Possible Infection

[AFhover08]

Hey guys so I've been using this forum a lot over the past year but i just now signed up for it. I'm hoping someone can help me out here. I racked my coffee stout to secondary on Friday and everything looked good until last night. I looked at it and saw a white film on the top and some gunk around the edge of the top. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if it's an infection. My last batch, a bourbon porter, got infected and turned to vinegar while in secondary. I was so uptight about infection after that, that I made sure to extra sanitize everything. Now to my knowledge the vinegar comes from oxygenation, which this batch has had no exposure to. Just looking for one help.

 

[thadeus_d3]

Looks fine to me, but there is a glare that makes it somewhat hard to tell around the neck of the carboy.

 

[AFhover08]

It's hard to see but under the glare you can see a white film on the top of the beer, but it doesn't cover the whole top just the center area

 

[AFhover08]

Here it is a little more evident in this picture. For all I know, I could be just really uptight after my last batch went sour.

 

[HaDaL]

Sorry!but unfortunately I guess this is the beginning of the formation of mold. Maybe I'm wrong, but there's no reason for such a white film in secondary.I would try to remove it completely from surface of beer by a sanitized spoon or something like that and then I would taste the beer.If It is still good I Will cold crash and bottle immediately and also I would keep this beer cold and drink It as soon as possible.But if beer has strange/bad flavour I would toss it away sanitarily.Given that you've had a infection experiment before, I recommend you clean and then sanitize your entire brewing system as well as your work area Using reliable Cleaners/sanitizers at the correct dilution and proper contact time.

 

[AFhover08]

It's only been in secondary a few days I'd be surprised if mold was growing that quickly. I just tasted it and I think it tastes fine, a little hard to tell. I don't think it's the Acetobacter like I had last time because there isn't a vinegar taste to it. It may have a very slight sour taste but that could just be the coffee I added as well.

 

[AFhover08]

Update: it seemed like whatever it was stopped forming for a few days, however, when I looked in today there were a bunch of small white floating spots. I pulled some beer out and gave it a taste hoping it would be ok. It has a very minor sour smell to it and a little bit of a sour taste. I can't tell how sour it actually is because it may be covered up by the coffee. It doesn't taste bad, just not right for a coffee stout. If this is an infection it is completely different from the one I had last time, unless of course it is just taking a lot longer to progress this time . I just used a little bit of coffee before, so I plan on adding more coffee with hopes of covering up whatever flavors are off.

 

[HaDaL]

Okay, I think I should change my mind! Given the last image, rather than mold It seems to me like a layer of fat/oily substance.When did You rack to secondary?Did You rack when fermentation had been done completely?My other questions; what kind of coffee have You used? how did You prepare It and when did you add It to the beer?

 

[AFhover08]

Fermentation was definitely complete. I cold brewed coffee and then put it in secondary prior to siphoning in the beer.

 

[PrinceOfThePoint]

Dude you suck at taking pictures JK

However from what I can tell it looks fine. You should see if you can a photo that eliminates the glare a bit more so we can really see what's on top.

 

[AFhover08]

Sorry about the photography, it's the fluorescent lights in my bathroom, they cause a nasty glare. I'm going to bottle it today and just hope for the best. Really hoping the sour fades and the addition of extra coffee covers up any residual bits. I think I am just going to thoroughly soak everything I own in bleach before my next batch

 

[GHBWNY]

No experience with this and shooting in the dark, but since coffee is quite oily and the darker the coffee the more oily it is, is it possible that the film on top is an oil slick? Depending on how strong the coffee was you added to the beer and how much, you might have some significant oil in there. I think it would emulsify somewhat when mixed with alcohol, but maybe what has collected on top is trapping some remaining active yeast under it? Don't know. Maybe someone else can chime in. If you can't smell or taste anything totally objectionable, I suspect at this point in time it will be fine. Keep us posted.

 

[beerkench]

looks normal

 

[AFhover08]

Cracked a bottle out of curiosity to see how it is progressing, flavor-wise. Man did it get sour, not sure how because no infection looks to be present

 

[Kahler]

Personally, I'd put the bottles in a box, then in a trash bag and tie it off. If there's an infection you'll likely have bottle bombs.

 

[DiscDoc]

I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion on this. I'm brewing a Lager. This is about my 30th batch and haven't had any infections to date. On this batch I transferred from the fermenter to the kegs and it was clear with a good taste. After the kegs were full I opened the fermenter to find about 15 colonies floating on top. Each was about the size and color of a pea with a small rim of white fuzz. The lager temp was 36 degrees. I don't have picks. What do you think mold or bacteria and is it safe. I tastes great.
Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Yooper]

I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion on this. I'm brewing a Lager. This is about my 30th batch and haven't had any infections to date. On this batch I transferred from the fermenter to the kegs and it was clear with a good taste. After the kegs were full I opened the fermenter to find about 15 colonies floating on top. Each was about the size and color of a pea with a small rim of white fuzz. The lager temp was 36 degrees. I don't have picks. What do you think mold or bacteria and is it safe. I tastes great.
Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

It's hard to say- maybe something was inside the kegs? If it tastes good, go ahead and drink it as whatever it is won't hurt you.