Pellicle Photo Collection

[ICWiener]

I posted on this beer before, (post#509). Take a look at how much it's changed...I've really enjoyed watching the pellicle do its thing.

Brewed on 5/20/12:

 

[snaps10]

Is there any way to tell what I've got here? This is unintentional after my second dry hop. Must have come off the hops as my bag was dipped in starsan for a good half minute before adding. It tastes good, a little sour, not too much. I ended up kegging it because we're moving and our kegerator was almost empty. It's an IPA and the film, pellicle, whatever it is was between 3 and 9 days old.

 

[drchris83]

Lacto?

 

[corwin3083]

View attachment 78858
Is there any way to tell what I've got here? This is unintentional after my second dry hop. Must have come off the hops as my bag was dipped in starsan for a good half minute before adding. It tastes good, a little sour, not too much. I ended up kegging it because we're moving and our kegerator was almost empty. It's an IPA and the film, pellicle, whatever it is was between 3 and 9 days old.

That looks like yeast rafts, krausen remnants, and hop oils, i.e. not an infection.

 

[drchris83]

Just so I can learn from my betters: You don't think the white-ish film in combination with the slightly sour taste that the poster indicates a lacto infection?

 

[corwin3083]

Just so I can learn from my betters: You don't think the white-ish film in combination with the slightly sour taste that the poster indicates a lacto infection?

All the photos that I've seen in this thread, along with the sour beers I've made, have indicated that, roughly, a bubbly, fuzzy film indicate Brett and a stringy film indicates lacto. I can't really say regarding the sour taste, although I've gotten some weird flavors out of beers that are still in the carboy. But the photo, at least, doesn't look like an infection; I've had a lot of saccharomyces fermentations that looked exactly like that.

 

[bottlebomber]

The sour taste is oftentimes imparted from lots of dry hops. I would take a long time for a beer to sour from something like that. I does look like an infection to me with the cloudy bubbles, but I think if you got it into a keg you'll be fine. Just make sure to drink it up.

 

[bribo179]

Hops are also antibacterial. That is why they were originally added to beer...as a preservative. It is pretty doubtful something was living in the hops to infect the beer.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

One gallon wild sour starter

 

[MichaelsBrewing]

This is a unintentional infection I think. It was a pumpkin ale that I brewed a week ago.

It's just fine. No worries.

 

[drchris83]

One gallon wild sour starter

Are those black specks mould?

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Are those black specks mould?

No, that's where the pellicle is thin enough to see the wort beneath it. I was more worried about the white powdery stuff at first, but I think it's fine. It smells wonderful.

 

[29thfloor]

 

[MichaelsBrewing]

Peach wheat started with US-05 and finishing with Jolly Pumpkin dregs.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Sour wort infected with a lacto starter I made from grain husk.

 

[bottlebomber]

Sour wort infected with a lacto starter I made from grain husk.

Really cool!

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Thank you!! It has a nice clean smell too . I'm excited to rack this baby on some rhubarb in a few weeks.

 

[pacayaforhops]

pellicle on my wild ale, had to pop the bubble on the right for a sample; still needs lots more acidity to get to where I want it to go; been aging since march. bucket is wrapped in "Saran Wrap©" to prevent over-oxidation.

 

[danielc409]

These pictures are fricken awesome. I need to start reading up on this to do a sour in the future, I love sours.

 

[MrOrange]

My Blackberry Saison Brux

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Somewhere between blonde and red. Brett B, C, L, lacto, pedio, jolly pumpkin dregs, started with US05.

 

[bottlebomber]

Somewhere between blonde and red. Brett B, C, L, lacto, pedio, jolly pumpkin dregs, started with US05.

What size is the barrel?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

What size is the barrel?

~53 gallons

 

[bottlebomber]

~53 gallons

Good lord.. Is that a club endeavor or just you? How many batches did it take to fill the barrel? And what are you going to do with it all outside of the obvious?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Good lord.. Is that a club endeavor or just you? How many batches did it take to fill the barrel? And what are you going to do with it all outside of the obvious?

All me. I've put 8-10 batches in it at anywhere from 5-10 gallons each. It was several days of brewing. I think 2 week nights and a weekend. I've pulled one 5 gallon keg out of it so far. I'm not sure what the final plan is outside of 5 gallons out and 5 gallons of wort back in. I'll do that until I'm tired of it or it goes bad.

 

[bottlebomber]

All me. I've put 8-10 batches in it at anywhere from 5-10 gallons each. It was several days of brewing. I think 2 week nights and a weekend. I've pulled one 5 gallon keg out of it so far. I'm not sure what the final plan is outside of 5 gallons out and 5 gallons of wort back in. I'll do that until I'm tired of it or it goes bad.

I've got 20 gallons of sour blonde stock that's about 6 months old. I was thinking of making some of it into fruit lambic, at least a framboise and a peche, although tonight I had a Hops n Roses that is a wild with hibiscus and rose hips, it sounded weird but it rocked. I'll probably turn a case of it into that.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Mine too is six months young.

 

[lunshbox]

Jeepinjeepin,

I am unclear on the aspects of using a barrel. Do you primary your wort and then transfer to the barrel or do you siphon the fresh wort directly into the barrel and let the bugs and yeasts you have previously added do their job? If the later, do you have a problem with blow-off from the barrel?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Jeepinjeepin,

I am unclear on the aspects of using a barrel. Do you primary your wort and then transfer to the barrel or do you siphon the fresh wort directly into the barrel and let the bugs and yeasts you have previously added do their job? If the later, do you have a problem with blow-off from the barrel?

I've done both. I fermented my first ~30 gallons with US05 in buckets. I didn't cold crash but did let them settle out. I added those 30 gallons with my bugs and added fresh wort to nearly top off the barrel. At times it was quite active but didn't make much if any krausen. Now when I add top up up to 5 gallons it is still again by the next day.

 

[tankdeer]

Jeepinjeepin,

I am unclear on the aspects of using a barrel. Do you primary your wort and then transfer to the barrel or do you siphon the fresh wort directly into the barrel and let the bugs and yeasts you have previously added do their job? If the later, do you have a problem with blow-off from the barrel?

I also have a barrel going (60 gallon malbec from a local winery) and I did a clean primary in glass & then racked to the barrel with bugs. I also added a small amount of existing sour beer I had lying around.