is this an infection or just a by product of numerous adjuncts?..

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

this is is the secondary of one of Sully's Choc Choc stout's i brewed up in december, wondering if this 'film' of fluffy and creamy looking gunk is just the result of the huge additive bill (syrups, chocolate, cocoa, etc.) or a suspected Aceto infection? it formed after i racked to secondary and well after the krausen had setlled... it smell almost like it should aside from a slight sick taste, but fermentation doesnt always look, or smell, the best as we'd all know...

if someone more knowledgable than i can shed light id appreciate it! if it means anything, i missed target Og by nearly 20 points so alcohol would of been a little low (maybe 3%?) and therefore not as threatening to unwanted nasties.

closeup:

 

[timmi9191]

Have u tasted a sample?

 

[black_labb]

looks like it could be a top cropping yeast, but that shouldn't be forming like that after fermentation.

Botulism?

 

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

i have tasted a sample... so now a little scared about the botulism bit haha
tasted relatively fine, some off flavbours but wouldnt say sour milk-ish or vinegar-y

 

[O'Henry]

Looks aceto, sounds like it too from the sick taste, which aceto can present as.

 

[TimT]

Looks very pretty....

 

[TimT]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if it *is* aceto, will it make much of a difference to a homebrew? How long does the beer-to-vinegar conversion take?

I've had infections in a few of my brews - pretty much due to my lackadaisical sterilising approach - and often if you drink fresh, within a few weeks, it won't matter.

Also curious about whether botulism would happen in beer *at all* - from Wikipedia:

'botulism is uncommon because special, rarely obtained conditions are necessary for botulinum toxin production from C. botulinum spores, including an anaerobic, low-salt, low-acid, low-sugar environment at ambient temperatures.[9]''

So, beer can be acidic but it's certainly not a 'low-sugar' environment. Anaerobic means 'without oxygen', which is not a problem your beer would have, no? (But as I said at the start - correct me if I'm wrong!)

 

[warra48]

Doesn't look like an acetobacter infection to me. I was under the impression it left a white sheet like deposit on top of the beer?

Looks more like a stubborn top cropping yeast which wont settle, unless it is a sort of infection I haven't had the displeasure of dealing with in my brewery.

Happy to be proved wrong.

Is there anything resembling this in the Show us your infection thread?

 

[Yob]

that's >THIS THREAD<

 

[manticle]

I had what i thought was a white skin infection in a choc porter I made - turned out it was actually cocoa fat.

The botulism thing is a joke - don't worry about that. If you can bring yourself to try a bit of the actual white stuff- see if it resembles copha (that stuff you use in chocolate crackles) or rub some on brown paper and see if you get a translucent spot.

 

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

thanks for all the insight fellas!

already looked at that pinned thread to avoid posting already answered questions but no one could confirm whether or not the images like mine above were in fact Aceto infections or not.

after a quick Google, all fears of botulism were quickly eliminated anyway haha

I had what i thought was a white skin infection in a choc porter I made - turned out it was actually cocoa fat.

did your white skin look much like mine? sounds logical but the convoluted brain-like shape of the surface makes it look much more like a growth

 

[manticle]

Can't remember. I freaked out and reboiled and recubed the lot.

Yours does look cellular but try the brown paper trick.