Is my kolsch infected?

[Southern_Junior]

I’ve never seen something like this before. This was a kolsch. It was cold fermented at 54 and been lagering around 40 for two weeks. And then crashed to 34 for a week. I tasted the beer and the small(2 tablespoonish) amount tasted fine. But I’m super paranoid about an infection. Thoughts?

 

[m1k3]

looks bad to me... i've never had anything like that.
I'd be willing to smell / taste it.

If you keg, I'd do that.
If you bottle, not sure if you might have problems.

I wish you luck.

 

[rhys333]

It's hard to tell from those pictures. Have you poked it to see if it acts like yeast or is it all snotty and gross? If it acts like yeast and the beer tasted good, drink it.

 

[Southern_Junior]

It's hard to tell from those pictures. Have you poked it to see if it acts like yeast or is it all snotty and gross? If it acts like yeast and the beer tasted good, drink it.

What does acting like yeast mean? I already dumped it. It’s kegged and carbonating. I’ll taste it in a couple days I guess.

 

[Sammy86]

Looks pretty normal to me...no sign of pellicle there if that's what you're worried about...just looks like the yeast settled weirdly into the bottom of your fermenter.

taste and report back!

 

[Jag75]

What type of yeast ?

 

[Southern_Junior]

What type of yeast ?

WLP029

 

[Jag75]

WLP029

The info on this yeast says doesnt perform well below 62f .

 

[Southern_Junior]

The info on this yeast says doesnt perform well below 62f .

Recipe author had good success in the mid 50’s. Would a cold fermentation have created this weird sediment?

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Looks like yeast to me. Bad things are black or pink (ah, let me edit my post in today's PC world. Bad infections are black or pink). I honestly believe you are OK.

 

[Jag75]

Recipe author had good success in the mid 50’s. Would a cold fermentation have created this weird sediment?

I couldnt say . I've never used this yeast before , but I always stay with the preferred info of a particular yeast .

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I do know Wyeast 1968 clumps very similar. (Class, can we say "Yeast turds?")

 

[rhys333]

What does acting like yeast mean? I already dumped it. It’s kegged and carbonating. I’ll taste it in a couple days I guess.

I mean when you swirl it around, is it a loose slurry like you would expect with yeast? If so, it could just be that it looks funny after extended lagering.

EDIT: looks funny, rather. Not fully.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, I don't see anything worrisome in the pictures, but I am left wondering if that beer was packaged before the krausen actually dropped...

Cheers!

 

[BrotherDave]

I agree with the others - it 'looks' ok and is probably just a yeast growth that clumped.

What did it smell like? If it smelled/tasted ok I'd say you're good...

 

[Southern_Junior]

fwiw, I don't see anything worrisome in the pictures, but I am left wondering if that beer was packaged before the krausen actually dropped...

Cheers!

I am starting to question the same. I dumped trub and yeast three times. It started pouring clear from the dump valve. When I kegged, it pulled very clear till the very end. Then I saw this when I was cleaning up. Never seen this before.

 

[Vale71]

Very flocculent top-cropping yeasts can form a "yeast mat" that will float on top because it's full of empty spaces left behind by trapped CO2, sort of like a "floating sponge" if you will. I've seen it in cylindrical fermenters but never in conicals.

 

[dwhite60]

Looks like it might be some coagulated protein too.