Infection?

[ade1865]

I brewed a Hop Back Mild, it went from 1034 to 1005 with SO4. I racked it today and theres more than usually amount of what i presume to be clumps of yeast floating in suspension. Quite a lot of it will have gone into the FV. The smell from the yeast sludge left in the keg was quite unpleasant, but the beer didn't taste too bad, if very cloudy. Anyway I will keep tabs on it, but I wondered if these were the symptoms of an infection? My other beer, started at just about the same time with so4 has only gone down to 1010 and i already pretty clear.

[Whorst]

Infections are simple to diagnose. Taste your beer. If it tastes good, you shouldn't have a problem. The first beer I brewed at my new place was infected. In brewers circles it's called "ropey". I took a hydrometer sample and there was goo dripping off my hydrometer. Beer tasted like metal. That Whitbread strain you're using drops out pretty quick, so your beer should have some clarity to it.

[Buzz]

Dito what Whorst said, you'll be able to taste it. I've also had one that had a white scum on the surface that got worse with time. Again, it tasted badly wrong. You'll know.

[Gurgeh]

smells detected from a few hours to a few weeks are often pretty worrying. seldom actually symptomatic of a problem however. don't worry

[ade1865]

Cheers for the advice lads. I've put the keg in the shed, hoping that the cold will help it clear. I shall keep you posted.

[yashicamat]

If it makes you feel any better, I just took an SG reading on my honey porter which has been in the FV for a week. I used Nottingham and since it's died down (last 3 days or so) there have been strange lumps of yeasty looking substance floating about in it. However, it tastes fantastic!

You've done the right thing by popping it into the shed. Leave it for a couple of weeks before revisiting it. There seem to be countless stories on here of how a beer that was almost undrinkable turned into nectar after x weeks in the keg.