Infected?

[electronjunkie]

I was brewing this Anchor Steam extract clone for Memorial Day weekend. It overflowed into the airlock less than 12 hours into fermentation. Did this overflow infect my beer? Here is a picture at 7 days. This is my 3rd batch and I've never seen this stuff on the sides.

Anyway I sniffed it and it smelled fine. I didn't see anything floating on top either. Just this stuff on the sides. I hope its ok b/c I don't really have time to brew another batch.

If this is infected I wonder if it is it going to affect the flavor much?

Yes it was going into a keg, not bottles.

 

[ChrisS68]

Looks like yeast to me.

 

[Revvy]

It's yeast falling out and settling on the ridges inside the carboy. All is well

 

[electronjunkie]

Thanks guys. I was scared that it was infected b/c the last 2 brews the yeast didn't do that. Thats good news. RDWHAHB

 

[Revvy]

Thanks guys. I was scared that it was infected b/c the last 2 brews the yeast didn't do that. Thats good news. RDWHAHB

yeah, I give every new brewer this advice;

There is nothing "typical" in brewing...every fermentation is different, and should not be used to compare one with another...

Just because you may have never had something happen before on your beers, doesn't mean that the yeast are doing anything wrong. It just means that you haven't experienced one of the infinite NORMAL behaviors that living organisms, living wildcards, are capable of.

No two fermentations are ever exactly the same.

When we are dealing with living creatures, there is a wild card factor in play. Just like with other animals, including humans...No two behave the same.

 

[bknifefight]

I love your avatar!

 

[electronjunkie]

I love your avatar!

I think of it as my son's interpretation of Fear and Loathing

 

[JiveTurkey]

While your fermenter was overflowing, nothing was allowed in. The only risk I can think of is if the airlock popped out and the foam subsided, then you'd have an open airway into the carboy. However, even this risk is small as so much CO2 is produced and expelled during the height of fermentation that no outside air (and the bacteria and wild yeast it carries) can get in.

 

[BockBurner]

Thanks for posting that pic. Mine is doing something similar and I was going to post the question myself. Mine isn't as pronounced...more like a grayish/whitish haze starting to collect in the exact same area. Its been 2.5 weeks in the secondary and hasn't gotten any worse in about a week, so hopefully I've got the same benign diagnosis.

 

[specialized]

you can see a similar occurence in the pictures posted in this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/secondary-qs-pictures-178643/