Anyone seen this infection before?

[CaptainBuckfast]

I'm pretty sure this is an infection, and I've got ideas of how it got in there (so I'm not too bothered about it), but before I throw it all away has anyone seen this one before?

In 72 hours it hasn't dropped any points at all and there is no bubbling... yet, it still has this massive crop of s**t all over the top. Wierd?


In case it's of any use it was the Lucky 7 recipe, using WLP002.

Thanks, Eddie

[J_P]

Don't chuck it away it looks like break material floating on top. It's perfectly normal

Did you make a starter with your yeast?

[Capped]

I pulled an awful lot of trub thru to the FV on my last brew,and when fermentation started it looked exactly like that as all the dross got carried to the top. In fact,many of my brews look similar during the first 24 hours or so of fermentation and they turn out fine! Are you really sure something's wrong?

[CaptainBuckfast]

Thanks, point taken,
but it is wierd that it hasn't dropped at all, and still no bubbling, and it does seem to have a thick viscous taste that I haven't preveously encountered.
I have started using protafloc, which I understand other people have found will clumb together any remaining break material in the fv... is this true?
Thanks again, Ed.

ps: I am quite surprised that I've got (or may have got) an infection, 'cos I haven't had one before and I am pretty strict about cleansing... the only difference this time was the use of Iopdophor (at 0.6ml per litre) as a no rinse santiser in the fv. Previous to this I've been using mild bleach, and LOTS of rinsing.

[Capped]

If it's troubling you,I'd skim off what you can then give it a rouse. Bet it's alright twenty four hours hence!

[CaptainBuckfast]

Did you make a starter with your yeast?

I did make a starter, but much later than usual and it hadn't started working by the time I needed it so in it went.

After 30 hours or so nothing was happening still so I threw in another one of my WLP002s for good measure, this was split from a whitelabs vial a few months ago.

[J_P]

Did you make a starter with your yeast?

I did make a starter, but much later than usual and it hadn't started working by the time I needed it so in it went.

After 30 hours or so nothing was happening still so I threw in another one of my WLP002s for good measure, this was split from a whitelabs vial a few months ago.

There's your problem! What you're seeing is the trub being lifted to the surface by fermentation, normally this happens quite soon after you've pitched your yeast, however because you've underpitched its taken the yeast longer to reproduce and get to work on your wort.

[CaptainBuckfast]

Ok, just had another look/taste.
This is definately not right.

1) Still no bubbling through the air-lock
2) It has a very strange taste/smell (please don't get get me to try and describe it, 'cos I'm useless at it!.. it is just really not right)
3) It has only dropped 1 point (from 1.045) dispite all of the activity, and today is day 4.
4) When I take a sample to check gravity etc it is much more lively (ie. foamy) than I'd expect, even on day 4. It pours almost like a carbonated beer.

It is strange though, 'cos as people have said it just looks like trub being lifted by the yeast - except the yeast doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Has anyone seen anything like this before?

Eddie.

[WishboneBrewery]

In 72 hours it hasn't dropped any points at all and there is no bubbling... yet, it still has this massive crop of s**t all over the top. Wierd?

Such eloquent words

[Philipek]

I had something similar - gunk on top and floating around in the beer. The smell coming out of the airlock was terrible. I was so glum, I thought it was an infection and I'd have to ditch it, but rather than doing anything rash, I let it be and ferment out. Then the few hydrometer samples I had tasted fine. I went ahead and bottled it and had a half pint and it tasted fine. We'll see in a few weeks time if it still tastes fine.

I was wondering if it was break material, but I've never had it before. If it is an infection then it hasn't affected the taste.

The difference between my experience and yours is that I had very little lag time, but the fact is that, if the beer is carbonated, it means that the yeast is doing something. It might not be the yeast you pitched, but something is definitely producing gas which would lift break material to the top, if that's what it is.

[De-Geert]

Your beer is obviously fermenting, even if it is an infection.
If the airlock is not bubbling, the vessel may not be airtight (not that uncommon).

I would take a look at my hydrometer/ the way you take the samples. Did you take enough wort to take the reading, is the hydrometer floating?

Besides; make sure that you get rid of the CO2 before you take a reading.

[Scooby]

Your beer is obviously fermenting, even if it is an infection.
If the airlock is not bubbling, the vessel may not be airtight (not that uncommon).

I would take a look at my hydrometer/ the way you take the samples. Did you take enough wort to take the reading, is the hydrometer floating?

Besides; make sure that you get rid of the CO2 before you take a reading.

All good points. From the pic I'd say that was perfectly normal and not infected at all, the lack of airlock activity etc could be as above.


Sometimes the the smell and taste in the early stages can be off putting but I'd hang in there awhile yet

[Eric]

It seems you're looking for trouble that in all probability doesn't exist.
The yeast will first use the oxygen in the wort to grow (multiply). [Aerobic]
When the oxygen is exhausted it will convert sugars into alcohol and produce the large volumes of CO2 you expect. [Anaerobic]
During this second stage the gravity will drop as the sugar solution is replaced by the lighter alcohol.
Might I suggest you stop tasting it. It isn't beer yet and you could introduce and infection.
It think you should be patting yourself on the back.