Infection or just a poor brew??

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Paddington
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Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Paddington » Sat Jun 23, 2018 11:30 pm

I recently brewed a Punk IPA clone using the Brewdog recipe. It's cloudier than any brew I've made up to now (they've all been pretty crystal clear other than my wheat beers) which I initially put down to the high level of dry hopping and using a US yeast. However, I'm sure they're getting a bit fizzier and they're just slightly the sour side of bitter. I don't recall any mishaps or mistakes in my sanitisation routine and it was one of the very few brews I've used a dry yeast on (US05), so the slight increased likelihood of infection from making multi level starters was absent.

From those who have had infections or just know more than me, does this sound like an infection or just not a very good brew?

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by orlando » Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:37 am

Points to an infection. Haze can be down to process but your description suggests a microbiological origin. Becoming fizzier can be down to packaging too early or a wild yeast infection. The sourness suggests the latter.
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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Paddington » Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:08 am

I was suspecting wild yeast. It’s just about drinkable... isn’t Brett the most common wild yeast infection? If so I’ll just say it’s intentional.

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by orlando » Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:42 am

Lactobacillus is favourite. It produces sourness and haze and lives on malt. Everytime a cloud of malt dust goes into the air it "rains" lactobacillus. Just call it Belgian, they seem to get away with it.
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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Jim » Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:43 am

Isn't US 05 a poor flocculator? Maybe that's the reason for the haze.

It does sound as if you have an infection as well, sadly. :(
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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Paddington » Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:53 am

Yes, I was hoping it was the yeast and dry hops but the fizziness made me think yeast infection. I was paranoid about infection before, even though I’d never had one (despite a few heat of war mistakes), I’ll be even worse now.

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Robwalkeragain » Sun Jun 24, 2018 9:27 am

I never have any issues getting clarity out of us-05, in fact it's one of the reasons I use it. Does sound infected - sourness doesn't have many sources unless your water chemistry is way off which would also account for cloudiness.

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by bevan100 » Tue Jun 26, 2018 4:43 pm

Infection just thrown 22 litres away for the same problem

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Paddington » Tue Jun 26, 2018 6:38 pm

You see, that’s why I was unsure if it’s infected, it’s not so bad I’d throw it away.

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Robwalkeragain » Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:41 am

If you don't dry hop heavily usually, it can drop the pH a few points so might feel more acidic. Always hard to say without brewing water modification, but if it's manky it'll probably come through in a few weeks.

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Paddington » Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:22 am

Rob, manky... is that a Midlands term? I’m from your neck of the woods originally and still have family over your way. Didn’t you do a Keystone Brew a few years ago?

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Jocky » Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:29 am

I'd vote for a low level lactobacillus infection.
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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Robwalkeragain » Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:31 pm

Paddington wrote:
Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:22 am
Rob, manky... is that a Midlands term? I’m from your neck of the woods originally and still have family over your way. Didn’t you do a Keystone Brew a few years ago?
Hahah, must be, like Gambole!

That's the other Weatheroak... we're Weatheroak Hill. They moved out and this started up in the same building to supply the pub. Confusing eh!

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Paddington » Thu Jun 28, 2018 4:05 pm

Robwalkeragain wrote:
Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:31 pm
Paddington wrote:
Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:22 am
Rob, manky... is that a Midlands term? I’m from your neck of the woods originally and still have family over your way. Didn’t you do a Keystone Brew a few years ago?
Hahah, must be, like Gambole!

That's the other Weatheroak... we're Weatheroak Hill. They moved out and this started up in the same building to supply the pub. Confusing eh!
yes, that clears it up nicely...

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Re: Infection or just a poor brew??

Post by Paddington » Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:45 am

Robwalkeragain wrote:
Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:41 am
If you don't dry hop heavily usually, it can drop the pH a few points so might feel more acidic. Always hard to say without brewing water modification, but if it's manky it'll probably come through in a few weeks.
Well, Rob, I’ve been drinking these pretty quickly expecting the infection to get worse but after a week off, they’re a touch clearer. I shared a few out at a barbecue and there were no complaints. Which means that now they’re improving, I’ve only got two left.

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