Not sure what I have here. Backstory on the first time. Made an extract dortmunder. Stalled fermentation around 1.015 or thereabouts. Left it in fermentor for a while, checking on it occasionally. Decided it had stopped and pitched a pack of dry yeast. When I checked on it the next time, I had a layer of white scum on the top. Dry, powdery looking with bubbles trapped beneath the layer. Bottled anyway and even though I tried to pull beer from below the surface layer, the white film transfered to the bottles. Over a few weeks, it looked like it got absorbed into the beer. Started trying them and the first beer was a gusher. Got better the longer they sat, but always had a problem with too much head while pouring and even had a couple of bottle bombs.
But that beer is history. Now for my last brew...
Fermentation went really well and quick. 1.068 og and stopped around 1.015. Checked over the course of a couple of weeks and it didn't move. Beer looked good and tasted good every time. But I felt I could get some more out of it so I pitched some yeast that had been working on some wort for a couple of days. Let it go for a while and pulled the lid to check gravity. Uh oh....
This time looked worse. Saddened, I closed it back up and left it alone. Til tonight(9 days after pitching champagne yeast). Saw some airlock activity and it smelled like beer. Pulled the lid and most of the white scum had disappeared and I was greeted with what looked like normal co2 bubbles. Took a gravity reading and it was down to 1.012-1.011. Tasted it and it was much different than before. I don't want to say astringent, because I'm not sure how that tastes(have only read descriptions).
Now, I see people saying if it's infected, it will taste so bad you will want to puke. I didn't get that, but I still spit it out. Will I know FOR SURE if it's infected? Or is there some kind of middle road when it comes to that?
But that beer is history. Now for my last brew...
Fermentation went really well and quick. 1.068 og and stopped around 1.015. Checked over the course of a couple of weeks and it didn't move. Beer looked good and tasted good every time. But I felt I could get some more out of it so I pitched some yeast that had been working on some wort for a couple of days. Let it go for a while and pulled the lid to check gravity. Uh oh....
This time looked worse. Saddened, I closed it back up and left it alone. Til tonight(9 days after pitching champagne yeast). Saw some airlock activity and it smelled like beer. Pulled the lid and most of the white scum had disappeared and I was greeted with what looked like normal co2 bubbles. Took a gravity reading and it was down to 1.012-1.011. Tasted it and it was much different than before. I don't want to say astringent, because I'm not sure how that tastes(have only read descriptions).
Now, I see people saying if it's infected, it will taste so bad you will want to puke. I didn't get that, but I still spit it out. Will I know FOR SURE if it's infected? Or is there some kind of middle road when it comes to that?