never added any clarifying agents after the boil, so I'm not sure if that can fix my problem or not. I can attach pictures/videos after I get home if it helps. I also took hydrometer readings, but I'll have to get back to my notes before I can reveal that information.

 

[Yooper]

"Milky" is troublesome, as that is a sign of lacto contamination.

I'd wait it out, but it doesn't sound good at all.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Cloudiness could also be the result of a wild yeast infection. Wild yeasts are largely not at all flocculant.

 

[hoserbrau]

Is there a way to clear it out? It's been in the primary for almost 3 weeks and the secondary for another 2 weeks. Should I try letting it clear out before I put it into the keg, or should I go ahead and keg it and hope it clears up in there?

 

[Yooper]

Is there a way to clear it out? It's been in the primary for almost 3 weeks and the secondary for another 2 weeks. Should I try letting it clear out before I put it into the keg, or should I go ahead and keg it and hope it clears up in there?

I'd keep it where it is- if it's lacto, you don't want to infect your keg and lines/taps. If it's lacto, it'll get worse and not better and taste sour, so you should have a definite answer in a couple of weeks. If in two weeks, it tastes ok, then I'd say it could be kegged.

 

[hoserbrau]

Here's a picture I took just before I added the yeast.

You can see that it's clear, but it's got a milky cloud forming in the middle. I had never used whirlfloc before, so I had just assumed that the cloud was the proteins coagulating and dropping out. However, now everything is the milky cloud.

 

[Pilgarlic]

I'd keep it where it is- if it's lacto, you don't want to infect your keg and lines/taps. If it's lacto, it'll get worse and not better and taste sour, so you should have a definite answer in a couple of weeks. If in two weeks, it tastes ok, then I'd say it could be kegged.

Ditto if it's wild yeast. The cloudiness will persist, though it may take longer for the unpleasant, spicy, phenolic and maybe plastic flavor to develop. I "cleared" a beer with gelatin that was, unbeknownst to me, wild yeast infected. It remained cloudy in primary for at least a month. The gelatin cleared it beautifully, I bottled and the first few I uncapped were delicious. But then, literally overnight, the whole batch of bottled beers became a nasty, phenolic catastrophe, all of which were dumped. Edit: I now see the pic. It doesn't look like my wild yeast, which was uniformly cloudy.

 

[Yooper]

Here's a picture I took just before I added the yeast.

You can see that it's clear, but it's got a milky cloud forming in the middle. I had never used whirlfloc before, so I had just assumed that the cloud was the proteins coagulating and dropping out. However, now everything is the milky cloud.

That picture shows "cold break" material, which I frequently see in the fermenter since I have a CFC. That's fine.

The cold break will settle with the trub, so if you're seeing something milking/filmy now that concerns me.

 

[hoserbrau]

That first picture was taken as I was pouring the wort from the kettle into the primary fermenter. It's now a month later, and it's now uniformly cloudy. Is it worth trying the gelatin, or should I just chalk it up to my first botched batch? Here is what it looks like this morning after sitting in the primary fermenter for 3 weeks and a secondary fermenter for 2 weeks:

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Do you have a current picture of what it looks like now? Can you describe the current flavors/aromas? My concerns are the under pitch (I'm assuming 'double pitch' means 2 vials, not nearly enough for a lager) and the poor temps at first, but that shouldn't make 'milky' looking beer.

 

[hoserbrau]

Those pictures above are from this morning. I haven't tasted it since I put it into the secondary a few weeks ago, so maybe I'll sneak some out this weekend and get some tasting notes.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Look at the top 1.25" to 1.5". It's clearing. Taste it if you like, but I'd wait for it to clear, taste, test and, if it tastes alright, package.

 

[hoserbrau]

Yes, I used two vials of yeast because I did not make a yeast starter. The fermentation seemed to go great once it got started. It fermented for almost 2 weeks straight, but it took 3 days to get started. Do you think it picked up some kind of wild yeast? I did have it fermenting right next to a different pilsner in my lagering fridge (which turned out great).

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Those pictures above are from this morning. I haven't tasted it since I put it into the secondary a few weeks ago, so maybe I'll sneak some out this weekend and get some tasting notes.

Yeah, it looks like the yeast is starting to drop out. Just give it some time, and definitely see how it tastes, that'll be a big indicator.

 

[DPBISME]

Were you planning to Crash-Cool it aroung 35 degrees?

I am doing a Kolsh and a Triple and from my reading once the main fermentation is complete you are supposed to really chill it to get everything to drop out.

I made the triple months ago but it has been sitting around in two kegs at room temp.

I just made the Kolsch and both of them went into the Fermentation Chamber (freezer with a control unit) a week ago.

I was going to let them sit there at 35 degrees for a minimum of two weeks,,, though right now it looks like it will be longer and thins is fine since next moth my "brew club" is doing a Belgian competition... Longer is better as I understand.

DPB

 

[hoserbrau]

I suppose it's already been "crash-cooling". After I put it in the secondary fermenter (2 weeks ago), I set my fridge back to 40 degrees. I guess it does look like it's starting to clarify at the top; I'll give it another week in the secondary before I rack it to the keg.

My "brew club" is also doing a Belgian competition in October. That will be my next batch, since like you said "longer is better" (twss).