Holybarfly
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Immersion chiller added with a few minutes left in the boil. Takes ~10 mins to get temp to ~80 before I throw it in my ferm chamber to get to pitch temps.
Post your infection
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Resonator
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You could try using just an ice bath with the lid on (to reduce airborne contamination) and/or pitching fresh dry yeast packet straight in (to reduce any contamination from your yeast slurry or starter)
Also, try closing windows 30 min before flameout to let the air settle to help reduce further airborne contamination.
Might want to try boiling your valve pieces and silicone tubing in another pot, soak the valve pieces in pbw for a night, followed by star san, and then replace the thread tape.
Other than putting aluminum foil on your carboy opening after using star san, I can't think of much else to help reduce contamination
If you don't do some of that stuff already that is.
Holybarfly
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Thanks for the suggestions.
Yea, I've been thinking of cutting a notch in my to chill covered.
I tossed my entire yeast bank and pitched 2 dry yeasts into 2 carboys for the blonde Ale. Still diacetyl bomb. I bought a new stainless fermentor to see if that's the problem.
I will boil my valve pieces and tubing, and run another cheap test batch.
Yea, I've been thinking of cutting a notch in my to chill covered.
I tossed my entire yeast bank and pitched 2 dry yeasts into 2 carboys for the blonde Ale. Still diacetyl bomb. I bought a new stainless fermentor to see if that's the problem.
I will boil my valve pieces and tubing, and run another cheap test batch.
Resonator
Well-Known Member
No problem.
Aluminum foil works well as a quick fix, if you don't want to cut your lid right away. Just spray it wit some star san before hand, to make sure any condensed vapor doesn't drip and contaminate it on the off chance anything was on the roll.
Hi all,
Just transferred my black IPA to secondary and was confronted by these gnarly looking bubbles. Start of an infection?View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440322970.717321.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440323036.135956.jpg
Just transferred my black IPA to secondary and was confronted by these gnarly looking bubbles. Start of an infection?View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440322970.717321.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440323036.135956.jpg
I'd say no at this point. Just krausen bubbles on an active batch. There's no whitish slime or that broken ice pack looking film.
Resonator
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It was just chilling. Thanks all. Transferred to secondary and left the last couple of litres just to be safe.
Paul_the_Wxguru
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First timer....brewed my first batch on 8-16, so 11 days ago. I started with a 1.044 OG and have done 2 FG's and got 1.010 both times so I believe it is done. The other day I had some foam on top...not alot. Tonight...3 days later...I see a bit of white clumps kinda. Has been fermenting at about 68F. It is a honey brown ale.
Sample is cloudy...carbonated very slightly...and i would say a bit of a green apple taste. I can only assume it is normal since it is so young. I guess I am paranoid. Can someone help me out and take a look at this pic?
Learning alot here!!
Sample is cloudy...carbonated very slightly...and i would say a bit of a green apple taste. I can only assume it is normal since it is so young. I guess I am paranoid. Can someone help me out and take a look at this pic?
Learning alot here!!
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Looks normal to me. The bubbles and white spots just look like C02 that has come out of suspension and are sitting on the top of the beer. If you took a reading and got 1.010 and then 2 days later got the same, I would say it's done. Now, you can let it sit in the primary in the hopes it may clear more (may not be necessary) or you can bottle soon and let it condition in bottles.
That "green apple" taste is just uncarbonated, unconditioned, "green" beer. It's not done. The flavors will further change as it conditions in the bottle and achieves full carbonation.
My last piece of advice would be to not open the fermentor so much..it sounds like you opened it at least 3 different times. I try to limit opening my primary to only take 2 FG samples, and then again on bottling day. I've just seen so many posts where people say "everything was going fine until I opened it and now it's infected!"
That "green apple" taste is just uncarbonated, unconditioned, "green" beer. It's not done. The flavors will further change as it conditions in the bottle and achieves full carbonation.
