infected pumpkin ale?

[bgs8884]

I am in the 2nd week of my secondary fermenter of a pumpkin ale i have made.

i just went to check on it in my closet and found some strange things going on top. i fear that it may be infected and could be a lost batch.

can anyone tell if it is infected?
if so, is there any salvaging the batch?

 

[BradleyBrew]

I think you are fine... give it a good shake and see if the stuff on top falls.

 

[Boris_the_Russian]

I'm far from an expert on this subject, but I'd say by the look of what seems to be a couple fuzzy spots in that second picture, it's probably growing something...... Not of this world? J/K Only way to really tell is let it go and try it later. Nothing can grow in beer that'll kill ya. May be a bit sour though.

 

[bierhaus15]

That's a pellicle. Looks like a lacto infection. Bummer.

 

[bgs8884]

not what i was hoping to hear

 

[bmick]

Yeah looks like a pellicle (infection). You never know with these, could turn into a great, weird sour pumpkin ale in a year. Let it finish out, bottle it, and open one in a year.

 

[Boris_the_Russian]

Well... Gives you a reason to brew again sooner. " I'll get you next time bacteria, Next time!!"

 

[bgs8884]

i got nervous and bottled tonight. i will check back sometime in about a month.
it actually doesn't taste very bad and still has the same scent as it did prior to putting it into the secondary.

all the spice flavoring has been masked however. which is a shame bc when it put it into the secondary it tasted awesome

 

[BradleyBrew]

my bet if it is actually infected the bottles will be super carb'd in about 2 weeks.

 

[bgs8884]

my bet if it is actually infected the bottles will be super carb'd in about 2 weeks.

are u saying this is good or bad or just "is what it is"

 

[TheSlash]

Probably picked something up going to secondary? Did you add anything that required a secondary?

 

[Boris_the_Russian]

Be careful with those bottles. Might wanna put them in a plastic bin or something that holds water. I had a case grenade on me in the bedroom and destroyed the carpet under the cardboard box they were in. swmbo was NOT happy.

 

[bgs8884]

Be careful with those bottles. Might wanna put them in a plastic bin or something that holds water. I had a case grenade on me in the bedroom and destroyed the carpet under the cardboard box they were in. swmbo was NOT happy.

Ugh don't want that. How long did it take to grenade on you? I certainly don't want to have anyone dealing with bottle bombs

 

[Boris_the_Russian]

My situation was different entirely. I over carbonated, not an infection. It was about 2 weeks I'd say. Has been awhile and I tried to forget it, ya know? I have big rubber maid tub with a lid, got it at target in the storage bin isle. I use it to "quarantine" new bottles until they age a little. Gives me a little piece of mind incase it happens again.

 

[bgs8884]

i didn't add anything that required a secondary. i just wanted to leave it in there for a week to add some clarity.

the risk of a secondary was obviously not worth the reward in this case. but it does pose the question: if you move from primary to secondary and the primary fermentation create a co2 blanket above the wort to protect from o2/infection. when you transport into a secondary, isn't that just asking for o2 to get in and breed bacteria? what can be done to a secondary, other than sanitation?

 

[Boris_the_Russian]

If you keg beer, you could purge the secondary with CO2 before transfer, or don't secondary at all. Some people say only secondary if your adding fruit,dry hopping or aging beer. Anyway, if you do transfer after primary, the yeast are still active. Just much slower than before. It will push out O2 and continue to clean up and clear out.

 

[bgs8884]

If you keg beer, you could purge the secondary with CO2 before transfer, or don't secondary at all. Some people say only secondary if your adding fruit,dry hopping or aging beer. Anyway, if you do transfer after primary, the yeast are still active. Just much slower than before. It will push out O2 and continue to clean up and clear out.

so, if the yeast are still active and will clean up the head space -- does that mean that if u do get an infection or whatever i have in these photos, i would just let it sit in the secondary for a little longer and hope the yeast fart out some co2 and scare away the infection?

what about adding a little bit of corn sugar to get the yeast moving again when u transfer into a secondary?

 

[Boris_the_Russian]

The one thing you have plenty of is time. There has been no scientific proof you have an infection, only speculation. With that being said, I would just let the beer set. If it is truly harboring bacteria, yeast cannot fix this. Whatever bacteria is present will be the dominant micro-organism unaffected by yeast and you can't change that. I would set those bottles in a nice cool basement shelf with a date on them and forget about'em for 6 months or so. Try it then and see how it is before you even think of dumping it.

I'm not sure about the sugar. Never done that. You could also use DME and see how it goes but, it may just be sweetening your beer like tea.