Infected Brew?

[Sammus]

howdy, I'm sure this has probably been answered somewhere before but its such a broad topic search turned up way to many threads to sift through!
Anyhow, I put down a brew on the weekend and there was no end of shit going wrong - to the point where I was much surprised that it actually started fermenting - moreover, it smells sweet as!

Now for the first time ever I've noticed lots of green spots on the krausen looks like somethin floating - I would attach a pic but I accidently packed the cord to hook my phone to the computer in all my moving hecticity (thats a word I'm sure of it :unsure: ) - anyway, according to howtobrew thats normally fine and its just hop residue and such - its pale green kinda like grass or something and looks a little slimey - more solid than the krausen anywho - is there any cause of alarm? It smells great fermenting, sitting at about 17C...

Sammus

 

[Fents]

Sounds fine to me. Did u hop it up before it went in the fermenter? And if so was it just put in with the wort in fermenter. Im no expert but i'd say its fine.

 

[Adamt]

....according to howtobrew thats normally fine....

....It smells great fermenting, sitting at about 17C....

Sammus

Palmer knows more than most of us!

 

[Sammus]

Only hops added were during the boil.

Yeah I was basically going off palmer unless I got a response something like "PALE green you say? oh no! quick call the emergency biohazard/infectious waste disposal team, I'll let an ambulance know what happened, remember, keep breathing, stay awake! dont smell anymore of those decievingly sweet gasses!" - just double checking basically

 

[Jazzafish]

Infections usually smell taste bad/wrong.

How does it taste and smell?

 

[Sammus]

Infections usually smell taste bad/wrong.

How does it taste and smell?

smells really sweet - havent tasted it yet

 

[Weizguy]

Well, taste the wort, dammit!

Oh, and Sammus, when U find it tastes OK, we will require a finished sample to be delivered to the lhbs.

Is it a lager or ale? What yeast? Is 17C the opto temp for the yeast?

tired/bent/spent
Seth

 

[Mackers]

Sounds like hop residue being thrown up during fermentation. I've had two infections, many years ago, and both of those were white, cobwebby looking things!

 

[Sloth]

What type of beer is it? You mentioned the only hops you used were in the boil. How do you do your boil and how do you collect the clear wort?

Sloth.

 

[Screwtop]

If it smells sweet and a little Vegemitey it may be infected, but some yeasts can smell like that particularly Belgian strains. The white cobwebby type of infection is usually associated with spoilage organisms due to oxidisation and come after fermentation has ceased or near enough to.

 

[Sammus]

It was a theakstons clone from gumps, done with 1084, still going strong, stupid weather, its been at about 19C for a while now, should still be good (if no infections ), will have to wait and see. Itll be interesting on how this kit turns out, what with boiling the grain being an instruction and all - it went against what I would think is best but all the malt was together in a big bag so I just did what it said - plenty of people have success with them.
Seth: Keith seemed interested on how it would turn out, so if it does work ill probably bring one or 2 in, and your in the shop at the same time, u will get to try it! its no wheat beer though

Sam

 

[Sammus]

Can infection change the final colour of the beer?
My theakstons clone started black and ended up muddy brown - I thought maybe I forgot to stir in the malt extract goo (i've made that mistake before...)

but I just pitched a 2can Coles lager/coopers dark ale onto that yeast cake (that was very black - and very dissolved and stirred through) and now after about 5 hours and some suspect fermentation activity (read here) I went to take a gravity reading and it too is a muddy brown...What the?