Is This Lacto?

[Profes]

Hey all I opened my fermenter recently of a chocolate stout and saw white clumps on the top a few days later I opened it again and it seemed like a thin film had started to grow on top. Here is a picture does this look like Lacto to you?

Should I just bottle it anyway? It tastes quite bitter, but this is my first time making this beer recipe so could be fine....

 

[ong]

It looks like lacto to me. If you're going to drink it fairly fast, might be ok?

 

[serum]

A few of my beers had this last year which I think was due to me being a bit sloppy when recovering yeast from bottle dregs. Some of them never really got an assertive lacto character even after aging and actually ended up quite good.

 

[dmtaylor]

That looks like something other than Lacto to me. Likely to go bad in a month or two so drink it fast.

 

[beergolf]

It is an infection. It is impossible to tell what kind of infection it is without a microscope and a degree in micro biology. Just looking at a pelicle is not a way to identify the infection.

Accidental infections rarely work out well.

I would not bottle it. The infection could continue to work and produce bottle bombs. If you can spare the fermenter, let it ride for a while and taste it.

 

[ThatVideoKid]

Hey all I opened my fermenter recently of a chocolate stout and saw white clumps on the top a few days later I opened it again and it seemed like a thin film had started to grow on top. Here is a picture does this look like Lacto to you?



Should I just bottle it anyway? It tastes quite bitter, but this is my first time making this beer recipe so could be fine....



View attachment 362435

I agree with not bottling it because the gravity may not be stable...also how much headspace is in that bucket??? Looks like a ton!

 

[Profes]

Ye there is a lot of headspace as I was testing a recipe, but I realise now that is an easy way to get an infection?

 

[dmtaylor]

Plastic is the other easy way to get infection forever. If plastic then you might need to replace it.

 

[Profes]

Surely bleaching the bucket will kill anything living in there

 

[ThatVideoKid]

Ye there is a lot of headspace as I was testing a recipe, but I realise now that is an easy way to get an infection?

I would just buy a 1-2 gallon bucket or carboy

 

[dmtaylor]

Surely bleaching the bucket will kill anything living in there

Not in my experience.

 

[passedpawn]

tosser. Sorry.