Is this infected?!!

[VolDoc]

Just checked on my coconut porter and noticed what looks like a possible infection. It also has a "sort of" sour smell to it. I went ahead and tasted it as well. It definitely has a porter and coconut flavor but there is also a small sour taste as well. My wife tasted and got the same "sourish" taste.

I had three major blowouts once fermentation began, even with a blow off tube on so I'm wondering if the constant clean up and managing the blow out is what led to this possible infection?? Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[VolDoc]

1 more pic

 

[bosster01]

I think that's the fat coming from the coconut. Doesn't look like a typical infection to me, but I don't claim to be an expert.

 

[Elkobrewer]

Looks good to me. Bottle it up wait a few weeks then drink one it's the only true way to know if it is infected

 

[Moose_MI]

I've never used coconut so can't say but it's a little suspicious looking and the sour taste smell could support your infection on hypothesis. Many an infected batch has been thoroughly enjoyed by the masses so don't panic. Can you get it kegged/bottled now?

 

[VolDoc]

Looks good to me. Bottle it up wait a few weeks then drink one it's the only true way to know if it is infected

Yeah the taste may be because the beer is still young maybe? It's been in the secondary with the coconut for about 5 days now and I can definitely taste the coconut. I REALLY want this beer to turn out. I've got almost $80 invested with the ingredients, vanilla, coconut, etc

 

[VolDoc]

I've never used coconut so can't say but it's a little suspicious looking and the sour taste smell could support your infection on hypothesis. Many an infected batch has been thoroughly enjoyed by the masses so don't panic. Can you get it kegged/bottled now?

Yeah I can bottle tonight. I put the coconut in once I reached FG. I can definitely taste the coconut so it may be ready anyways. Maybe the slight sour taste is because the beer is still young?

 

[Moose_MI]

Yeah I can bottle tonight. I put the coconut in once I reached FG. I can definitely taste the coconut so it may be ready anyways. Maybe the slight sour taste is because the beer is still young?

Ok..so take another gravity and see if it has dropped more...this might further support a bug. Not that it will matter to much at this point. If it has a bug then it's a little bit of a guessing game about how much prime to use. I've bottled infected beers but you need to keep an eye on them....maybe keep them in a tub. I enjoyed my "sours" but they were deffinetly overcarbed....oh well

......and then maybe you don't have a bug at all and this is all nonsense....

 

[VolDoc]

Ok..so take another gravity and see if it has dropped more...this might further support a bug. Not that it will matter to much at this point. If it has a bug then it's a little bit of a guessing game about how much prime to use. I've bottled infected beers but you need to keep an eye on them....maybe keep them in a tub. I enjoyed my "sours" but they were deffinetly overcarbed....oh well

......and then maybe you don't have a bug at all and this is all nonsense....

I really hope it's all just nonsense! This is only my third brew so I don't have much experience. So what you're saying is that a lower gravity than previous might be more evidence of infection? Would this be from the bacteria or wild yeast further using sugars as food?

 

[Moose_MI]

I really hope it's all just nonsense! This is only my third brew so I don't have much experience. So what you're saying is that a lower gravity than previous might be more evidence of infection? Would this be from the bacteria or wild yeast further using sugars as food?

Yes...it's just a possibility. No harm in checking since you're cracking her open to bottle anyway

.....and no matter what you made beer so this story has a happy ending no matter what.

 

[VolDoc]

Yes...it's just a possibility. No harm in checking since you're cracking her open to bottle anyway

.....and no matter what you made beer so this story has a happy ending no matter what.

So I checked the gravity.... and it hasn't budged since I checked it on Wednesday, the same day I added the coconut. It certainly looks like a good beer, it just has that smell and taste that is hard to describe. I'm gonna bottle and see how it goes.

 

[Yooper]

It certainly looks and sounds like the beginning of an infection. I can see a ton of headspace, and some floating bags of something(?), and that could allow some microbes to take hold. Fermentation in a bucket is great, and I use buckets myself, but once fermentation slows, that much headspace can allow the growth of microbes that cause infection, especially if the bucket is opened.

 

[jlinz]

I made a coconut porter and had something that looked similar. The coconut gives a fatty film to the wort. your fermenter will be oily for a bit too. It was a fine beer though.

 

[Moose_MI]

So I checked the gravity.... and it hasn't budged since I checked it on Wednesday, the same day I added the coconut. It certainly looks like a good beer, it just has that smell and taste that is hard to describe. I'm gonna bottle and see how it goes.

So that looks like 1.022 which seems a little high even for a porter but I've never made one so I guess it depends what your recipe was....and if this was extract then higher FG seems to be a common phenomenon. I'm still thinking bottle...put them in a tub w/ lid and monitor....

 

[VolDoc]

I made a coconut porter and had something that looked similar. The coconut gives a fatty film to the wort. your fermenter will be oily for a bit too. It was a fine beer though.

I just took a sanitized spoon and skimmed off some of the stuff. It reminds me of the film that develops on the top of a soup if it sits without being stirred. Was this your experience?

 

[VolDoc]

So that looks like 1.022 which seems a little high even for a porter but I've never made one so I guess it depends what your recipe was....and if this was extract then higher FG seems to be a common phenomenon. I'm still thinking bottle...put them in a tub w/ lid and monitor....

My original was 1.062. Both the OG and FG were the target gravities according to the recipe I built on brewersfriend.

 

[jlinz]

Definitely a bit filmy. My guess is its fat/oil from the coconut.

 

[VolDoc]

It certainly looks and sounds like the beginning of an infection. I can see a ton of headspace, and some floating bags of something(?), and that could allow some microbes to take hold. Fermentation in a bucket is great, and I use buckets myself, but once fermentation slows, that much headspace can allow the growth of microbes that cause infection, especially if the bucket is opened.

Yeah it was a 6 gallon batch, so I wasn't able to use my 5 gallon PET carboy to secondary. The bags are coconut flakes. My plan was to only let it sit in secondary for about 7 days to take on the coconut and vanilla flavors. Looks like I'm gonna be bottling a little sooner.