Post your infection

[DrunkleJon]

I soak my lid in a rope tub. I have also used that tub to sanitize bottles, as a swamp cooler and as an ice bath for post-boil chilling or cold crashing. It is easily one of my most used pieces of equipment and I think I got it for about $6.96 at Walmart.

My lids have a ring of deep pockets, like the underside of a mushroom. The only way I can get them clean is soak in oxyclean, blast with high pressure water, and then soak in StarSan. A spray bottle can sanitize the surface, but I'm not going to trust my beer with it.

I throw mine in the dishwasher. Temperature gets high, plenty of hot water to clean out the gunk and then a quick starsan misting to get it wet before installing. Done and done.

 

[ChefRex]

Ugh, here you go . . .

I haven't decided what to do yet. Odds are this came from taking a reading about a week ago. I might transfer below the gunk and let it sit for a while.

What is the metal rod? It looks like it has been in the fermenter the whole time?

 

[ChucknBeer]

Looks like a thermowell... I have 2 and they are quite easy to clean.

 

[beerforlucy]

Here's a couple closer photos.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Dats nasty

 

[Duke145]

Dats nasty

Yup +1

 

[beerforlucy]

Dats nasty

I don't know if I should say "thanks", or apologize.

Thanks, I guess.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

I don't know if I should say "thanks", or apologize.



Thanks, I guess.

Lol!! I'd be confused too.
I know people try to make things that look like that but I'm not sure I'll ever be one of them

 

[mambro]

Opened the fermentor today to bottle my stout after 15 days fermenting in the primary [20-22C (68-70F) with S-05]. Quite strong sour smell, lambic style, I tought the beer was gone but tasting it there is nothing weird both in the taste and in the smell.
Infection?

 

[blizz81]

Opened the fermentor today to bottle my stout after 15 days fermenting in the primary [20-22C (68-70F) with S-05]. Quite strong sour smell, lambic style, I tought the beer was gone but tasting it there is nothing weird both in the taste and in the smell.
Infection?

Looks a-ok to me so far.

 

[unionrdr]

+1. Looks normal to me...

 

[mambro]

Good to know

So were is the sour smell coming from? It's the first time I smell that in the fermenter [I have to say it's my first dark beer]

 

[davidst]

I can't tell if its the camera reflection but that looks a little like a film forming on that stout. Does anyone see it?

 

[unionrdr]

Thought it was a reflection on the surface myself?

 

[joshesmusica]

I can't tell if its the camera reflection but that looks a little like a film forming on that stout. Does anyone see it?

The lines bend with the bubbles on the surface. It's a reflection.

Beer looks completely fine. If it's your first stout, is it also a first for the yeast? I'm guessing some more conditioning would do it just fine. Though if it tastes ok, then aging it in the bottles won't hurt it either.

 

[mambro]

The lines bend with the bubbles on the surface. It's a reflection.

Beer looks completely fine. If it's your first stout, is it also a first for the yeast? I'm guessing some more conditioning would do it just fine. Though if it tastes ok, then aging it in the bottles won't hurt it either.

Yes, that's just a reflection, there was no film. The yeast is Safeale S-05 I've been using that many times. I have to say I usually do 1 week in the primary and another 1 week in the secondary (with dry hopping) while this time i did just 15 days in the primary and didn't dry hop. That might be the reason of a stronger than usual sour smell.

 

[joshesmusica]

Yes, that's just a reflection, there was no film. The yeast is Safeale S-05 I've been using that many times. I have to say I usually do 1 week in the primary and another 1 week in the secondary (with dry hopping) while this time i did just 15 days in the primary and didn't dry hop. That might be the reason of a stronger than usual sour smell.

Who knows? The fermentation process can have all kinds of crazy smells. Most of the undesired ones don't make it into the final product.

Just for future reference, a lot of people have pretty much stopped using a secondary. If you're not saving your yeast, you can just dry hop right in the primary.

