Infected?

[msinning]

What do you think guys? Amber ale transferred to the secondary about a week ago and this showed up.

 

[Copbrew133]

Looks like it.You could try to rack off from underneath it for bottling. See what ittastes like and go from there. Good luck.

 

[day_trippr]

Yup, that one definitely has a bug. I'd be careful about bottling it before it's run its course...

Cheers!

 

[boswell]

Throw in a roseleare packet, stick it in a closet for a year.

 

[msinning]

So do you think its a total bust or can it be salvaged in any way?

 

[austinb]

Is likely going to be sour (but could also end uo being much more offensive off flavors) which may not necessarily be a bad thing with an amber as long as the IBUs are not too high.

If it is turning sour and you like flanders reds you could do what Boswell suggested and pitch Roselare and let it age as long as you have other fermenters to keep brewing regular beers. If you don't like sour beers the there is probably no way of salvaging it as it will eventually develop off flavors. Basically, if you like it drink it, if you don't then dump it, it's not going to hurt you.

 

[msinning]

Definitely enjoy sours. I'll take your advice and give it a shot.

 

[msinning]

Is there anything special I need to do with that yeast or do I just pitch it and wait?

 

[austinb]

Just pitch it and wait, you may also consider pitching the dregs of an unfiltered commercial flanders such as monks cafe. You may want to taste it to make sure it is in fact getting sour and not just gross before buying a pack of Roselare but the infection looked a bit like lacto to me which would mean sour...Possibly really sour by the time the Brett character starts coming in after 6-12 months or so. If it gets too sour from this initial infection you can always blend it with a young beer to taste.

I had a rogue dead guy ale clone that had a weird grape/peach flavor that wasn't so great, not sour but it just tasted off so i inniculated it with a small sample from another sour beer I already had going over to it and now it is starting to taste much better, I think the flavors worked better in a sour beer.

Who knows maybe this beer will turn out better than you imagined. When homebrewing hands you lemons, make sour beer!

 

[progmac]

that looks funky. is it mold?

 

[philosofool]

that looks funky. is it mold?

This was my thought. Bacteria won't usually form floating colonies on the surface of the beer.

 

[feinbera]

This was my thought. Bacteria won't usually form floating colonies on the surface of the beer.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/pellicle-photo-collection-174033/

 

[philosofool]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/pellicle-photo-collection-174033/

I wouldn't call that scum "colonies" of bacteria. OP's fermenter looks like the inside of an old spaghetti jar, not those pics.

 

[progmac]

i almost wonder if the beer never fermented. OP did you take a gravity reading?

 

[msinning]

We took gravity reading, everything seemed to be fine. Had nice activity in the primary.