First Infection...

[AviatorTroy]

Well, after about 60 batches or so under my belt, I'm pretty sure I got my first infected batch this week. I brewed a pale ale about a month ago, and dry hopped it in the primary. Racked to secondary yesterday and added gelatin finings. The yeast cake smelled awful. I mean I know yeast can get pretty nasty but it literally smelled like my feet after a 3 day kayak trip.

I pulled a sample, and it tasted ok. The strangest part, when I checked in it today, the airlock in the secondary was bubbling away, maybe 3-4 per minute. Something is up.

The yeast was a second generation of Denny's Fav 50. I can't figure out if the infection was caused by a poor yeast washing technique, dry hopping in primary, or literally could be almost anything.

Trying to decide where to go from here. I'd hate to dump out all my yeasts from my collection but now I'm in doubt of my sanitation during the yeast wash.

I know what y'all are going to say........ Just drink it.

 

[BigFloyd]

I know what y'all are going to say........ Just drink it.

No. I was going to say, "Drink it. If it tastes good, you probably have no infection."

Fermentation can produce some odd odors with no infection going on at all.

 

[AviatorTroy]

No. I was going to say, "Drink it. If it tastes good, you probably have no infection."

Fermentation can produce some odd odors with no infection going on at all.

Why yes, yes that's true. It did sit on the yeast cake for almost a month and it probably just needed racked off. Does seem ok but I've never seen the airlock start back up like that.

 

[atoughram]

I've never seen the airlock start back up like that.

I've had two batches this year that started bubbling again after racking. Rousing the brew can make it take off again - The one I racked Saturday was at 1.010 and immediately when ape #%^ crazy again, filling the airlocks with krausen.

But I'm coming to expect craziness with Hefeweizen strains... WLP320 in this batch, but WLP300 is just as vigorous.