 

[PLOVE]

Pretty typical of a long primary. I find the crap leftover on the sides of the pale after high krausen seems to sour. Doesn't affect the beer though. So, if it tastes good, you're good to go. I'd just be careful during racking not to slosh (good idea anyway), and if you're harvesting yeast, consider bailing and not pouring. Looking good!
P

 

[joshesmusica]

Pretty typical of a long primary. I find the crap leftover on the sides of the pale after high krausen seems to sour. Doesn't affect the beer though. So, if it tastes good, you're good to go. I'd just be careful during racking not to slosh (good idea anyway), and if you're harvesting yeast, consider bailing and not pouring. Looking good!
P

15 days is a long primary to you? Man what a turnaround rate you must have!

 

[lowtones84]

15 days is a little long for me too. Most of my beers are in the 1.040-1.055 range, but 8-10 days is about the sweet spot for many of my recipes. Not that I think 15 days is -too- long or anything.

The higher amount of yeast left over in primary and lack of dryhopping could certainly come off as "sour" when in fact it's just the scent of the presence of lots of yeast.

 

[msa8967]

Here are a couple of beers where I am not sure if this is an infection, yeast rafts or both. What does everyone else think?

 

[unionrdr]

Both infected. That " broken ice pack" is a dead giveaway.

 

[msa8967]

Both infected. That " broken ice pack" is a dead giveaway.

Would this even be worth kegging if I tried to rack well below the floaters?

 

[joshesmusica]

Would this even be worth kegging if I tried to rack well below the floaters?

The floaters aren't the actual "infection" themselves. Just the sign of one. The infection runs throughout the beer. If you were to keg, you would either want to dedicate that keg to future infected beers (hopefully on purpose), or really take it apart and do some extra heavy cleaning. Maybe even replace all rubber gaskets and what not.

But technically, if it tastes just fine, you could most certainly keg it. If it does taste pretty good still, I would drink it within a month or so though, otherwise that flavor profile will most certainly continue to change.

 

[HappyFermentations]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1455078208.314528.jpg

So, for the first time ever I decided not to open my bucket at all for the entire fermentation process. Pitched my yeast, airlock started bubbling and I left it completely alone. Opened it up after a month and voila - my first ever infection. Absolutely unreal. Was going to be a Dry Irish Stout for St. Pattys day. It tasted awful, so I ended up throwing it out...

Now - I was also fermenting a sour in the same room, and right next to it. I read a bunch of stuff saying that people do this all the time with no issues - but I definitely won't be trying that again. I can't think of any other way it could have been tainted.

 

[HappyFermentations]

AView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1455078489.900287.jpgAnd here's the "on-purpose" infection in the sour saison that I just racked to my oak barrels for some aging.

 

[1fast636]

Kettle sour I boiled over the weekend the pellicle got pretty sweet right before Boiling

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1455079473.897332.jpg

 

[normonster]

OMG. That is scary dude.

 

[JosephN]

Here are a couple of beers where I am not sure if this is an infection, yeast rafts or both. What does everyone else think?

If it tastes good personally I would bottle it so I didn't chance screwing up my keg.

 

[JosephN]

View attachment 336594

So, for the first time ever I decided not to open my bucket at all for the entire fermentation process. Pitched my yeast, airlock started bubbling and I left it completely alone. Opened it up after a month and voila - my first ever infection. Absolutely unreal. Was going to be a Dry Irish Stout for St. Pattys day. It tasted awful, so I ended up throwing it out...

Now - I was also fermenting a sour in the same room, and right next to it. I read a bunch of stuff saying that people do this all the time with no issues - but I definitely won't be trying that again. I can't think of any other way it could have been tainted.

I wouldn't think that sitting them next to each other would do it. I've never heard of "bugs" being able to crawl over to another container. It has to be transmitted. I wonder if you just didn't think about it and used a piece of the same equipment. Most people have separate gear for sour and non soured.