Infection

[batfishdog37]

My previous batch of ESB has an infection. I asked a brewer at a local brewpub about it and from my description he told me it is the kind of bacteria used in Lambic. So my assumption is that is ok to drink. It has a faint odor of.....I don't know......feet, maybe. Not strong enough to turn me away from it. The infection appeared on bottling day as I opened the secondary. There was a very thin coating/layer of filmy stuff over the beer. Does anyone know if this is the bacteria used in Lambic production or a similar strain? Also is it safe to drink?

Thanks in advance

 

[Orangevango]

Feet makes me thing Brettanomyces. Its not a bacteria, it is safe to drink, just call it a "wild" esb. However, I would recomend having only one bottle of it only the first night just in case it upsets your stomach.

 

[batfishdog37]

Feet makes me thing Brettanomyces. Its not a bacteria, it is safe to drink, just call it a "wild" esb. However, I would recomend having only one bottle of it only the first night just in case it upsets your stomach.

Sweet, that's what I was hoping to hear thanks!

Also, if not bacteria what would it be?

 

[BarleyWater]

Wild Yeast. If this is in bottles, you may want to be mindfull of bottle bombs, something that is a possibility with infected batches.

 

[WBC]

I see infections in this forum all the time and it is a shame to see this happen. A new brewer should enjoy beer without infections. Here are some pointers why this happens and how to prevent it.

After you boil you should cool the wort quickly to 65F or lower if possible. Use a chiller. If you don't have a chiller use ice. (use ice outside the vessel only)

Anything that touches the beer after this point must be sterile or sterilized with grain alcohol or sanitizer. Do not forget your hands or any object. It only takes one time of forgetful behavior to ruin your beer.

Ferment in the lower temperature range suggested by the yeast documentation. If you are using a kit then find out what yeast it is and look online for the brand and more about the yeast.

Ale yeast ferments at 64F to 66F in most cases.

Lager yeast ferments at 50F to 53F. (use an ice bath around the carboy or bucket to maintain te above temperatures). Remember that fermentation creates up to 8 degrees higher than the air around the fermenter so a 70F room would make the fermentation at around 78F which is too high and produces excessive esters and off tastes so pay attention to this and make adjustments with ICE! Lower temperatures keeps bacteria at bay!

If you have the money and love brewing then the best way to do this is with a refrigerator and an external temperature control.

Link: The Ranco ETC Store

If you think that any of this is unnecessary then humble me and try it one time. You will find that it really is the answer to create a better tasting beer.

 

[docmoran]

WBC,

To say I am a noobie is an understatement -- and only trying to learn early on this process as the fermentation temperature issue is my true obsession like most of us I guesss.. I am wondering about this 8 DEGREE fermentation shift in temps??? 8 DEGREES???? That seems incredibly exothermic!! At that rate I may start to heat my house with this hobby. I trust you, but where is that from?? thanks, doc

 

[WBC]

WBC,

To say I am a noobie is an understatement -- and only trying to learn early on this process as the fermentation temperature issue is my true obsession like most of us I guesss.. I am wondering about this 8 DEGREE fermentation shift in temps??? 8 DEGREES???? That seems incredibly exothermic!! At that rate I may start to heat my house with this hobby. I trust you, but where is that from?? thanks, doc

Experience. I have measured and during the highest point in the fermentation and I have recorded 8 degrees between 2 calibrated thermometers. Hi temperatures are responsible for a lot of off tastes in beer. Yes it is quite exothermic.

 

[Nurmey]

WBC,

To say I am a noobie is an understatement -- and only trying to learn early on this process as the fermentation temperature issue is my true obsession like most of us I guesss.. I am wondering about this 8 DEGREE fermentation shift in temps??? 8 DEGREES???? That seems incredibly exothermic!! At that rate I may start to heat my house with this hobby. I trust you, but where is that from?? thanks, doc

What a great idea. Brew so much that you can heat your house with the excess heat. It is a win/win.

 

[WBC]

The only problem heating your house is that each brew would have to be hundreds of gallons and it only lasts 3 to 4 days per batch.

 

[docmoran]

WBC,

Very much respect the 27 year experience -- deep down I knew the answer would be such. Question to you now is what do with Ale fermentations in particular. Hear everywhere that lower end ferms for ales cleaner and better. Can see now that with such increase in temps with ferm that higher end temp range of yeast used would risk off flavors/stalled ferms etc -- milliion dollar question that would make my life easier is -- can I use my keezer to do my ales??? Is there a point where the yeasties just wont work and I need to accomodate the 8 degree issue into it?? White lab says yeast best at 68-73 do I just crank it down to upper 50s no matter what and win?? help please , thanks, doc

 

[BarleyWater]

WBC,

Very much respect the 27 year experience -- deep down I knew the answer would be such. Question to you now is what do with Ale fermentations in particular. Hear everywhere that lower end ferms for ales cleaner and better. Can see now that with such increase in temps with ferm that higher end temp range of yeast used would risk off flavors/stalled ferms etc -- milliion dollar question that would make my life easier is -- can I use my keezer to do my ales??? Is there a point where the yeasties just wont work and I need to accomodate the 8 degree issue into it?? White lab says yeast best at 68-73 do I just crank it down to upper 50s no matter what and win?? help please , thanks, doc

Get a seperate temperature controller, your LHBS will have one, and duct tape the probe right on the side of the fermenter, or better yet get a thermowell and put it down there. I just stick the temp probe to the carboy wall and cover it with a koozie to insulate it from the outside temp. That way it reads the beer temp very accurately and controls when the fridge turn on and off.

 

[WBC]

WBC,

Very much respect the 27 year experience -- deep down I knew the answer would be such. Question to you now is what do with Ale fermentations in particular. Hear everywhere that lower end ferms for ales cleaner and better. Can see now that with such increase in temps with ferm that higher end temp range of yeast used would risk off flavors/stalled ferms etc -- milliion dollar question that would make my life easier is -- can I use my keezer to do my ales??? Is there a point where the yeasties just wont work and I need to accomodate the 8 degree issue into it?? White lab says yeast best at 68-73 do I just crank it down to upper 50s no matter what and win?? help please , thanks, doc

If you have a freezer and a Ranco controller you are golden. You can maintain temperature in the Carboy or other vessel that your beer is in by taping the Ranco sensor to the vessel and placing a good insulator over it and taping it in place. now the sensor get's the temperature inside. I now use a stainless Sanke keg to ferment in and it works great. 12 gallons at one time. I use an indoor/outdoor remote thermometer to display the air temperature inside the freezer at all times inside the house. This let's me know if anything goes wrong. I just look at it every time I pass it in the living room. Just remember that when a yeast mfg talks about temperature they are talking about inside the ferment and not the ambient air temp around the outside the vessel.

 

[batfishdog37]

So if it is Brettanomyces, my assumption is that it comes from air exposure, correct? Also, are there any specific sources of "brett", or is it just present in the air?