Bad Brew

[IMPorted]

I was suspicious of my airlock never putting out a single bubble.
Read through the forums here and decided that my new wort must not be airtight.
It`s been 8 days now and I was thinking I might transfer brew to another container for a few days to decrease sediment.
When I unscrewed the lid out come this pungent vinegary smell, I assume this is no good and my brew is cactus. There are a few small clumps of what probably are yeast sticking together. The top has some small bubbles but zero froth as it had last week.
Do I just turf this brew in the garden or is it salvageable?

 

[warra48]

Any chance of a photo? It is fairly normal to have clumps floating on top of the brew in the fermenter. It is usually bits of hops and other crud and yeast etc.
Have you taken a sample and tasted it? If so, can you describe it for us?

Don't assume it is necessarily lost at all.

 

[Adamt]

Sounds like an acetobacter infection... do a taste but unfortunately it's most likely a turfer.

Make sure your sanitiation practices are up to scratch... Check every crevice (especially the tap), take out O-rings, etc.

 

[IMPorted]

Any chance of a photo? It is fairly normal to have clumps floating on top of the brew in the fermenter. It is usually bits of hops and other crud and yeast etc.
Have you taken a sample and tasted it? If so, can you describe it for us?

Don't assume it is necessarily lost at all.

Actually tastes like a flat beer and the smell is like beer in the small quantity I poured off to taste.
Also my sanitation efforts are very particular down to the tiniest piece of equipment.
Made with standard Cooper lager kit and their brewing sugar with supplied yeast.
My first go with a farmland lager went well, even used a square 25ltr water drum as a wort also with that.

Maybe it is a keeper?

 

[Boozy the clown]

I've read here that the new coopers euro lager gives off a real rotten egg stink, the recommened not drinking for XX weeks. (can't remember how many but much more than their other tins)

Maybe your fermenter wasnt airtight so no bubbles but doesn't automatically mean nasties have got in.

Looks like beer, tastes like flat beer... Keep it I reckon.

 

[IMPorted]

Yeah I will keep it. The fermenter is brand new, first brew is this one.
I`ll bottler her up and stash it somewhere I`m likely to forget and when I stumble across it in months to come I`ll probably be glad I did. Either that or get ill from drinking crap.
Thanks for the tips all

 

[The Big Burper]

hello dere,

That looks like a normal brew to me.

If it looks like beer and tastes like beer, it is beer.
Bottle it, put the date on the top, leave it 6 weeks, fridge it then get stuck into it

The vinegar bacteria wold have a white film on top and a nasty smell. This has neither, so it ain't infected.

Dave

 

[warra48]

Looks good to go to me.
Good luck, and enjoy!

 

[KGB]

If ever you're unsure, bottle it anyway then just wait and see. I remember tipping out one of my earlier brews and looking back there is a good chance there was nothing wrong.