Possible Infection

[Sucram]

God this is infuriating! I'm absolutely insane about sanitation and in the approximately 30 brews I've done, infection has never been a problem. However, I've noticed some faint and some not-so-faint rings around the fill-levels of my recently bottled English strong ale.
Is this definitely an infection or is it possibly the byproduct of in-the-bottle fermentation?

 

[menschmaschine]

It's probably nothing... just some beer crud or something. That may sound too simplistic, but let me explain...

I just rinse my bottles real well after pouring the beer into a glass. I noticed, after about a year of homebrewing, that all my empty bottles (nearly 200) had a crud ring in the neck. So, whether it was from bottle fermentation or just the contact point of the beer fill line in the bottle, who knows, but it was nothing... just beer crud. Some of these were filled with an already present crud ring and I still didn't get an infection in any. So, now when I rinse them, I make sure to clean out that crud line area inside the bottle and... no more ring.

So, unless they gush when you open them or taste like ass, I wouldn't worry about it. Just give them a good cleaning with the bottle brush next time.

 

[fratermus]

Probably just bottle krauesen.

 

[Sucram]

You guys may be right. I opened a bottle with the most pronounced ring and it didn't gush and it still tasted great--though i'm still getting over a cold and my palate is still recovering.

--Thanks guys

 

[Surly]

You guys may be right. I opened a bottle with the most pronounced ring and it didn't gush and it still tasted great--though i'm still getting over a cold and my palate is still recovering.

--Thanks guys

There ya have then...drink em all tonight before you get well..