Pre Fermentation - Infection?

[interplexr]

I'm about to start my apple mead. Yesterday I mixed everything up for this 3 gallon batch and added 3 SMS campden tablets. After 12 hours I added the pectic enzyme and not it's 12 hours later and time for the yeast. When I opened the bucket there was a bubble looking thing in the center. It doesn't smell bad but call me a noobie but I just want to make sure this isn't infected. Could this just be from stiring in the pectic enzyme or caused by the pectic enzyme and/or campden tablets?

I'm going to pitch the yeast and give it a whirl but I figured I might as well ask otherwise I'll find out after a while how it tastes.

 

[MedsenFey]

It looks to me like your apple juice decided not to wait for you and started fermentation already.

 

[interplexr]

Is there a chance this is just bubbles from mixing?

I pitched my starter last night and this morning had dropped a degree brix. 10 hours aftre that I've dropped about 2 points brix. I'm about to add my second nutrient addition and mix the bejebus out of it.

What should I be looking for if this is truly an infection? What sorts of flavors or look should it have?

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Yan]

Sometimes honey and hot water develops a bit of a foam because of proteins and other compounds in it. So does unfiltered apple juice, due to suspended materials like tannins and pectin.

Doesn't look like an infection to me. Just bubbles. I don't think the time frame you mentioned would be long enough for any sort of funk to visibly take hold, and I don't think the likelihood of infection is very high after using sulphites in your must.