Is this contaminated?

[Tpeabody]

Is this wheat ale in which we added kiwi contaminated? It has been in secondary for 2 weeks and smells normal. This is our second batch ever so we appreciate the guidance.

 

[aprichman]

Looks pretty normal to me.

 

[joshesmusica]

is that the primary or the secondary?

 

[Tpeabody]

Awesome! Thanks for the quick feedback.

It was secondary. After some quick research, we proceeded with bottling.

 

[joshesmusica]

just for future reference, i believe next time you secondary, you may want to look into having a carboy or something. i don't believe most people secondary in a bucket because of potential contamination. the least amount of headspace the better for a secondary vessel.

 

[adamdillabo]

Kiwi wheat ale? I like it. How did you prep the kiwis? How many? How does it taste?

 

[joshesmusica]

yeah, i'm interested in the update on the final outcome if you don't mind reporting back. i'm always trying to find the wife-pleaser, and i think she would be into flavored wheats.

 

[Tpeabody]

Will do! I'll report back in a few weeks when we crack the first one open! Thanks again for your help!

 

[unionrdr]

No worries, they're just yeast rafts, or "floaters".

 

[wyobrewer1]

just for future reference, i believe next time you secondary, you may want to look into having a carboy or something. i don't believe most people secondary in a bucket because of potential contamination. the least amount of headspace the better for a secondary vessel.

Carboy's aren't less prone to contamination when compared to buckets. I've done secondaries in both and had no issues.

To the OP, looks normal to me.

 

[joshesmusica]

Carboy's aren't less prone to contamination when compared to buckets. I've done secondaries in both and had no issues.

To the OP, looks normal to me.

yeah i guess i wasn't so clear. i meant it more along the lines that there's typically less headspace in a carboy than a bucket. if you have like a half-inch of headspace in each, there's way more beer in contact with the air in the headspace in a bucket than a carboy.

 

[Homercidal]

Looks normal. I try not to secondary in a bucket simply due to headspace and potential for leakage. With a carboy, even though there may be significant headspace, the residual carbonation from primary can be released to help push the air out. Or I can feed it some CO2 from my kegging system to purge it out. The bung is a better block to air than a bucket lid.

If I were going to use a bucket for secondary I'd just extend the primary a bit and not move it and introduce air into the batch.

 

[kombat]

Carboy's aren't less prone to contamination when compared to buckets.

It's a headspace issue. A bucket exposes the beer to far more air, promoting oxidation and increasing the risk of contact with a contaminant. If you're going to rack the beer to a secondary vessel, you want to minimize headspace.

I've done secondaries in both and had no issues.

"Data" is not the plural of "anecdote."

 

[joshesmusica]

"Data" is not the plural of "anecdote."

that's awesome, can i use that henceforth as my signature?

 

[joshesmusica]

Ftfy

that definitely adds a lot to the convo...

 

[wyobrewer1]

that definitely adds a lot to the convo...

Back to the OP. They asked if the wort looked normal. They said nothing about "should I secondary in a bucket or a carboy."

My original point is that some people choose not to secondary for anything, while some choose buckets and some choose carboys. Chances are the amount of oxygen the beer is exposed to in either is likely negligible if you take into consideration all the oxygen that is introduced during racking and bottling.

 

[passedpawn]

Not contaminated. Yet. That stuff floating there is very normal.

I'm not a fan of those socks in the fermentor. I've seen loads of infection pics that seem to start from the socks that are not fully submerged.

I've made a kiwi beer. Kiwi went right into the carboy - they sank to the bottom and did not interfere with racking. No problem.

 

[Tpeabody]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

 

[aprichman]

Not contaminated. Yet. That stuff floating there is very normal.

I'm not a fan of those socks in the fermentor. I've seen loads of infection pics that seem to start from the socks that are not fully submerged.

I've made a kiwi beer. Kiwi went right into the carboy - they sank to the bottom and did not interfere with racking. No problem.

What kind of beer was it? Kiwi beer sounds like it would be fun to make for the summer - any chance you could share your recipe?

 

[passedpawn]

What kind of beer was it? Kiwi beer sounds like it would be fun to make for the summer - any chance you could share your recipe?

It was a kiwi beer Recipe was converted from extract recipe for a Kiwit in Sam Calgione's Extreme Brewing. I'm heading to the movies now, if I remember I'll scan and get a recipe up here.