Post your infection

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CidCitrus said:
My first infection after about 50 batches. It's a hefeweizen so I think I'll ride it out. unfortunately it was a beer slated for my wedding with two batches after it on the same equipment so I hope it happened during transfer. Any idea what it is? Still smells like bananas.
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That is a radical looking infection. Looks like a forest growing in your carboy. Get more pics pf that man. Very trippy and cool.
 
Channel66 said:
If it's plastic toss it, or dedicate it to bugs, this includes better bottles, buckets, transfer equipment, including funnels, hoses, lines, heck I even dedicate a stopper and airlock. Scratches in plastic can create a safe harbor for these itty bitty creatures, you can bleach, and sanitize all you want, the tiniest scratch in a bucket can be loaded with bacteria and you will be battling the forever infection.

I basically have 2 sets of equipment, 1 for sours, one regular, in my brewery this includes a dedicated tap, though many people don't go that far. Equipment wears out, you aren't going to keep the same siphon forever, I retire my old stuff to my sour brewery, keeping good clean new equipment for the clean beer.
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That's exactly what I plan on doing. I'm gonna clean it thoroughly and use it for a sour. No sense in tossing it, just need to re-purpose it!
 
I don't want to open my fermentation bucket again and risk it to grab a pic, but this morning I checked on an amber ale I brewed over the weekend. The only reason I have concern about this beer is bc it sucked in all the start San I had in the airlock. The star San was old(and I shouldn't have used in airlock).

Anyway- it fermented like crazy for three days, so I took a look this smorning. It didn't look abnormal but it smelled odd. Started off nice and sweet, but after a big wiff, it actually burned my nose a bit! Is that normal?
 
hehawbrew said:
I don't want to open my fermentation bucket again and risk it to grab a pic, but this morning I checked on an amber ale I brewed over the weekend. The only reason I have concern about this beer is bc it sucked in all the start San I had in the airlock. The star San was old(and I shouldn't have used in airlock).

Anyway- it fermented like crazy for three days, so I took a look this smorning. It didn't look abnormal but it smelled odd. Started off nice and sweet, but after a big wiff, it actually burned my nose a bit! Is that normal?
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Actually broke down for a pic .

image-2558495771.jpg
 
hehawbrew said:
I don't want to open my fermentation bucket again and risk it to grab a pic, but this morning I checked on an amber ale I brewed over the weekend. The only reason I have concern about this beer is bc it sucked in all the start San I had in the airlock. The star San was old(and I shouldn't have used in airlock).

Anyway- it fermented like crazy for three days, so I took a look this smorning. It didn't look abnormal but it smelled odd. Started off nice and sweet, but after a big wiff, it actually burned my nose a bit! Is that normal?
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The burning is probably just from the CO2... I think?
 
badbeer_zps71bd6978.jpg

I've gotten mixed messages as to whether this is an infection. I need to sanitize the thief and take a taste before I decide what to do with this. It's in secondary right now.
 
Mabus said:
I've gotten mixed messages as to whether this is an infection. I need to sanitize the thief and take a taste before I decide what to do with this. It's in secondary right now.
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Looks like an overhead camera shot of an ocean somewhere pretty close to shore during a storm
 
ForumRunner_20130812_190224.png

Hi .. Just looked at my pale ale after its been sitting for abouy 5-6 weeks .. I saw those white little things on top ..is it an infection ? If so should i dump it or bottle it up leaving out a few inches from the top?

Thanks
 
Thanks for the photos. I have seen an infection from a bad batch that was partly good and partly bad(didn't know what Cream tasted like before I threw it out) I drank the good one since I had placed more carbonation(I wanted to see what would happen if I mixed in more carbonation in one as opposed to the recommended amount) left the rest in the fermenter and with a month and a half took on this fungus on the top(it was a dark ale from coopers) Again thanks for the pics. Helps recognize somewhat the description, and hope it doesn't happen again, :)
 
NordeastBrewer77 said:
My $.02... if you run into this problem (or unexpected joy, depending on outlook) again, let the "infection" fully develop and work on the beer. Treat it like an intentionally inoculated sour. When the pellicle drops, begin taking gravity and pH readings. If the gravity and pH are stable, more importantly the gravity, over a few weeks, then package or blend.
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So it's happened again :mad: This time an Irish Stout all extract kit. Different fermenter than last time I suspect that i have an issue with the cold top up water being used. Solving the infection issue however is a subject for another thread.

Is it too late to add some coffee or other flavour to the beer?
 
