How do I know if I have an infected batch?

[JayM72]

I've got 2 brews on the go at the moment (both Brupaks kits) which have taken ages (talking
5 weeks to get down to a suitable FG). The trouble is I went away at Christmas and when I've returned there has been an opaque film on top of one and on the other the same with the addition of big white bits(!). Both smell a little sour, although when I tasted one last night there wasn't a noticeably sour taste. How can I tell if everything is OK rather than spend a considerable amount of time sanitising, bottling and conditioning?

Thanks once again
Jason

[Hoodlum]

5 weeks in the FV? You're asking for trouble.....

Get it out of there and into whatever you use to condition it in - bottles, cask etc.

You'll know if it's off as it will taste like it and possibly be cloudy too. The smell could be from around the top of where the yeast head has been - my extract brews almost always get this "off" smell but are fine when casked.

WIthout being rude, have a look over some of the posts in the kit brewing forum for some sound advice on the brewing process this will help keep you on the straight and narrow and put your mind at rest on all the issues that home brewers will face.

Hope that helps!

[EoinMag]

5 weeks is not an issue in the fermenter if the procedure followed was sterile. I've had many beers that long in the primary with no issues at all. Any issues there have been have been unrelated to the time in the FV. If you have an infection then you'll have it after a week too, it'll just show in bottles, rather than with a pellicle (opaque film)in the FV. Sometimes this pellicle is just hop oils collecting along with other material, other times it is indicative of a lacto or other infection, no way to know really until you taste it, if it's sour that's normally a bad sign but not every infection will taste bad and the beer can be drinkable with a bit of conditioning time.

[mr_jolly]

I'd agree with the other replies.

In addition, the white bits floating in one of your FV's are probably just lumps of yeast that haven't sunk to the bottom yet. If the beer tastes OK (or even like a poor quality beer, but not off) then it should be fine - it probably just needs a while to condition in the bottle/keg.

The second brew I ever did tasted quite poor when I sampled it from the fermenter and I was convinced it was all for the sewer. I put it in the keg anyway with some conditioning sugar and two weeks later it had transformed into a really good beer. I quickly learnt that unless the beer tastes *really really really* off or has obvious smells of TCP or skunk then it's a good idea to be optimistic and keg/bottle it anyway.

[podge1]

Was the beer kept in too warm temperatures, the reason i ask is my coopers bitter went the same way with the white floaty bits and tasted poo. I know mine was fermented to warm and as this is the only thing that ive done different im tending to put the blame down to this rather than an infection or causing the infection. Dont know about yours but put mine in the barrell two weeks ago and tasted sour and undrinkable when tried. Going to chuck it soon and get barrel back to good use with a mutch better eye on temperatures.

[EoinMag]

Was the beer kept in too warm temperatures, the reason i ask is my coopers bitter went the same way with the white floaty bits and tasted poo. I know mine was fermented to warm and as this is the only thing that ive done different im tending to put the blame down to this rather than an infection or causing the infection. Dont know about yours but put mine in the barrell two weeks ago and tasted sour and undrinkable when tried. Going to chuck it soon and get barrel back to good use with a mutch better eye on temperatures.

Sour sounds infected, too hot will taste like bananas or like cloves, or like both, kinda spicey and fruity at the same time, not sour.