Need some help with a very weird batch

[luizffgarcia]

Hey guys, i need some help please.

I brewed this 2 gallon bach 4 days ago, and since i only have 1 gallon fermenters i split it in 2.

Now, look at the difference between them! I am pretty sure i got my first infection

What do you think? My ideia was to transfer both to my keg, but right now looks like the right move is to forget about the weird fomy one.

Thanks

 

[gromitdj]

It doesn't look like either one is infected in that picture. It appears to me that the one on the right is nearing the end of fermentation and beginning to clear. While the one on the left is in mid krausen. Are you sure that they both got the same amount of yeast pitched into them?

Edited to add: it also appears the right one got must of the trub, so it's possible that the yeast had less work to do. I would leave them both for at least another week. Then check the gravities to be certain fermentation is complete. At that point you can decide if you should put them both in the keg.

Also, if you still suspect an infection in the left one, provide a closer picture of the surface of that beer so that a better guess can be made.

 

[luizffgarcia]

It doesn't look like either one is infected in that picture. It appears to me that the one on the right is nearing the end of fermentation and beginning to clear. While the one on the left is in mid krausen. Are you sure that they both got the same amount of yeast pitched into them?

Edited to add: it also appears the right one got must of the trub, so it's possible that the yeast had less work to do. I would leave them both for at least another week. Then check the gravities to be certain fermentation is complete. At that point you can decide if you should put them both in the keg.

Also, if you still suspect an infection in the left one, provide a closer picture of the surface of that beer so that a better guess can be made.

Thanks for your help, here are a couple new pics.

I just tasted a sample of each, the one on the right is amazing, just perfect. The one on the left is weird, watery and a little bit sour.

Btw, both brix is 9.9 so looks like they should be in the same stage of the fermentation, right?

What do you think?

 

[seabrew8]

Brix is 9.9? Thats 1.040 Specific Gravity according to brewersfriend. What was the original brix? What kind of yeast?

The one on the right is not sweet? Looks like the one of the left is normal to me and there's actually something wrong with the right one if its 1.040sg because thats what a typical ale looks like when its done. Which is usually around 1.010 - 1.016 for medium beers.

I think you might have a stuck fermentation on the right one actually if thats the correct numbers.

Honestly just going to 1.040 in 4 days is strange.

I just went from 1.055 to 1.010 in 3 days. Brix would be 13.6 to 2.6.

So yeah an average ale should be close to 3 brix when its finished fermenting, according to brewerfriends conversion calc.

 

[luizffgarcia]

Brix is 9.9? Thats 1.040 Specific Gravity according to brewersfriend. What was the original brix? What kind of yeast?

The one on the right is not sweet? Looks like the one of the left is normal to me and there's actually something wrong with the right one if its 1.040sg because thats what a typical ale looks like when its done. Which is usually around 1.010 - 1.016 for medium beers.

I think you might have a stuck fermentation on the right one actually if thats the correct numbers.

Far away from it, OB was 15.5 so FB 9.9 gives me 1063 OG and 1023 FG. 5.7% abv. The yeast is us-05.

Not sweet at all, just right. The left one is weird thou, and remember, they have exactly the same OG and FG assuming the left one is also finished

 

[seabrew8]

Far away from it, OB was 15.5 so FB 9.9 gives me 1063 OG and 1023 FG. 5.7% abv. The yeast is us-05.

Not sweet at all, just right. The left one is weird thou, and remember, they have exactly the same OG and FG assuming the left one is also finished

I see so they are both 5.7% weird. No idea really lol I would just let the left one sit for a while and see what happens. It fermented - not sure if its done but its really close.

 

[seabrew8]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/brix-converter/ Why are these numbers different from yours? I never used brix before.

15.5 brix = 1.063sg

but

9.9 brix = 1.040sg using the calc.

 

[luizffgarcia]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/brix-converter/ Why are these numbers different from yours? I never used brix before.

15.5 brix = 1.063sg

but

9.9 brix = 1.040sg using the calc.

The one you are using is only a converter not a calculator, this is the correct one:


http://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/

 

[gromitdj]

Thanks for your help, here are a couple new pics.

I just tasted a sample of each, the one on the right is amazing, just perfect. The one on the left is weird, watery and a little bit sour.

Btw, both brix is 9.9 so looks like they should be in the same stage of the fermentation, right?

What do you think?

View from the top looks normal to me. I still wouldn't assume an infection. Right one definitely went through some fermentation since there is a krausen ring at the surface level. It's strange for sure.

My advice... 5 days is too early. Quit messing with it and wait another week to take a gravity reading, if you're still concerned wait another week, then start to worry.

 

[gromitdj]

And did you take the gravity readings with a refractometer? Did you use a convertor to adjust for alcohol post fermentation?

Edit: I see that you are using a refractometer and calculator. That eliminates that issue.

 

[Ogri]

Purely conjecture but it looks, to me, like the right one got a healthy dose/proportion of the yeast, fermented out and flocced fast leaving loadsa trub, whereas the left didn't get enough yeast, had a longer lag, stressed yeast throwing out off flavours, and is still trying to ferment. Looks like normal krausen.

 

[FatDragon]

As an alternative to consider: the lighter one that you're identifying as possibly infected has an opaque film in the neck of the fermenter that the darker batch doesn't have. Without any other data, I would say it looks like the lighter batch just got off to a slower start and is in a different stage of fermentation from the darker one, but that opacity reminds me of a lacto pellicle and your tasting notes seem to support that conclusion.

I'm not saying it's definitely infected, but since nobody else seems to be considering the possibility I'll be the one to say there's a decent chance you're right. Don't dump it just yet - it could still turn out well - but yeah, it could definitely be an infection.

 

[gromitdj]

I'm certainly not ruling an infection out. I'm just insisting that it is too early to tell for sure. That being said, the photo through the neck showing the surface of the wort shows no signs of infection to me.

 

[DaWhip]

The first thing I looked at was the layer on the one on the right and assumed it got all the yeast, but the one on the left is the one with blowoff in the airlock. It definitely did it's thing. I'd assume there will be some differences from difference in yeast quantity and give them a little aging time. The left one is probably still finishing off some esters and other cleanup due to a disparity in yeast. Totally spit balling without tasting it, but it doesn't look like infection to me.

 

[FatDragon]

I'm certainly not ruling an infection out. I'm just insisting that it is too early to tell for sure. That being said, the photo through the neck showing the surface of the wort shows no signs of infection to me.

Agreed that it's too early to tell. The opaque film on the neck could be lacto or it could be yeast residue. The watery and slightly sour taste could be the sign of an infected beer or it could be a sign of green beer that's still actively fermenting. The difference in color and clarity is clearly a sign that the right-side batch finished earlier while the left side batch is still undergoing active fermentation, and looking at the beer and the neck of that carboy, it's also clear that even if the batch has an infection, the majority of the fermentation has been done by yeast and not bacteria, since there's a lot of krausen and krausen residue. There is evidence to support the conclusion that it's infected, but that evidence could also be interpreted as fairly typical sacc fermentation.

It's definitely too early to tell, and even if it's got bugs it might turn out to be a nice sour, but since the two fermentations are exhibiting different fermentation and flavor characteristics infection is a distinct possibility, as is delayed fermentation on the left batch or simply the random variations between two otherwise identical batches.

 

[luizffgarcia]

Hi guys,

Sorry for taking so long to post back, i was on vacation getting drunk in Vegas without access to internet

So, now that i am back i tasted it again and it is definitely infected,sour as hell and smells funny, undrinkable. Its a good thing only half of it is lost, and all because of a broken cap!

Anyway, thanks for the help!