My last piece of advice would be to not open the fermentor so much..it sounds like you opened it at least 3 different times. I try to limit opening my primary to only take 2 FG samples, and then again on bottling day. I've just seen so many posts where people say "everything was going fine until I opened it and now it's infected!"
Paul_the_Wxguru
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Really appreciate the advice and help! It has been opened 2 times. I made it sound like alot more now that I re-read the post. I popped it open Monday for the first time for a FG and then last night to do last FG and get a sample. I am gonna let it sit for maybe another week I guess and then bottle. One of the downsides of having bucket fermenter....can't see what is happening! 
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Really appreciate the advice and help! It has been opened 2 times. I made it sound like alot more now that I re-read the post. I popped it open Monday for the first time for a FG and then last night to do last FG and get a sample. I am gonna let it sit for maybe another week I guess and then bottle. One of the downsides of having bucket fermenter....can't see what is happening!
Haha yea it's a bummer not being able to see the fermentation. I got a 6.5 gallon plastic Big Mouth bubbler for Christmas last year..I love it! I can watch the yeasties swirl around now!
At this point, there may not be any benefit to letting it sit longer in primary. You could probably bottle it soon and let it condition/carb for a couple weeks and then enjoy!
Pumpkin ale, 3 weeks in primary. Racked it last night. 6.4% abv. Not sure if these are bubbles or an infection starting. The second pic is an extreme close up of some brew in a measuring cup. It tastes good. Thoughts?
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Looks like C02 bubbles coming out of suspension to me. Looks fine.
Kinda reminds me of yeast colonies floating around...
Hi everyone, first post here. 10-gallon batch of pumpkin ale with canned pumpkin a month ago, OG 1.064, split into two buckets for primary. Two and a half weeks ago, I put it into two big mouth bubblers for secondary. But I recently noticed that one had nothing on top of the liquid, and the other had a half inch layer of something. It looks pretty uniform all around the top.
I have no idea what it could be. I smelled both batches, and nothing smells too funky. I was thinking it could be carbonation built up at the top, but I was wondering whether it's strange that it only shows up on one. I haven't yet measured the SG of both.
Thoughts? Thanks!
I have no idea what it could be. I smelled both batches, and nothing smells too funky. I was thinking it could be carbonation built up at the top, but I was wondering whether it's strange that it only shows up on one. I haven't yet measured the SG of both.
Thoughts? Thanks!
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That white stuff is definitely an infection.
yewtah-brewha
Well-Known Member
Been brewing for about 4 years, i have made some mistakes along the way, but I may have put the icing on the cake with this batch, not sure what the hell happened. 1st time using hops right off the vine, boiled them for the proper duration, but used a washed yeast that might have been the culprit. In primary I got a vinegar smell, but not sure what I have now, I'll taste it in the morning,
Do I risk putting it in a keg and letting it roady?!?
Do I risk putting it in a keg and letting it roady?!?
2nd pic is definitely infected.
Radboud
Well-Known Member
I opened up my fermenter to bottle today and this is what greeted me:
The beer (SMaSH pale ale, sg 1.046, fg 1.008) was fine 4 weeks ago (has been in the fermenter for 6), I probably introduced this bug when taking a sample (fv doesn't have a spigot).
The smell of it was very sour and alcoholic, so I would guess lacto or aceto. I dumped it. Probably need to get rid of the fermenter, racking cane and tubing used on this one.
The beer (SMaSH pale ale, sg 1.046, fg 1.008) was fine 4 weeks ago (has been in the fermenter for 6), I probably introduced this bug when taking a sample (fv doesn't have a spigot).
The smell of it was very sour and alcoholic, so I would guess lacto or aceto. I dumped it. Probably need to get rid of the fermenter, racking cane and tubing used on this one.
Definitely the beginning stage of an infection. Clean everything that touched the beer, rinse with warm water, then bleach bomb everything. Rinse well again till all bleach smell is gone. Then sanitize with some Starsan.
Had this show up today in a wheat beer that had been in the primary for 4 weeks. Not sure if this is an infection, yeast rafts or something else. Any thoughts?
Just yeast rafts...
Just yeast rafts...
