White layer on wort.

[BonBogan]

Hey all,

I recently made a clone of Surly Coffee Bender. After adding coffee beans to the fermenter (which I thought I sanitized well) this white layer appeared. Can anyone tell me what it is? And if it is bad idea to bottle this beer? Thanks in advance for the advice!



-Bogan

 

[djfriesen]

It's infected, though I don't know by what. I would taste it and take a hydrometer reading. If it tastes good, and is at FG, I would bottle it and drink it fast, storing it in a blast-resistant container. If it tastes bad, I'd probably dump it. Although if everything else is OK, you might be able to keep it around for a while and let it sour.

 

[poptarts]

probably want to to bleach bomb everything that touched it, might be worth it to just buy new hoses for your siphon and racking cane etc.

 

[kblankenship11]

Looks like pediococcus to me. I don't toss anything unless it tastes horrible. If you bottle it and let it age out it may turn out okay.

I'd keep everything it touches isolated and if you decide to bottle it dedicate that racking cane and all tubing to sours.

 

[TNGabe]

That is the beginning of a pellicle which can be from any number of bacteria or wild yeasts. It is a bad idea to bottle the beer because it may continue to attenuate once bottled resulting in carbonation beyond what you intended and causing the bottles to explode.

 

[cluckk]

Congratulations. Sometimes infected beers can become quite interesting.

 

[KyGooglenerd]

Take the chance and bottle it. I have in the past and it turned out just fine. Worst thing is you might have to throw it out, but seriously it could be just fine. Sample it and if it seems fine it probably is.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[KyGooglenerd]

Oh and whatever you do...keep the nasty out of the bottling bucket. I take a spoon and just move the crap to the side, stick the siphon in and leave the goop in the fermenter. Give it a shot, you have nothing to loose but a little time.

Sent from a cell phone...please excuse grammer and spellin'

 

[TNGabe]

Take the chance and bottle it. I have in the past and it turned out just fine. Worst thing is you might have to throw it out, but seriously it could be just fine. Sample it and if it seems fine it probably is.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Home Brew mobile app

No, the worst thing would be that bottles explode and send shards of glass all over and potentially into nearby objects.

 

[Jupapabear]

Which sounds exciting... Don't abuse your beer if it is at FG, bottle it.

 

[Calder]

If it tastes fine, bottle it. All infections work slowly, so you will have lots of time to drink it. I wouldn't plan on keeping any for mor than a year.

 

[IL1kebeer]

That is the beginning of a pellicle which can be from any number of bacteria or wild yeasts. It is a bad idea to bottle the beer because it may continue to attenuate once bottled resulting in carbonation beyond what you intended and causing the bottles to explode.

+1

If you aren't kegging then the best and safest advice is to dump your infected beers unless you let them fully attenuate over the span of the better part of a year. Or go ahead and bottle it ASAP and have fun playing roulette with possible bottle bombs. I never was a gambling man myself, but to each his own.

And sorry to say, but an unintentional sour probably won't come out good if you let it finish out anyway.

 

[IL1kebeer]

If it tastes fine, bottle it. All infections work slowly, so you will have lots of time to drink it. I wouldn't plan on keeping any for mor than a year.

Not true, not ALL infections work slow. A Berliner Weisse is soured with lacto and can be finished within 2-3 months when bottled and probably closer to 2 months when kegged. On the other hand, refrigeration helps retard the process but bottle bombs can possibly kill someone so it's really not too safe any way you cut it.

 

[HoppyDaze]

No, the worst thing would be that bottles explode and send shards of glass all over and potentially into nearby objects.

Pasteurizing would cure that risk

 

[jonmohno]

Bottleing infected batches is risky. That said Ive never dumped a suspisous batch either but I wouldn't recommend it either, its a risk. My experience is to keep it cool and pull a bottle every week to check on carbonation. You don't want them to start overcarbing. Or tasteing bad either. It seems to me infections like a lot of yeast generally work faster in warmer enviornments. And Im wondering if some just stall or die out with lack of oxygen in the bottle. And they definatley work slower in colder temps I think it has a lot to do with the oxygen in that headspace/ opening the bucket too much.

Best thing to do if you keep it is carb it then lager it right away after carbonation is to your preference, but carefully doing so by checking your bottles semi weekly assuming your not carbing much over 70 deg. I would stick with mid sixties to carb up to room temp.

 

[IL1kebeer]

Bottleing infected batches is risky. My experience is to keep it cool and pull a bottle every week to check on carbonation. You don't want them to start overcarbing. Or tasteing bad either. It seems to me infections like a lot of yeast generally work faster in warmer enviornments. And Im wondering if some just stall or die out with lack of oxygen in the bottle. I think it has a lot to do with the oxygen in that headspace/ opening the bucket too much.

IIRC Lacto, Pedro, and Brett can all work without oxygen. Aceto will not work without oxygen

 

[shortyz]

if it starts tasting bad just say its a lambic, thats what most do. (lol btw i hate lambics)

 

[Queequeg]

Get some plastic bottles and underprime.

 

[Calder]

Not true, not ALL infections work slow. A Berliner Weisse is soured with lacto and can be finished within 2-3 months when bottled and probably closer to 2 months when kegged. On the other hand, refrigeration helps retard the process but bottle bombs can possibly kill someone so it's really not too safe any way you cut it.

You take a long time to make yours. I bottle and am usually drinking mine in 5 weeks.

The thing with a fast Berliner is that the lacto is allowed to build up its population before any alcohol is present. I sour mine before adding any yeast. Lacto works slowly in the presence of alcohol, and usually doesn't like hops. Lacto, brett, and pedio all work slowly when introduced to a fermented beer.