Identification question - White cloudiness below surface

[schiddy]

Cliffs: Need help identifying white cloudiness in secondary on/just below surface. Is it yeast or C02 possibly? Can I bottle?

Hi all, been lurking for a while. New to brewing, this is my second batch. My intermediate brewer friend has been showing me the ropes. He has been stumped by this question though and I need some help identifying what's going on with my racked brew. I have searched the forums and googled like crazy, so sorry if this is somewhere on the forums already.

Followed instructions in this recipe:
http://brewersconnection.com/recipes/BlackStrapPorter.htm

Recipe - Black Strap Porter
Wyeast 1020 London Ale yeast
0.50 lb American 6-row
0.25 lb Wheat Malt
0.25 lb Crystal 90L
0.25 lb Roasted Barely
0.25 lb Belgium Special B
0.25 lb Chocolate
1.00 lb Flaked Barley

4.60 lb Amber Extract Syrup
1.00 lb Dark Dry Malt Extract
2.00 lb Pale Extract Syrup

0.05 oz Cluster hops
0.05 oz Cluster hops
1.00 oz Tettnang Hops
1.00 tsp Gypsum

Brew was in the primary for exactly 1 week and racked to a secondary. It's been in the secondary a little over 2 weeks now since I'm not sure if I should bottle. This white cloudiness was noticed about 4 days in the secondary on the surface. There are little isolated tiny bubble clusters on the surface also. Unfortunately, I did not take before and after gravity readings. Here are some pics:

 

[user 108580]

Whenever you speculate infection, do a taste and smell test. If it tastes fine and smells fine then push on. If you're worried about that cloudiness then rack underneath it. Sometimes yeasts do weird things that people panic over and think infection.

Give it a taste.

 

[schiddy]

Thanks for the fast reply!

Now that I think about it, I believe there was a little bit of this in the primary before racking. It tasted good at that time. So do I taste and then bottle or need to wait for this to clear up?

 

[user 108580]

I wouldn't bottle it until your gravity is stable. Take a gravity now then take one in a day or 2. If the reading is the same go ahead and bottle it.

On the off chance that it is infected I would be sure to bottle condition these in a place where you won't mind a mess. Infected bottles turn into bottle bombs. Maybe place the bottles in a cooler or something. That way if they explode the mess is contained.

But the pictures don't look infected, granted they're not the best pictures but I know it's hard to take good ones lol.

 

[schiddy]

ok took the gravity on this secondary and it's 1.020. Pics to follow that seem discouraging but tasted and didn't taste anything foul. In the first the really white blurry specs I think are just reflection off the carboy opening. Still think it's yeast? Still bottle if gravity is stable or sink it?

 

[schiddy]

Also, have a brewers best English Brown Ale that's been in a secondary for a week now starting to show the same signs as the first picture with a little bit of the white cloudiness. OG and final gravity were spot on as per recipe. This one also tasted fine, can't taste any off flavors but my palette could be very crude.

 

[Yooper]

It's really hard to tell in the picture due to the flash, but it doesn't look good.

For the next batch, I would either not rack to a secondary or get a much smaller one where you don't have so much headspace. I think that is the cause of the problems. I would personally NOT rack to a clearing vessel unless you have a way to flush the vessel with co2 or argon, as that gives way too much headspace and allows bacteria and mold to take hold.

 

[Qhrumphf]

With how stringy that looks, yeah, that looks infected. I'm hoping that's just flash reflection. Otherwise, option A) is dump and clean everything extremely thoroughly, or B) leave it in there for a year or so, and see if you didn't get lucky and get one of those tasty sour infections.

 

[user 108580]

The newer pictures definitely dont look very good.