Is This Infected?--With Pic

[stephen9666]

My guess is....yes.

I gave up brewing for a few years. This is my third batch since resuming the hobby.

I even know what I did. I was brewing a kit that had two separate packets of hops. I forgot to add the final bag before the end of the boil, so I just tossed it in as I was cooling the wort.

In retrospect, could I have boiled the hops first in a little water, then added to the wort? With what I did, I obviously introduced a lot of unsterilized material after the boil. At least I won't make that mistake again.

 

[Nablis]

Many people add hops directly to the secondary or primary for dry hopping, I don't think that is what did, it but its possible.

Save a bottle for a while and see if it develops off flavors or explodes/ over carbonates that would tell you if it is infected and is it on all bottles or just one?

 

[ajwillys]

I think the hops is what did it. After the wort is cooled is the most fragile time. If you had waited until it was actually beer to add the hops, you would have been fine.

Give it a taste and let us know what it tastes like.

 

[flyangler18]

I could be wrong, but I believe that is what is called a micro-derm infection. Although, I get some really funky looking bubbles when I dry hop.

 

[Natas]

That looks like the start of a Brettanomyces pellicle.
I've made several Brett. beers over the years (on purpose) and that's what forms in the bottles, as well on top of the beer in the carboys. Before dumping it, give it a taste, you'd be surprised how many beers can actually taste pretty good with a little funk on 'em.
I've got some pics of some nasty looking pellicles on top of several lambics I have going. I'll try to get them up, but being new to the board I'll see what I'm able to do.

 

[King of Cascade]

Many people add hops directly to the secondary or primary for dry hopping, I don't think that is what did, it but its possible.

Save a bottle for a while and see if it develops off flavors or explodes/ over carbonates that would tell you if it is infected and is it on all bottles or just one?

Most people put the hops in once the wort has fermented and there are less sugars for the bugs to eat. It does look like brett but it's probably not.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Adding a bag of hops right at the end of the boil is standard procedure for many recipes. Browse through the recipe database, and you'll see instructions to put them in right as the flame is turned off. Hops have natural antiseptic qualities which make them a low risk of infection.

It was most likely a bottle that wasn't thoroughly cleaned.

 

[uglygoat]

bottle infection... it didn't have that skin till you bottled right?

 

[Edcculus]

I highly doubt its from the hops. Its more likely from an unclean/sanitized bottle

 

[King of Cascade]

Adding a bag of hops right at the end of the boil is standard procedure for many recipes. Browse through the recipe database, and you'll see instructions to put them in right as the flame is turned off. Hops have natural antiseptic qualities which make them a low risk of infection.

It was most likely a bottle that wasn't thoroughly cleaned.

It's standard procedure to add hops at flame out when the wort is in the 170 to 212 range but once the wort cools below 160 nothing should go in (except yeast) until the sugar has been converted to alcohol

 

[fat x nub]

that looks defiantly infected

 

[stephen9666]

Thanks for all the replies. I added the hops after the wort was thoroughly cooled, not just as I took it off the heat.

Also, it had this film in the fermenter. I just decided to bottle it for kicks. I bottled on Saturday, so its only been a few days.

I tried some of the wort, and it seemed to taste alright. I've got one in the fridge, I'll open it tonight and take another sample.

If it's infected, I guess I wasted around $30. An expensive lesson, but not the end of the world.

 

[Rick500]

Same thing happened to my IPA. I'm pretty nuts about sanitation, so I'm not really sure what happened. Everything was fine until a couple days after it was bottled. It's in every bottle.

But, it doesn't taste bad. A little bit of a coppery off-flavor, but it's not sour or vinegary or anything. I'm going to let it age a couple more weeks and see what happens.

 

[Natas]

How long has it been bottled? A Brett. infection won't start getting sour, or whatever for some time. If it's a young beer you could still theoretically drink it and not notice any strange flavors.

 

[Bopper]

Do you have this developing in all your bottles of just the one in the picture? As others have said, I highly doubt it was from the hops. They are added at flameout on a regular basis and generally are resistant to carrying bugs.

If the problem is happening in all bottles then you know that the infection incurred somewhere in your brewing and racking process.

If the problem is only in a few bottles then I'd be willing to bet that you're bottles were not clean/sanitized and that your brewing process was fine.

 

[Jamo99]

Like the OP said, he added the hops after the wort had been thoroughly cooled, not at flameout. Flameout additions are ok because the wort is in the "safe" temperature zone and can still kill nasties that are on the hops before they take hold. Dry hopping is ok because the nasties can't stand alcohol or the CO2 being generated like brewer's yeast can. Hops aren't bug free, but as long as you add the hops in the safe windows, you won't have any problems.

It sucks to have a brainfart like that during your brew session, but it happens. I cooled a whole batch and transferred to my unsanitized fermenter. I realized the mistake, dumped back into kettle, brought to pasteurization temps to kill nasties, but salvage some aroma, then recooled.

If the beer is carbed and no hideous off flavors exist yet, I'd get them as cool as possible and drink them before they start to taste really nasty/gush upon opening/or turn into bottle bombs.

 

[Chriso]

+1 to drink 'em quick. It won't hurt anything.

Might want to keep 'em in a big 'ol Rubbermaid though, to prevent any damage (to anything else) if one of them blows up though.

But it's not the end of the world, just enjoy 'em as they are, and get that next batch goin'!

 

[stephen9666]

But it's not the end of the world, just enjoy 'em as they are, and get that next batch goin'!

Already done. My second batch of apfelwein is fermenting right now.

Also I tried one of the infected batch a few nights ago and it tasted alright.

But some bad news. I opened one today and it foamed much more than it should have. Looks like I do have an infection. I put them all in the fridge with the hopes of putting the germs to sleep.

 

[DutchK9]

Already done. My second batch of apfelwein is fermenting right now.

Also I tried one of the infected batch a few nights ago and it tasted alright.

But some bad news. I opened one today and it foamed much more than it should have. Looks like I do have an infection. I put them all in the fridge with the hopes of putting the germs to sleep.

Depends on how long they have been bottled. I keg half and bottle half my batches. I don't touch either for a month.