Thanks for the recommendation. I went ahead and kegged it and put it on CO2. I will see in 2-3 weeks how it turns out.
ncbrewer
Well-Known Member
I tried bleaching my bucket fermenter and other plastic items after an infection, but it didn't get rid of it. I used a low concentration (1 Tbsp per gallon for 15 minutes) to avoid getting bleach residue in the bucket. How much bleach do you use, and for how long?
Beersmith recommends 1TBSP/gallon of water, so I go with that. But it should never be left for more than 15 minutes, as it'll soak into the plastic. It can also pit stainless steel or eat right through it if left long enough. Some say the recommended dosage is 1oz per 5 gallons of water. I remember when I was breeding tropical fish, cleaning the aquariums with a very weak bleach solution. Charlie P recommends 2ozs bleach per 5 gallons of water.
I opened up my fermenter to bottle today and this is what greeted me:
The beer (SMaSH pale ale, sg 1.046, fg 1.008) was fine 4 weeks ago (has been in the fermenter for 6), I probably introduced this bug when taking a sample (fv doesn't have a spigot).
The smell of it was very sour and alcoholic, so I would guess lacto or aceto. I dumped it. Probably need to get rid of the fermenter, racking cane and tubing used on this one.
Sorry about your beer. Some unintentional sours can still be or become yummy, but it's an acquired taste. Those bucket lids/rims can be real bug traps. Spray sanitizer underneath and mop around with a sanitizer soaked washcloth. The large opening doesn't help either.
You can take samples out of buckets without removing the lid. Snake a skinny 1/4" OD hose down the grommet hole, and suck some beer out. When enough, pull the hose out so it doesn't flow back. Replace airlock.
Radboud
Well-Known Member
Looking at the grown over disturbance right in the middle of the pellicle I am now thinking that a bug was in it from the get go, the hole being made by taking the sample. This fv was brand new, soaked in pbw and sanitized with star san just before use. I brewed this batch outside, maybe despite very careful handling something went wrong, probably during chilling with my immersion chiller, the only extended period the lid was off. Ah well, at least I learned from it.
Well, nasties in the air do settle downward, so that scenario is likely.
peejaynj
Well-Known Member
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1442261086.847462.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1442261107.696567.jpg
A fall ale. I'm meticulous about sanitizing but I checked this today and has a bit of an "oil slick" look to it. And little white specs that almost look like tiny paint chips to give you an idea. What's going on here, should I just bottle it and hope for the best? Is there a way to counteract what's going on?
A fall ale. I'm meticulous about sanitizing but I checked this today and has a bit of an "oil slick" look to it. And little white specs that almost look like tiny paint chips to give you an idea. What's going on here, should I just bottle it and hope for the best? Is there a way to counteract what's going on?
It does look like a little broken ice pack is starting. Could be a start of an infection. If it's ready to bottle, do it...DO IT NOW!!! (best Arnold voice)
Lepetitnormand
Well-Known Member
This is supposed to be a cream ale, 10 days post brewing no airlock activity visible, could still see some on Saturday, it looks a tad oily to me, any educated opinion on an infection possibility ? After looking at this thread I would say infected but could use some pointers
Resonator
Well-Known Member
Hard to tell with the krausen, looks normal to me
Looks like yeast and hop oil to me. You should be fine
kombat
Well-Known Member
Looks normal to me, sorry to disagree with @unionrdr.
Yeah, it's tough to say with certainty, but a couple patches did look suspect?
CurtTheCop
Active Member
Ok guys, new brewer here. This is my 3rd kit and I had this around the edge of the fermenter/krausen collar (coopers new fermenting vessel) when it came to bottling... I don't think any of it had resided on top of the beer but it certainly didn't look appetising. Anyway it's bottled now so Im hoping it'll be ok!
View attachment 1442557896903.jpg
View attachment 1442557896903.jpg
Wow interesting... Does your camera have a macro mode? I'd like a close up of the morphology. Just a few shots of a small, medium, and large colony. Almost looks fungi like...
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