Infection, can it be saved?

[lasthero]

Hi everyone! Thanks for taking the time to look at my thread. I've been brewing for about two years now and lurked on these forums for recipes for almost as long. I have my very first infection and I know where the process broke down and how it got in; what I'd like to know is if it can be saved. I have an empty keg it can go into.

http://imgur.com/a/fUjhD


Has anyone seen this type before? Thoughts? Thanks for any information.

 

[VagueSkunk]

You sure that's infected? It looks pretty normal to my untrained eyes.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

There could be some "ice pack" there indicating an infection. Infection doesn't automatically mean ruined beer though. The biggest risk is bottle bombs, but you have a keg. If it is ready to be kegged up go ahead and keg and drink. I think it would be a while before the flavors started to mutate significantly, and generally what you get is thinner tasting beer.

I am not super experienced or a brewmaster, so take my advice (and maybe your beer) with a grain of salt, but I say go ahead and enjoy.

 

[KRASHED]

That could go either way, i've had an infection that looked like that but it also may be normal.

That being said I bottled and drank my infected beer. Had zero effect on taste and I quite enjoyed the beer anyways.

 

[kh54s10]

I have had one or two that looked like that as the krausen fell. After a couple of days the surface cleared off.

To me it does look like the start of an infection.

Since you are going to keg it you don't have to worry about bottle bombs. Taste it and if it is OK, I would keg it and drink it. If it starts to go off drink it up faster.

 

[GPP33]

That could go either way, i've had an infection that looked like that but it also may be normal.

That being said I bottled and drank my infected beer. Had zero effect on taste and I quite enjoyed the beer anyways.

What made you conclude it was infected? That looks normal to me. If you say it didn't affect it then what was abnormal?

 

[Atlmustang]

Im having a hard time seeing an infection there as well.

 

[worlddivides]

Looks normal to me. Like others have said, if you're kegging, just keg it. Refrigerator temperatures slow infections down A LOT, so it should taste fine until you finish it off while it's in your kegerator.

 

[KRASHED]

What made you conclude it was infected? That looks normal to me. If you say it didn't affect it then what was abnormal?

I let it go further just to confirm and it developed a krausen like head on it that was certainly an infection.

 

[Atlmustang]

Yeah, I was looking at that on my phone earlier. Now on my computer I can see it doesn't look like normal yeast rafts or krausen. It doesnt look bad though. syphon from the bottom into keg or bottles and leave the infection in the carboy.

 

[lasthero]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. I'm going to bust it open today and if it smells\tastes ok, toss it into a carboy.

You guys are the best!

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I've always heard that if you run the beer through a copper hosing a few times this would clear it us since copper is a natural disinfectant. Never tried it. Just what I've heard.

 

[jerbrew]

That looks iffy as an infection too early to tell really but those "oily" looking spot are a bit of concern. I agree with everyone else though if its ready to keg then do it and get it cold. You;ll probably never notice.

 

[lasthero]

Update:

Well, we kegged and carbed it and tried some of it the other day. In short, we noticed. Tart taste, white floaties, very cloudy. I don't trust it and it's going down the drain, unfortunately.

Thanks for all the replies, though. Even though we lost the beer it was a fun exercise.

 

[IndyBlueprints]

If it ever happens again, kill the infection before you keg it. Rack off the contaminated portion, and add 1/4 tsp potassium meta bisulfide. That will at least keep anything from growing further in the keg.