Infection In Bottles

[Braumoasta]

A couple of days ago I picked up a warm bottle of my Irish stout and noticed two small white circles floating on the surface of the beer inside the bottle. These white circles were alos present in most of the other bottles, some also having a rough looking substance (what looked like yeast sediment) on the sides of the bottle. I thought oh crap, my first infection, and quickly just chucked them in the fridge to hopefully reduce the pressure so they could be opened and emptied. Upon opening the first bottle yesterday, I noticed that the beer smelled fine and was not over carbonated, I poured it into a glass and it tasted fine. Today I opened one of the bottles with the sediment on the sides. This beer was more carbonated than the others, but due to me deliberatley undercarbing the bottles, it was not overcarbed. This beer had less body, but also tasted fine. My question is are these still safe to drink?? I'm almost certain it is an infection as it has increased the carbonation levels of the beer (which has been bottled for 3 months), and certainly looks like nothing I've seen in my beer before.

 

[kelbygreen]

is the white stuff like mould? also the bottle with stuff on the side was it stored on its side or upright?

 

[kaspa07]

If it still tastes ok I would get some mates over and drink it quick, not sure might be ok but then again could go bad. Drink it before it does.. :beer:
I might be wrong but thats what I would do..

 

[Braumoasta]

is the white stuff like mould? also the bottle with stuff on the side was it stored on its side or upright?

The white stuff is hard to describe, I'll try and take a picture. As for the stuff on the side, no the bottles are always stored upright, and I have noticed that it is only on the side of PET bottles, not glass.

 

[MaltyHops]

The white stuff is hard to describe, I'll try and take a picture. As for the stuff on the side, no the bottles are always stored upright, and I have noticed that it is only on the side of PET bottles, not glass.

Any resemblance to those shown below? (from this post). Haven't checked
or tasted mine (with these flecks) recently but a little shaking and they
seem to dissipate - and didn't taste off.

Also found an old post Bottle Infection, with photos - hope yours aren't
as bad.

T.

 

[Braumoasta]

Ok the white stuff is very difficult to take a picture of. It is too small to see any real detail, so I guess it doesn't look like mould, just small thin white disks.
I did manage to get a picture of the stuff on the side of the bottles though:

 

[Braumoasta]

Any resemblance to those shown below? (from this post). Haven't checked
or tasted mine (with these flecks) recently but a little shaking and they
seem to dissipate - and didn't taste off.

Also found an old post Bottle Infection, with photos - hope yours aren't
as bad.

T.

Yes, the floating flecks look very similar to those in the picture you have posted. They also dissipate quite easily.
Thanks for the link, but thankfully mine looks nothing like the pictures in that thread!

 

[govorko1974]

Looks very similar to what my pet bottles look like when i store them at room temp. As i live in the tropics i only store at room temp over the winter and first time i noticed this was a bit concerned to as it was on the sides of the bottles. after putting bottles in fridge for a couple of weeks all "floaties" sank to bottom and brew is clear as normal. I think it may just be sediment that sticks to side of bottle or is still floating around. put them in the fridge for a week or so and it will probably clear up

 

[waggastew]

Just discovered a similar problem in a batch of CPA that's been in the bottle for about 4 weeks. Little round 'dots' clinging to the side of the bottle and floating about. Similar to pic at bottom of this thread:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=47055

It was my first time using harvested yeast from CPA and it was a bit slow to start. Have a sinking feeling that its lacto and that it, and the two other batches (one just in bottles, the other in the fermentor) that followed it will have the same problem. Have just spent an hour carefully examining a few previous batches as well, getting paranoid about any floaties etc.

If its lacto I guess I am looking down the barrel of a new fermentor, spoon, bottling wand......................and 12 cases of PET's? From what I have read its not worth trying to sanitize PET after an infection. I REALLY don't want to switch to glass (or kegs) due to weight, fragility etc.

Dodgy batch is in quarantine, will wait a few weeks and then have another look. Holding my breath with the two newer batches.

How to go from happy to very sad in one batch of beer!

Stew

 

[Ryan WABC]

I've had the little specs on the sides of the bottles a few times. Never had one of them taste off. I'm pretty sure it's just sediment sticking to the side of the bottle.