Oops! Sour beer?

[Flboy]

Did something wrong! Two weeks fermenting a blond ale, and was just about to bottle it. Has a very fruity smell, incredibly sour, and since I was also making cider at the same time,,,did I? I really don't think I mixed anything up (4 batches, all different)
I think I used a bad batch of harvested yeast. Also a black krausin ring around the top.
Question..
Would this put this batch into the 'sour' beer world? Bottle and see? In case of bombs, I will only use plastic pop bottles. Or just call the ER now and tell me to get ready?
Sorry for the misdirection, figured out this was a screwed up batch of cider, I reused the yeast cake from a batch of beer and forgot to update the label! I left the carboy sitting too long before dumping in the Apple juice. So 5 gallons of vinagar!

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

if you think it is infected...don't bottle it yet..let it ride for a while and see what develops.

 

[Calder]

Does it taste sour, or just smell sour?

If it tastes sour, is it subtle, or does it taste like vinegar?

 

[IslandLizard]

A black krausen ring on a blond ale? It isn't mold is it?

You got to taste a sample to see where to take it from here.

Isn't there a (white) pellicle on top?

 

[Flboy]

Does it taste sour, or just smell sour?

If it tastes sour, is it subtle, or does it taste like vinegar?

Sour taste. Very! White vinegar sour.

 

[te-wa]

acetobacter possibly. may have to dump it, sanitize everything with fire.

 

[CorporateHippie]

I have never had an "accidental" infection. However, I am from the school of thought that if it is still young and does not taste clearly spoiled, then just let it ride. Like for a couple more months at least. Come back to it and if the taste is still not spoiled, bottle it (with caution to a VERY steady low gravity reading) and then bottle age for another 6 months- forever. Unless you absolutely NEED the brewing space, I would do all I could to not dump a batch. If it is mold though then you must dump.

 

[mrdail87]

Or just call the ER now and tell me to get ready?

No need to worry about the ER, there are no known pathogens that can survive in beer as long as you followed the normal brewing process.

Anything that infects your brew will hurt the flavor, but won't hurt you.

 

[Flboy]

A black krausen ring on a blond ale? It isn't mold is it?

You got to taste a sample to see where to take it from here.

Isn't there a (white) pellicle on top?

Mold! Realized it is sitting above the krausin line. In making 4 batches, all different, that day, I screwed up some where. Must have labeled the bottles wrong and dumped something into it!

 

[Calder]

Sour taste. Very! White vinegar sour.

If the taste is vinegar, it is acetic acid, and you have acetobacter infection. Acetic acid has a sharper bite than lactic acid. A small amount of acetic acid is desirable in some beers, but the level is very low.

Unfortunately, once acetic acid is in there it is not going to mellow. It results from exposure of fermented beer (alcohol) with oxygen. You probably left the beer in a bucket too long, and either opened the bucket too often, or it was not sealed very well. The mold above the kraeusen ring would also indicate O2 exposure.

The mold probably hasn't infected the beer, just the actobacter.

You can try drinking it, it will not get better. If it is obviously vinegar, I suspect it will be unpleasant. Might be a dumper.

Fill bucket with mild bleach solution, a couple of ounces of bleach to a gallon, and let sit for a few days. Rinse with hot water a couple of times to get rid of any bleach residue, and the bucket should be good to use again. For siphon tubes, I'd siphon the bleach solution from one bucket to another a couple of times with the tubes, and then leave filled and soaking in the bucket of bleach. ....... or replace tubing and soak any racking canes in the bleach.

 

[Flboy]

Ha, guess it's a dumper! Funny, made 4 batches, 2 apple wine, and I thought, 2 beer. I also capped 100 bottles. Now in review, I know I wouldn't have had the time to complete the two beers! Looks like I left the old label and it was an apple batch.
No Apple smell, but zero beer smell!
Sorry about the run around!

 

[IslandLizard]

Ha, guess it's a dumper! Funny, made 4 batches, 2 apple wine, and I thought, 2 beer. I also capped 100 bottles. Now in review, I know I wouldn't have had the time to complete the two beers! Looks like I left the old label and it was an apple batch.
No Apple smell, but zero beer smell!
Sorry about the run around!

I don't think it's really clear to us what you did, and where the 4th fermentor got its infection from. I hope you do, so you can prevent it the next time.

Did you forget to add yeast to the 4th fermentor, the one that's infected?
How are the other 3 faring?

 

[Flboy]

I don't think it's really clear to us what you did, and where the 4th fermentor got its infection from. I hope you do, so you can prevent it the next time.

Did you forget to add yeast to the 4th fermentor, the one that's infected?
How are the other 3 faring?

Yes, added yeast, has a layer on the bottom. Other 3 happy, bottling the one beer now. With the mixed label, I am fairly sure I dumped apple into the carboy on top of the yeast cake. I had left the carboy empty over night, waiting to pick up more juice, I am not too worried about repeating the same screwup, I tend to be creative and find ways!
FYI, note to self, when siphing out a carboy into a bottling bucket, don't use an old screwdriver to tilt the bottle. It WILL fall into the bucket!

 

[krackin]

Don't dump it if you cook or somebody close does at all. Good vinegar is always welcome in bbq sauce, salad dressings, etc. Malt vinegar is especially good.