Possible Infection ?

[flairman]

I believe I have may an infection in my brew. If so, it would be my first so I need some assistance in verifying it.

Belgium Style Summer Ale
Brewed on 1/23/2010 and placed in primary fermentation bucket. I used White Labs Belgium Wit Ale Yeast WLP400 (which I have never used before).

After I pitched the yeast when I went to put in the airlock I pushed the rubber grommet through the and into the wort. Bummer. I removed the lid of the bucket and dumped the work back into my stainless brew pan and retrieved the grommet. I then dumped it back into the bucket, sealed it and prayed.

The fermentation action started the next day with bubbles however they only lasted about 24 hours and the activity did not seem like a lot compared to other brews. The temp. was fairly consistent at 68F.

The SG when it was placed in the primary was 1.056

Last night, 2/9/2010, I opened the primary. There was a pretty good "head" on the wort and I got the impression from my observations that fermentation was not complete. The SG was 1.018. According to the recipe the FG should be 1.012 - 1.016

I racked into a carboy. Almost immediate after racking the air lock had some activity. I looked at it tonight and it sure looks like something growing on top. I am not sure of this in an infection or not but I it kind of looks like it to me. I have included 2 pictures. I sure would like some thoughts on of this batch is infected or is that crap on top because the fermentation is not complete.

http://www.drapercs.com/images/homebrew/DSC02520.JPG

http://www.drapercs.com/images/homebrew/DSC02523.JPG

 

[thunder]

I believe I have may an infection in


Did you sanitize the carboy? it looks like it is infected i would not worry though.At 1.018 your close enough bottle it.

 

[Grinder12000]

it's one of those things where you never know - most infections I have seem look like spider webs and the ones I have had are bottle side infections.

Let it runs it's course and taste it - there is nothing bad in an infection except a bad taste.

With that said take a peak at this - it's NOT an infection so you just never know,

What I worry about for yOU is that it's been a while since the big fermantion so I would think normal junk would have settled down.

 

[FungusBrew]

I wouldn't obsess over it too, too much. Give it a taste, and hope ya' don't croak

 

[flairman]

OK. The condition really hasn't changed. About the same amount of stuff. I am going to let it sit and plan on bottling when it is ready. I will give it a taste before hand.

 

[Willie3]

RDWHAHB. Belgian Yeasts behave different from anyother. Give it time. Even after bottling. I am a proponent of tossing it if there are off flavors but that is me. My experience has been that infections are very obvious. Those spots look like yeast floaties to me but I am not there so don't really know.

You should read Revvy's blog about how time heals all wounds somewhere on this site. I am sure this may be the case, especially since you used a belgian strain of yeast.

RDWHAHB!!! It works every time!!!

WW

 

[flairman]

The verdict is success and no issues.

I let this sit in secondary fermentation until 2/20 (11 days in secondary). There was no visual sign of the floaties by that time. When I racked into the bottling bucket there was a larger than expected yeast cake type of junk on the bottom of the carboy. Everything else was good with FG of 1.016 which was exactly what I expected. I sampled some of "green" brew and it was not bad at all.

I cracked one open last night 3/19. It was in the bottles for 1 day short of a month. I was pleasantly surprised. This brew was good and I mean good. I think it is one of the best I have ever done. It was so good I sat there and drank a six pack and would have had more but that was all I chilled.