Another does this look infected pic

[Jbrew]

As the title states. This was a more beer falconers flight 7cs single hop experiment that I got cheap off Amazon.
I used a packet of US-05. It doesn’t look too bad, but I don’t remember ever seeing little skin floaters on the top like that. Also it tastes fine that’s why I’m unsure. The fermentation was slower then normal to start for me, maybe 24 hrs before I started to see activity and fermented slow. Took a week for it to finally drop out. Usually goes quick and has a much more vigorous ferment. What burns me up was it was a brand new big mouth bubbler. First batch in and my sanitation practices were the same as always. Will be my first infection and I have about 75 batches under my belt. Smells ok I guess. No real hop aroma, smells like a packet of liquid yeast. I will rack off it today and then carb it and hope for the best.

 

[bracconiere]

wtf is that sticking in it? lol, probably... you need to wear lids and stuff....

edit: glad it tastes good though!

 

[Jbrew]

Sticking in? That’s part of the thermowell attached to the stopper. The carboy does have a lid and was used

 

[Toxxyc]

If I'm not mistaken, that skin is called a "pellicle". It's an infection. Could be because oxygen was introduced to the beer after fermentation. Doesn't mean the beer is "ruined" though. If it tastes fine, keg it, carbonate it and enjoy it. You could even go so far as to add some potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfate to prevent whatever is in there from growing further. Note that it'll prevent natural carbonation as well, so you'll have to force carb.

 

[Jbrew]

Grrrr. I had a fermonster for 3 years and never had an infected batch. Decided to move on to a new fermenter just to be safe. I’m not a fan of this big mouth bubbler already. Oh well. I’m sure it was something I did, Not the fermenter. I do force carb. Did since the beginning. I have Camden tablets. That should suffice correct? How should I add that before racking just drop it in? Or should I try to pre- dissolve it?
Thanks again,
Jeff

 

[Toxxyc]

Campden tablets are potassium metabisulfate (also called kmeta). It doesn't kill the infection, but it does prevent it from spreading. It should do just fine. I think if you crush them up and sprinkle them in, it would be fine. You add AFTER racking off the trub, or the amount of kmeta won't be enough for the biomass in the fermenter. I usually place the kmeta and sorbates into the sanitised new container and then rack of into the container. It mixes as the beer/wine is run into the container.

 

[Dgallo]

It’s a bacterial infection. Could end up being really interesting and complex. Could have been introduced prior to pitching or after fermentation. If you don’t need that fermenter let it go for 2 months and taste it again. Really could produce some complexity or it will taste like goat ass lol

 

[SouthForkBrew]

Looks like pellicle to me. Potentially lactobacillus but I could be wrong. At any rate, I've had this happen to me more than I like to admit, and I've never been disappointed with the beer that results. There are very few bugs that can get into your fermenting wort that will actually make you sick, but at any rate it will produce a different flavor than you were expecting. If it is lacto like I suspect then you might expect a slight sourness in the finished product that will get more pronounced the longer you age it. If its something else then you might expect a little funk in the beer, which is not at all a bad thing IMHO.

 

[Jbrew]

Transferred to secondary. I’m debating on throwing a campden tablet in or not. I think I found my source of infection. Lid was partially off the fermenter. Apparently, the big mouth bubblers with the silicone smush in gasket are prone to popping open during fermentation. I had a couple small pieces of wood below the fermenter and the fermenter had sweat and developed moisture due to temp changes. Mold had developed on the wood. I’m pretty certain that was the cause.
I pulled the wood out. Bleached the inside, and put a plastic bucket lid on the bottom to keep the fermenter off the freezer floor and put a desiccant water absorber inside the freezer as well. Hoping that was it, and plan to be more diligent about checking it more frequently during its ferment.

 

[Monmouth00]

Transferred to secondary. I’m debating on throwing a campden tablet in or not. I think I found my source of infection. Lid was partially off the fermenter. Apparently, the big mouth bubblers with the silicone smush in gasket are prone to popping open during fermentation. .

I love the Big Mouth Bubbler, but hate those lids. I push the lid on and then put one of my wife's 5 Lb. plastic barbells on it. Keeps it down well enough.

 

[Immocles]

I end up duct taping it down, even w the flipped gasket. My last batch, it magically sealed and stayed sealed. I feel like that’s a good brewing omen.