Been in primary for about two weeks, but has looked exactly like this for the past few days. Doesn't really look infected, but I figured I'd throw it up and let you guys take a look.
pRfjuvo.jpg


Is it okay to just mix it around when moving to the bottling bucket?
 
That one is fine, no worries. Moving it to the bottling bucket will mix it plenty, no need for any extra stirring or anything. Really no need for mixing at all, those are just bubbles and maybe some yeast, but moving to the bottling bucket should take care of that.
 
CidCitrus said:
My first infection after about 50 batches. It's a hefeweizen so I think I'll ride it out. unfortunately it was a beer slated for my wedding with two batches after it on the same equipment so I hope it happened during transfer. Any idea what it is? Still smells like bananas.
Click to expand...

Craziest Infection ive ever seen!!
 
not sure if it's an infection but this is strange... Belgian Wit with 7 days in primary only dropped from 1.048 to 1.030, transferred to secondary to try kickstart the yeast in suspension.. got this strange white bubble/foam that seems to be growing. sorry for crap picture, was in a hurry to get to work


halp!
 
daggers_nz said:
not sure if it's an infection but this is strange... Belgian Wit with 7 days in primary only dropped from 1.048 to 1.030, transferred to secondary to try kickstart the yeast in suspension.. got this strange white bubble/foam that seems to be growing. sorry for crap picture, was in a hurry to get to work
http://www.iforce.co.nz/View.aspx?i=bmeb0wsy.ji4.jpg

halp!
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Why did you only give it 7 days in primary? That looks lije a normal krausen to me.
 
Dave37 said:
Why did you only give it 7 days in primary? That looks lije a normal krausen to me.
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to get the wort off the dead yeast and prevent autolysis.

CidCitrus said:
My first infection after about 50 batches. It's a hefeweizen so I think I'll ride it out. unfortunately it was a beer slated for my wedding with two batches after it on the same equipment so I hope it happened during transfer. Any idea what it is? Still smells like bananas.
Click to expand...

my last and only hefe got infected, wasn't very pleasant to drink and gave me the ****s.
 
daggers_nz said:
to get the wort off the dead yeast and prevent autolysis.

my last and only hefe got infected, wasn't very pleasant to drink and gave me the ****s.
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Autolysis has pretty much been debunked at the homebrew scale. Unless you're adding fruit or dry hopping (which can be done in the primary as well) there isn't really much reason to use a secondary (or you need your primary vessel for another batch). Just opens you up to increased chances of infection.
 
DisturbdChemist said:
That is an infection. Either brett/lacto, somewhere in that area. Leave it and see where it goes. Might make a good sour/funk
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So this won't make a person ill to drink?
Thanks
 
20130823_113826.jpg


is this a bad sign? Its supposed to be a pumpkin ale

edit: This was after a week and i racked it to secondary from here. I'll continue to monitor in secondary to see if it grows
 
There are some spectacular biofilms in this thread. Whats even funnier is how people are prepared to drink them, the smell should be enough in some of these instances.
 
trogdor447 said:
20130823_113826.jpg


is this a bad sign? Its supposed to be a pumpkin ale

edit: This was after a week and i racked it to secondary from here. I'll continue to monitor in secondary to see if it grows
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Looks perfectly normal, put the lid on it and do not look at it again for another couple of weeks, you made beer!
 
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h416/GreatKazou/BlueberryWheat25AUG13.jpg

My first infection in 3 years of brewing. It was a standard american wheat with frozen blueberries added when I transferred to secondary. Brand new bucket, and my sanitation is at an OCD level so I assume it came from the frozen blueberries?

Not sure what to do, but might dump the whole thing and throw the bucket.

Thoughts?

If I do siphon it out of the bucket, is the bucket, siphon, and hose trash? What about a keg if I siphon to that?


Update:

I just built up the courage to taste it. I used my thief and pulled some from under the blueberries. It tasted pretty good, with no real sour flavor. My theory is that the bad stuff is on top of the blueberries.

Not sure if I should just keg it or cut my losses and dump the whole batch.

Waiting on thoughts from the experts in this forum.
 
ChefRex said:
Forgot to mention, no need to secondary at a week (or ever unless it's long term), do you have any temperature control?
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I dont have temp control.. i mean i have a/c and stuff up in NEPA and its downstairs on the hardwod - winter time will be much cooler inside to brew on - but its reasonable always around 68 upstairs which means its a few degrees cooler downstairs. (one big window unit for the entire half house)

I figured it was ok never did much w/ hoping and stuff and I did Rack it to secondary - i guess live and learn the more i read its disputed :)
 

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