First time infected beer, maybe?

[KevinGargravarr]

Hey guys, this is my 10th batch, I brewed an APA, I opened my fermentor for dry hopping and found this.

I'm not entirely sure if it's infected, but I'm leaning to that possibility .

Could you please confirm if my beer is infected?
Thanks.

 

[IslandLizard]

Hard to tell, what do you base it on whether it's infected?
Have you tasted it yet?

What are those straw-like tan-colored rafts? Is that yeast?
Did you add anything else to it since it went into the fermentor?

 

[KevinGargravarr]

Hard to tell, what do you base it on whether it's infected?
Have you tasted it yet?

What are those straw-like tan-colored rafts? Is that yeast?
Did you add anything else to it since it went into the fermentor?

It's the first time I've encountered that kind of rafts, that's why I'm concerned.
I've tasted it, it doesn't taste bad, but I don't know is it is suggestive answer but I found the taste a bit acid/sour like.

I'm not sure if the straw-like things are yeast or signs of an infection.

No, I didn't add anything else.

I think the other option is that I fermented at a really high temperature and maybe that's yeast that hasn't flocculated entirely

 

[IslandLizard]

High ferm temps are not good for the best flavor (unless it's a Saison, maybe), but won't cause infections or sour taste.
Those are most likely yeast rafts.

Judging a beer that's uncarbonated takes some experience. It should not taste sour.

I see a little bit of a whitish haze in some areas, that could be a sign of something trying to take hold, or just some krausen remnants. If it were anything major that causes sourness, it would have turned into a pellicle by now.

If you're not going to dry hop this, I'd say ready to package. If you bottle, fill a few 12-22 oz soda bottles at the same time, as a gauge, just in case something is brewing underneath.

 

[parjay]

Those almost look like crushed grains to me. Any chance that you had some grains make it to the fermenter?

 

[KevinGargravarr]

Those almost look like crushed grains to me. Any chance that you had some grains make it to the fermenter?

no, those aren't grains

 

[RPh_Guy]

I agree it doesn't look infected.
Judge by taste & smell.
It's unlikely an APA has a Lacto infection.
If gravity is stable I would package.

I actually have seen photos of rafts like that, I think on the "post your infection" thread (although half the photos aren't infections) but I don't recall specifics, sorry.

it would have turned into a pellicle by now.

Nah. Even intentionally soured beers don't always form pellicles.

 

[Gemadrken]

That looks like hop pellets to me. They sorta turn into big thin grassy particles after a few days in the beer. You say it happened after dry hopping I think this is extremely likely.

I drop hop many of my beers heavily. I often have some similar particles in the first few pours of my beer from my keg and my it still taste great!

Of course I could be wrong, but from those pictures that's what it looks like to me. I know hop pellets don't really look leafy.. but after they are in a beer for a while they become somewhat leafy again.

 

[Jtvann]

I’d continue on like normal. I have had one infected batch. It progressively got worse in flavor over about a week in the keg. If it’s infected, it will get worse, not better.

It’s safe to give it a few taste tests over time and see what’s happening