 

[DVCNick]

The only time I've ever had the lid come off mine (I have two of them) was during a serious blowoff that occurred with no tube in place, and ramped up much quicker than I anticipated.
I just make sure they are really inserted and squeezed all the way down, and they (or mine at least) will stay completely in place during normal circumstances.

 

[Jbrew]

Not to get off topic and onto the big mouth bubbler, but how are you guys getting the lid all the way down? I tried twisting and it just won’t go down all the way. It starts to buckle the sides of the fermenter trying to push it down so hard.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Myth busting time!

Campden tablets are potassium metabisulfate (also called kmeta). It doesn't kill the infection, but it does prevent it from spreading. It should do just fine.

No, not in this case. The anti-microbial action of sulfite is due to molecular SO2, which is pH-dependent. Sulfite is NOT anti-microbial at normal beer pH.

You add AFTER racking off the trub, or the amount of kmeta won't be enough for the biomass in the fermenter. I usually place the kmeta and sorbates into the sanitised new container and then rack of into the container.

Yes and no. The sorbate needs to be added after separating from the yeast.
Yeast presence doesn't affect sulfite.

I don't recommend adding either to the beer in this case. Cold temperature will suffice to control the microbes; kegging makes this easy.

It’s a bacterial infection.

Bacterial and/or wild yeast. Both can form a pellicle.

If you don’t need that fermenter let it go for 2 months and taste it again.

I don't recommend this. Kegging now will guarantee a good beer. Sitting around in the carboy for months at room temp will likely cause oxidation. Furthermore, most wild microbes do not produce good flavor, so encouraging them is not beneficial.

Potentially lactobacillus but I could be wrong.

Lots of wild microbes including both yest and bacteria can produce a pellicle. There is no way to identify the organism(s) based on appearance.

In fact, Lactobacillus rarely if ever forms a pellicle.

There are very few bugs that can get into your fermenting wort that will actually make you sick

None, besides mold, which is easy to identify by appearance.

but at any rate it will produce a different flavor than you were expecting.

Not necessarily. OP said it tastes fine.

Apparently, the big mouth bubblers with the silicone smush in gasket are prone to popping open during fermentation.

Yeah, I don't recommend them. I love my Fermonsters.

Transferred to secondary.

I recommend packaging now. Otherwise you risk oxidation and off-flavors from the wild microbes.

Cheers

 

[Toxxyc]

Noted, thanks. I guess that's why they recommend different level of SO2 at different pH's in wine!

 

[El Nino]

not to threadjack, but say if something like this happens and you don't have a keg system, is it safe to bottle?

 

[RPh_Guy]

not to threadjack, but say if something like this happens and you don't have a keg system, is it safe to bottle?

I recommend bottling right away. You just need to monitor for over-carbonation, and/or refrigerate the bottles after carbonation completes.

As mentioned, letting it sit will basically guarantee it's oxidized and risk microbial off-flavors.
Dumping it is always an option, but that's a waste of good beer. Most contaminations won't contribute any off-flavors if you just treat it like normal and drink it in a reasonable amount of time.

You could pasteurize the bottles after they finish carbonating, but that's a little risky.

As always, clean your equipment thoroughly after use.

Cheers

 

[Toxxyc]

Yeah I bottled a "dodgy" looking batch before. Didn't care much for the ingredients (kit brew) so I just sloshed everything together. Bottled and used half the carbonation sugars as usual. Beer ended up great, even months down the line. A lot drier than the style called for (a cheapish IPA), with very very little hop punch, but it was great for an easy drinker.

 

[Miraculix]

I had everything between no effect on flavour whatsoever, bitter disgusting mess and slightly sour easy drinker, as a result of an infection.

.... Really had too many of them...

One classic result though which they all shared was the extreme lack of head retention.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I had everything between no effect on flavour whatsoever, bitter disgusting mess and slightly sour easy drinker, as a result of an infection.

.... Really had too many of them...

One classic result though which they all shared was the extreme lack of head retention.

From what I've seen posted, the large majority who discover an unexpected pellicle say that the beer tastes normal.

Are you talking about your gruit experiments?
I suspect your experience is a little different because your contaminations are in unhopped beer (less bacterial inhibition), and the added herbs have a higher contamination cell count as well as a larger diversity of microbes in the contamination than most accidental contaminations.