Infection Photo Thread

[jaypes]

I LOVE this thread!

 

[botch]

Hi,

Have an infection problem.

I ditched my old fermenter (was looking bit scabby and was a few years old) and I bought a couple of cheap bunnings fermenters.

I also decided as I'm fermenting in a clean fridge to give the 'glad wrap lid' a go as the Bunnings water cylinders come with a fully enclosed lid.

First brew, all good.

Second brew, infection. Threw the fermenter out and decided I must have done something wrong or not been clean enough,

So brand new fermenter, same beer attempted (extract golden ale with US-05, No dry hopping), same result.

After the first failure I bleached and sanitized my fermenting fridge. I alway's clean it, but I gave it a thorough going over as I thought, using a glad wrap lid somehow it may have been something from inside the fridge.

I pour boiling water and then Star San the tap when I take a reading from it (which was twice only on both brews).

Both seemed to ferment fine, then on day 10 (11 with first brew) I go to take a second reading and it's happened. First samples tasted for hydro reading on day 7 for both brews tasted fine and both were at 1012 (Started at 1046).

Has a real thin sweet twangy cider like taste at the end and no hop flavour.

Suggestions? Ditch the glad wrap lid? Don't use ****** Bunning's fermenters?

Any help appreciated as I'm gutted

Sorry for poor pic quality

 

[TheWiggman]

First things first - are you sure it's an infection? Not doubting you but I've had the cider-like flavours before which have dissapeared later on (or are acetaldehyde from hot ferment temps and don't go away). Sometimes I'll get that flavour midway through a ferment too.
The pics while fuzzy don't scream infection at me.
If you are sanitising properly I wouldn't be blaming the fermenters and/or Bunnings. Are you no-rinsing with StarSan first or just using hot water? You should be StarSan-ing the whole fermenter internals, not just the tap.

 

[soundawake]

Doesn't look infected to me.

 

[sp0rk]

Yeah that looks a whole lot like a krausen to me, perfectly healthy

 

[marksy]

Are you sanitizing the gladwrap?

 

[botch]

Hi fellas,

Im not 100% sure it's an infection. However, it tastes bad......like I described in the first post.

I am starsan-ing the whole fermenter before use. Also sprayed the glad wrap with starsan before I covered the fermenter.

I got rid of the first brew but I have left this one to see what happens......

So maybe there's hope....?

 

[ranks76]

Went to dry hop today and found this on top. Is this normal after fermentation?

 

[Lodan]

Yeah looks normal, leftover yeast floaties after krausen has disippated

 

[luggy]

Bacteria and spores don't have wings but they will float on air currents, I wonder how many infections have been caused by people opening the fermenter to take a photo

 

[ranks76]

Bacteria and spores don't have wings but they will float on air currents, I wonder how many infections have been caused by people opening the fermenter to take a photo

I opened to dry hop not for a photo op.

But anyway I'm happy to hear that looks normal. Never seen it look like that when I've dry hopped in the past.

 

[J'sGarage]

Yeah, tasted fine, and when I went back to look at it just now it looked normal again, so I kegged it.

strange how it changed appearance in the space of an hour....

We'll see.

I opened it to put it to keg, how do you do it? (the 'hour later' was because i was waiting for a reply to this thread)

 

[stevemc32]

I'm usually pretty calm with funky looking **** in the fermenter but this one is something I've not seen the likes of before and a very low FG have made me a bit suspicious.

Here it is after draining to keg and bottles.



Looks like there was some sort of black film on the top of the beer that has broken up as it drained. I didn't look at it prior to filling the keg. I've never seen black before however I did add dark candi syrup to this one half way through ferment. I was expecting an FG of about 1.010 and it's gotten down to 1.004 which makes me think something may have gone astray. No terrible smells and the beer didn't taste disgusting but obviously no where near as sweet as I was hoping for. The yeast was WY3787 Trappist High Gravity and there was not the monster krausen production that I was expecting either after what I thought was a fairly healthy pitch.

Anyone recognise the black stuff, it kind of looks like ash. The keg was destined for a 6 month aging period but if it looks bad I'll get straight onto brewing it again.

 

[tateg]

G'day guys
Just opened up the brew bucket and found the below. Have had it cold crashing for 2 days at 0-1 degree

It is worth mentioning that I forgot the brewbrite in this batch.



Any help would be appreciated

Cheers tate

 

[Camo6]

Looks like yeast from my phone. How's it taste?

 

[tateg]

Looks like yeast from my phone. How's it taste?

Tastes normal, you think that the white oil like substance is normal for us05, looks really cloudy

 

[TheWiggman]

Tastes normal = not garden food. I'm with Camo6, almost certainly just some leftover yeast. It's exactly the same colour as the yeast around the edge of the [fancy stainless] fermenter.
Keg/bottle away.

 

[panzerd18]

Pretty devastated.


I am a complete newbie. My first ever batch I decided to try use the Coopers Lager with the kit I purchased. I decided on getting W34/70 yeast that has a fermentation temp of around 9-14 degrees.

My aim was to let get the fermentation at 10. It has been sitting on 10 for the most part. I only use the heating belt when I am home as I don't trust leaving it running. I came back from work and the temperature of the fermenter was around 8 degrees. Could the cold temp caused the outbreak as the yeast slowed down and other bacteria took over?


Anyway pitched the yeast on Thursday afternoon.

Original specific gravity of 1.033.

Now specific gravity of 1.014.

When I opened the lid for the first time, I got a very strong solvent type smell. Like a strong alcohol smell.

I decided to taste the beer and it tastes horrible. Almost medicine like.

I have attached two pictures. You can see the surface with the camera flash. I have never done this before, so looking for some experts to comment if this situation is normal or not.

 

[panzerd18]

Smells bad, tastes bad, I have dumped it.

 

[luggy]

Looks pretty normal, lager yeasts can throw off some funky smells and flavours that clear up in time, may have been worth hanging onto