Rookie mistake...Airloc went dry. Still good?

[gwapogorilla]

I brewed my first Brett IPA about 3 1/2 months ago, just before I had should surgery. I knew it was going to be in the carboy a long time due to my lifting restrictions, I used Brett yeast(my first time) and aged it til now.

Well, like a dumb ass...I totally forgot about the airloc. Yep, it went dry. The beer has a film across the top of it. I am guessing it;s still good, but would like some input.

Also, I plan on washing the yeast. Do I skim off the white film before washing?

 

[Mexibilly]

Good thinking and right forum.
Definitely don't bottle or keg this beer.
I'll pm you my address. You send this monstrosity my way and I'll dispose of it correctly.

 

[Raenon]

The film on the top is a pellicle, and it's completely normal for many yeasts and bacteria- particularly brettanomyces.

 

[oakbarn]

CO2 is heavier than air and in general there is no way for any thing to go up an airlock even if dry unless you have lots of air movement. Taste the brew. I always taste the brew at each stage.

1. pre boil
2. Post boil
3. Post Fermentaiion
4. After Carbonation.


Some beers improve with some conditioning (aging). Sometimes you can over do it

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I brewed my first Brett IPA about 3 1/2 months ago, just before I had should surgery. I knew it was going to be in the carboy a long time due to my lifting restrictions, I used Brett yeast(my first time) and aged it til now.

Well, like a dumb ass...I totally forgot about the airloc. Yep, it went dry. The beer has a film across the top of it. I am guessing it;s still good, but would like some input.

Also, I plan on washing the yeast. Do I skim off the white film before washing?

So, did you intentionally use Brett or something to make a sour? The reason I ask, and this goes out to all the experienced Brewers (which I am not) since the beer now has a pellical (sp) would one want to harvest the yeast? Perhaps yes for another sour, but not for a non sour, and it has mixed with other organisms. In fact I think you would want to isolate the equipment and only use it for other sours. Yes?

 

[m00ps]

FYI, 100% brett IPAs dont need to be fermented much longer than a regular IPA. In fact, all you are doing by letting it go that long is wasting 90% of the hop character you worked so hard to impart.

Ive done 5 all-brett IPAs, 3 week ferment each time. 3.5 months is way too long

the "film" is a pellicle. Brett and bacteria make this to shield it from oxygen. The beer will likely be fine but nearly all the hop character will eb stripped by oxygen. Do your research next time on the quirks of all-brett beers

 

[m00ps]

@Hoppy2bmerry
This beer is NOT a sour, so long as the OP used only brett. Brett is NOT a souring bacteria. It is a wild yeast. If you use only brett, the characteristics are MUCH different than a mixed fermentation with sacch. But, even a mixed brett/sacch fermentation will not yield the sourness that adding lacto or pedio will

 

[DevilNuts]

I've done this a few times. Just top it off and keep going. Assume there's no problem until you know there is one.