Suspected Infection, nasty dark brown yeast cake

[Halapeenyo]

I recently invested in my first keg which means I needed an extra fridge to store the keg. I had an extra fridge that was never cleaned and been sitting in my hot garage for years. I gutted it, scrubbed it out with hot soapy water, but didn't make an attempt to actually DISINFECT it.

Upon awaiting arrival of my keg I decided that cold crashing a carboy of beer (for the keg) and a small batch of mead in this fridge would be a good idea. Both the beer and mead had a very healthy fermentation prior to cold crashing in this fridge.

I suspect that bacteria from this nasty fridge was introduced to both through suck back from cold crashing. I don't have pics of the yeast cake from the beer, but it wasnt nearly as black.

Does anyone know what this is or has experienced it themselves? The beer definitely tastes of DMS, and the last time I tasted the mead it had a rough cough syrup

I have never had a problem like this before, and the only factor that I can think of that could affect 2 different brews in 2 different fermenters is airborne bacteria from the fridge, being introduced via suck back.

Wtf has happened to my yeast cake? (EC-118)

 

[gnor]

Don't know how strong is your beer, the mead is 15.4% ABV, can't imagine how it got infected after fermentation?? Why there are marbles in your mead?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Marbles are to reduce headspace.

Sounds weird. You have sanitizer in your airlocks? I doubt airborne microbes would make it through there, but I suppose it's possible.

Still, I think it's incredibly unlikely that your mead or beer are infected from time in a fridge, especially the mead.
I think it's a coincidence they were in the fridge together.

There's pretty much nothing that would grow in that mead after 1118 took it dry.

 

[divrack]

you have a marbleobacter infection. commonly found to affect children the most severely.

seriously though id guess its just some stuff settling out and not to be too alarmed although i know just about nothing about mead. there is the chance of ghosts however, so perhaps call your local priest or shaman.

 

[Halapeenyo]

Beer was only 5.2% and wasnt affected nearly as much.

 

[Halapeenyo]

Sounds weird. You have sanitizer in your airlocks? I doubt airborne microbes would make it through there, but I suppose it's possible.

I stopped using starsan in my airlocks a while back, got tired of it bubbling out, having to refill, and creating puddles in the bungs. Just tap water in my airlocks. I find it hard to believe that anything could be living in the mead as well, but it definitely doesn't look right

 

[kh54s10]

If you don't want to use Starsan, I would use Vodka. Water is probably OK, but why risk no sanitation.

 

[Halapeenyo]

seriously though id guess its just some stuff settling out and not to be too alarmed although i know just about nothing about mead.

I don't either, this is my first batch of mead. I did use a staggered nute schedule to help the yeast attenuate, and had no problems in primary. All I know is I have been brewing since 2013 and I have never seen such a black fuzzy looking yeast cake lol.

 

[Halapeenyo]

If you don't want to use Starsan, I would use Vodka. Water is probably OK, but why risk no sanitation.

I guess that's true, I used to use vodka as well but got tired of paying for the vodka. I guess I'll switch back to starsan and just deal with it

 

[Halapeenyo]

Still, I think it's incredibly unlikely that your mead or beer are infected from time in a fridge, especially the mead.
I think it's a coincidence they were in the fridge together.

If you open a fridge and the smell of bacteria hits you in the face, I think its definitely possible that same bacteria could be sucked backed thru my water filled locks. Just my theory, Idk...I've been thinking about it for a while, it's the only answer that makes sense to me

 

[Halapeenyo]

Why there are marbles in your mead?

People use sanitized marbles to eliminate the headspace. There was NO headspace when I first put it in this secondary, but I've been tasting it since then

 

[RPh_Guy]

Gotta recommend waterless airlocks

https://www.morebeer.com/products/carboy-bung-silicone-breathable-10.html

https://www.morebeer.com/products/carboy-bung-silicone-breathable.html

 

[chickypad]

I'm not sure I see what you are calling black and fuzzy. To me it looks like tan colored trub whose surface is a little funny because the marbles are keeping it from compacting down. The only really dark looking spots appear to be the marbles themselves. Otherwise the mead looks nice and clear and there is nothing on the surface, right? You had to add water to mead I assume, was it possibly chlorinated? Seems more likely explanation for medicinal off flavor than a bacterial infection. And for the beer, you think it was infected because it tastes like DMS or are there other issues?