Strange fermentation, beer okay?

[vash1012]

So I posted about 2 weeks ago about a recent english brown ale I was trying to brew. The situation was it had been about 5-6 days since I put it into the primary and I hadnt seen any bubbles. I was using a swamp cooler keeping the temperature (measured with a fermometer on the bucket about 4 inches about the water line) at about 68 degrees. Well, when I opened the bucket, there was a small spot of mold, and a sharp, odd smell like very potent odd smelling beef stock. The specific gravity hadn't budged a bit. I assumed it was ruined due to bad yeast, but was too lazy to go dump it yet. Naturally, I quit replacing the ice in the swamp cooler and the temps rose to 72-74. So today, the GF told me I had to get rid of it today. I took it outside, getting ready to pop the lid and dump it when I saw bubbles coming from the air lock. I popped off the lid to see a VERY thick yeast layer on TOP of the beer, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick floating on top, and a much less pungent but still not pleasent smell. I took a quick SG reading and found it had dropped from 1.052 to around 1.0. What do you think? Is it wishful thinking to think the beer might turn out okay? Was it just potentially much lower temps at the bottom of the bucket slowing the fermenting down?

 

[Grumpybumpy]

It dropped to 1.000? whoa!

I think most people here would tell you to ride it out.

 

[stratslinger]

What yeast did you use? I haven't heard of a "normal" brewers yeast that'd ferment all the way down to 1.000 - typically I'd think that kind of FG would indicate infection.

 

[paraordnance]

Definitely infected with FG that low

Sent from GT-I9100M

 

[vash1012]

I'll have to take another reading to be sure. It was hard to tell with the really thick yeast layer on top. I used an normal liquid english brown ale yeast.

 

[Germelli1]

It helps to get accurate readings if you don't try and take them in the fermenter itself

 

[Jayman931]

I don't think I would ever dump a beer unless I was SURE it was bad...you are making alot of guesses and assumptions on info that is not accurate...take a good hydro reading and report back...

Cheers

 

[Karmawar]

If your gravity reading is accurate I would say it's infected, get everything ready to bottle and before priming run off a pint and take a swig. You will know if it's off or not.