White stuff floating on surface

[Sillybilly]

Before bottling my brown ale last night, i noticed a few white films, if put together about the size of a dollar bill. I wish I would have taken a picture because now I am comparing images of yeast rafts vs. infections. I racked to bottling bucket and obviously didn't pull any of that with it, tasted a hydro sample which was really good.

My questions are:

Would an infection have a noticeable smell or taste at this point?

If it were an infection, would racking at this point (based on other pictures having full surface coverage),left the better portion behind, enough that it wont propagate in my bottles?

Should I have any post bottling concerns?

It would be my first infection, out of 15 or so batches, so I am not exactly sure where I would have went wrong. FWIW, my 3YO threw part of his grilled cheese with 5 minutes left in the boil that I quickly pulled out.

 

[beergolf]

It may be infected. If it is early then it is possible that it will not taste off at this point.

Racking from under the stuff on the surface does nothing. If the beer is infected ( which the growth on the surface could indicate) then the infection is all through the beer, not just on the surface.

If it is an infection then monitor the bottles carefully. It will continue to work and may cause problem. Best case scenario is gushers, worst case is bottle bombs.

Be careful.

 

[tootal]

Might just be some of the oil from the cheese sandwich floating on top. If you pulled from under it and it taste good and smells good then I wouldn't worry too much. You might bottle it and put the bottles in a large trash bag as a liner just in case.

 

[urg8rb8]

Gotta post a picture to help with the diagnosis.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

All my bottle primed beer goes into a box then a plastic bin, (suspected contamination or not) for three weeks @ room temp. Just in case. I think if you find you have gushers, but they still taste good you can refridgerate them and use them quickly, or toss it, but I wouldn't want to risk them bursting.

 

[Sillybilly]

I wish I would have taken a picture, but honestly I have never had an infection before so I didn't think anything of it. That is until I slept on it and started having concerns. I do have bottles in covered plastic tub. Is there any time line on when these bottles, if at all, they will become over carbed? Should I check them at a few days? A week? Or just wait until my usual 3 weeks and put them all in frig and hope for the best?

 

[urg8rb8]

At this point just wait it out the 3 weeks then pop one open and see where you stand.

 

[sniperd]

I'm sure it's not the sandwich that would cause an infection, the boil would kill anything in a few seconds. I would agree with one of the other posters, if you can't smell/taste anything weird it's probably fine. There really isn't an action to take anyways

 

[Sillybilly]

Yup, now its the wait and hope for the best game.

Has anyone ever have problem with fruit flies getting into your airlock and/or bucket and causing infection? I noticed in the adjacent fermentation bucket to my brown ale, two or three of them dead in the airlock, but when I racked that beer nothing was suspect. It doesn't seem likely a fruit fly could get in through the airlock into the bucket, nor did i find any in either beer, but even if they did, wouldn't a nice long bath in Star Stan be enough to kill their passengers? Or is it possible one could have squeezed under the lid? I suppose I should search for some fruit fly forums out there..

 

[sniperd]

I've never had a problem with a fruit fly getting past the air lock (I've seen a few trapped in there!). I think the star san kills the passengers