Funny stuff at top of bottle

[Davo74]

Hi everyone
I've been brewing for about a year now and in the last few batches i have encountered something i haven't before.
A milky substance on the top of the beer in the bottle. It does have a bubble in it sometimes.
It smells and tastes fine. The beer that is!
Any ideas?
Trying to upload pic but it says the file is too big.

 

[Kingy]

What do you clean/sanitize with? Is it liquid or look like skin?

 

[MartinOC]

My friend, you have what is parochially known as a "Ring of Confidence" ('though I wouldn't be too confident that your beers aren't infected).

You say that it's been apparent in the last few batches - chances are you've either got a problem in your fermenter or problems in your bottles (or both).

Both can usually be fixed with a strict cleaning & sanitation regime & being really careful with all transfers (& EVERYTHING that comes in contact with your fermented beer). The ones you have, I'd suggest drinking quickly before they go any further.

Take a step-back & thoroughly clean & sanitise everything you have/use before brewing again, then start afresh.

 

[waggastew]

Sometimes I get a 'krausen' ring at the topic my PET bottles if they sit somewhere very still while carbonating. Can't say it looks milky....

 

[Davo74]

Waggastew, if I knew how to upload a pic I would. Apparantly my pic is to big!
Thanks Martin and Kingy. I was washing the bottles at the start of the washing up and rinsing thouroughly. I thought this may have been the problem. So I cleaned with sodium metabisulphite thinking it was a heavy duty cleaner. Since found out its a heavy duty steriliser!
I have cleaned the fermenters with this batch and will clean the bottles with good cleaner prior to bottling. The thing that I find really annoying is rinsing them after cleaning them! Being on tank water doesn't help either with that!

 

[Grott]

I have cleaned the fermenters with this batch and will clean the bottles with good cleaner prior to bottling. The thing that I find really annoying is rinsing them after cleaning them! Being on tank water doesn't help either with that!

Hi, you need to use a steriliser after cleaning before bottling and use a non rinse like StarSan. Remember if you rinse after sterilising your sanitisation imo will only be as good as the water you used.
Cheers

 

[SBOB]

Waggastew, if I knew how to upload a pic I would. Apparantly my pic is to big!

If you cant work it out, you can use sites like http://tinypic.com/ to upload it and it will give you a link you can share
e.g. i just uploaded this and it gives you a link : http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=1gj84&s=9
(plenty of other similar sites, but tinypic is one that doesnt require any signup/user account)

 

[Mikeyr]

Sometimes I get a 'krausen' ring at the topic my PET bottles if they sit somewhere very still while carbonating. Can't say it looks milky....

Ditto, i get it more when it's really warm or have a "thicker" brew. I.e. higher mash temp unfermentables. (Definitely not infection in my case)

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

My hefes always get a little bottle krausen when carbing. What beer/yeast are you using?

 

[Davo74]

Thanks everyone.
Grott, i do sterilise everything i use to ferment and bottle. I use a no rinse steriliser.
SBOB, thanks for that i shall check it out. 2mb seems really small for a pic upload.
Mikeyr, it has been warmer up here so fermenting has been in the high range and so has carbonation. Around the 26 degrees.
Mr No-Tip, i am using just regular brewing packs. It has started in the cerveza though.
Kingy, it looks like skin. When you tip the bottle it breaks up but floats back to the surface.