Possibly infected Haus Pale Ale

[Sunnovah]

Just tried this recipe and I think I may have infected it. I did the extract version of it, and it has been in my primary (an Ale Pail) for 9 days now. It popped the airlock on day 2 and I had to clean it up and put a new airlock on. I took off the lid yesterday to take a hydrometer reading, and it had an oily sheen to the top of the beer and a small (maybe 1/4 inch) grouping of white bubbles. I am hoping the oil is from the hops, and that the bubbles are just some of the krausen that fell off of the lid. (the entire headspace of the fermenter is caked in what was the krausen.)

I hit an FG of 1.011 from a SG of 1.054. When I tasted the hydrometer sample it was very sour at first, but very good after the initial sourness. I am probably just being paranoid, but I can't drink at work.

I actually feel pretty dumb for writing an "I infected my beer" post, I know I should just RDWHAHB. I just don't want to have to throw away my only primary when I am over budget on brew equipment. (Just built and IC, MLT, and bought a Keg to make a Keggle out of.)

Hopefully USPlastics can get my winpak to me soon. I have a feeling I will be needing it.

P.S. Is there anything I can do to clean out an infected Ale Pail?

 

[Evan!]

First off, pics would help. Secondly, it's probably not infected...just yeast and co2 clumping up top. Third, you shouldn't worry about an "infected" ale pail. Soak the whore in a hot oxyclean or pbw solution to clean it well, then soak in star san. Unless you have a bunch of scratches inside, I wouldn't worry.

 

[Sunnovah]

Cool deal, I am hoping that is all it is. I will be taking pics of it tonight, if it seems to be getting larger. If not I'm going to bottle it. I need to go get more bottles and caps, so I will also pick up some starsan from the LHBS. All I have is about 1/4 of the bottle of Iophor I got when I bought my brew kit.

Glad to know that if there is an infection I can still save my bucket. Thanks for the info, and the ease of mind.

 

[Revvy]

Witout a pic we cannot diagnose anything for you, but I, like Evan! agree.

I'm 99.5% certain that you are JUST being paranoid....

Seriously, it is really difficult for a new brewer to get an infection anyway.
Believe it or not, it is really hard to ruin/infect your beer, especially if it is your first batch, and you took even the most rudimentary sanitary precautions....It is actually more likely for an experienced brewer to get an infection- Perhaps they let something slide in their cleaning/sanitization process and something from their previous batch got nasty between brewing sessions, and infected their latest batch- It sometimes happens that small matter gets lodged in a hose connection and doesn't get cleaned out or zapped with the sanitizer....Or perhaps over many uses a fermenter or bottling bucket develops a scratch in it, which becomes a breeding ground for contamination.....but with brand new, cleaned and sanitized equipment...highly unlikely.

What you more than likely have is NORMAL, and which is butt ugly.

If I can impart one bit of "wisdom" for you on your journey as a brewer it is this;

If you brew from fear, you won't make great beer!

You might make drinkable beer, or you might make crap...but until your realize that your beer is much hardier than you think it is, you won't do some basic things, (like using your hydrometer) to make your beer great.

You have a typical new brewer fear that your beer is somehow weak, like a new born baby..and will be ruined or die of you look at it wrong...I want to put it into perspective for you, and save you a lot of new bewer nerves...

Beer has been made for over 5,000 years in some horrific conditions, and still it managed to survive and be popular....It was even made before Louis Pasteur understood germ theory....

If beer turned out bad back then more than it turned out good..then beer would have gone the way of the dodo bird, New Coke, or Pepsi Clear...

It is very very very hard to ruin your beer....it surprises us and manages to survive despite what we do to it...

And doing things like taking a hydro reading, or racking a beer (if you choose to) will not cause more harm to your beer..if you are careful.

I want you to read these threads and see..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/wh...where-your-beer-still-turned-out-great-96780/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/has-anyone-ever-messed-up-batch-96644/

And this thread to show you how often even a beer we think is ruined, ends up being the best beer you ever made, if you have patience....
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ne...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

There is a saying we have in the homebrewing community...RDWHAHB...make that your mantra and you will be a successful homebrewer...

Oh this thread is really good too...if you adopt the mindset in here you will do well...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/youre-no-longer-n00b-when-24540/

It's not brain surgery, it's a hobby...it's supposed to be something fun, not something we stress out on.

Just relax.....

 

[Sunnovah]

Thanks for the advice Revvy. I'm going to start reading those posts now. This is only my third batch of beer, but I have been trying to absorb all I can about making great beer. My Vanilla Cream Ale turned out really well, so I know I am capable. This ale also tasted really good after the initial sourness, even my Fiancee agrees. I am just going to have to bottle it and see if I can wait the 5 weeks it takes to finally drink it. (Failed miserably with the first batch, and the jury is still out on the 2nd.)

 

[Sunnovah]

I was completely being paranoid. Looked in this morning and there was a layer of bubbles over the top. obviously just co2. Guess it is still fermenting. Guess I'll have to wait to bottle for a few more days.