Infection Alert - Should I Chuck It?

[T.D.]

Make sure you say what picture you are referring to. Mould is not bacteria and grows a connected mycelial mat or network of filaments and produces spores. Unless you chop it up or aggressively stir the buggary out of it it will not be throughout the entire beer. A gentle racking will pull the liquid out from under it.

Mycelium is not heat tolerant so if its not a fermented product as mentioned before you can reboil the wort if you are worried as the heat will kill any mycelial cells.

Again if anyone reads a Mycotoxin and Food Safety book you will learn all the moulds (and bacteria, dead insects, mice and vermin, and bits of miscellaneous human body parts -- mistakes happen ) that are in all the breads, processed foods, and canned and fermented products, including commercial beers that you are buying and drinking or eating right now today. I hate to burst anyones bubble but its not a pristine world or pristine environment, these organisms outnumber us greatly and only a few are dangerous in any way.

Again I think you are talking about an Acetobacter picture posted earlier while everyone recently have been talking about a Mould infection. So wires are crossed.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

Yeah I was referring to the topic of this thread - ie acetobacter infection - which I think is what others were referring to re racking from under the scum layer.

 

[Rodolphe01]

Again if anyone reads a Mycotoxin and Food Safety book you will learn all the moulds (and bacteria, dead insects, mice and vermin, and bits of miscellaneous human body parts -- mistakes happen ) that are in all the breads, processed foods, and canned and fermented products, including commercial beers that you are buying and drinking or eating right now today. I hate to burst anyones bubble but its not a pristine world or pristine environment, these organisms outnumber us greatly and only a few are dangerous in any way.

Too true. See this and this for US defect action levels in food, it is American and different to what we have here... But it is pretty sensible in that it realises that the food we eat, despite what a lot of people would seem to think, actually comes from the ground and will always have some level of contamination. I must say though, some of the action levels are pretty high and have a pretty serious yuck factor!

 

[Renegade]

Well whatever was being referrred to, Ive tipped my batch (the acetobacter infection) yesterday afternoon. Gave it some critical tastings, and there was a very pronounced cider/vinegar (cider vinegar!) flavour. No point at all putting this one into bottles (I wasnt brewing cider!)

A very genuine thanks to everyone who provided feedback and determined what the problem is. Let's hope my first infection will be the last one for a while.

 

[T.D.]

Too true. See this and this for US defect action levels in food, it is American and different to what we have here... But it is pretty sensible in that it realises that the food we eat, despite what a lot of people would seem to think, actually comes from the ground and will always have some level of contamination. I must say though, some of the action levels are pretty high and have a pretty serious yuck factor!

And in fact, without these contaminants we would probably be sicker than with them.

 

[T.D.]

Well whatever was being referrred to, Ive tipped my batch (the acetobacter infection) yesterday afternoon. Gave it some critical tastings, and there was a very pronounced cider/vinegar (cider vinegar!) flavour. No point at all putting this one into bottles (I wasnt brewing cider!)

A very genuine thanks to everyone who provided feedback and determined what the problem is. Let's hope my first infection will be the last one for a while.

Sorry to hear it went pear-shaped. This bacteria is often transported by vinegar flies, so if you see any little flies around your brewery that may be the source. A good thorough sterilisation of the fermenter etc and making sure its a closed system (if little flies are floating around) should keep the problem away.

A few years back I had a couple of batches in a row that got infected with acetobacter. Around the same time I often found vinegar flies in my airlock water, so I think that's where the problem came from. Once I got rid of the flies I never had a problem again.