Is this beer gone?

[Moad]

I recently brewed up a P.A with plenty of dry hops and fermented using US-05, one fermenter was pretty warm the whole ferment (around 28) as I can only fit one in temp control.

The hot one tasted a little bitter but didnt smell bad or anything after finishing the ferment.

I blended the two into a keg one the weekend and put the remaining half of both into a secondary fermenter as I don't have enough bottles.

Stupidly I left the lid off the secondary overnight (was half cut) and a few days later it smells strong of nail polish remover. Bit of a white film on top but not clumps or mould or anything, does it sound infected?

I will have a taste tonight but if it tastes bad is it recoverable or should I tip it? If it tastes ok am I better to keg and drink asap or will bottle conditioning clean it up if it is esters?

It is the first time I have had this smell and it is noticably solvent/nail polish but it wasn't like this prior to the secondary. I thought those smells were esters from hot ferment.

Cheers.

 

[Goldenchild]

Sounds like an aceto infection (google for more info) you will find the beer will have lost flavour and taste watery.

Lesson learnt don't leave the lid of the fermenter and don't rack unless you really have too.

I also learnt the hard way.

Edit: And yes if it tastes drinkable keg immediately and get it in the fridge to drink ASAP might be salvageable.

 

[GalBrew]

Is it solventy or more like a vinegar smell, because if you have a film you no doubt have an infection and as goldenchild has said that sort of smell could be acetobacter.

 

[Ivonavich]

GOOOOONNNEEE

 

[Moad]

Cheers for the replies, I'll have a better smell and a taste this arvo. Can't be too dissapointed as it wasn't method just stupidity.

Few lessons here, mainly don't sample too much of your product when brewing/working with beer!

If it tastes OK I'll keg, cool and consume asap. otherwise down the drain 4 hours of labour goes

 

[Yob]

more so, dont brew unless you have somewhere to put it..

 

[Moad]

I wanted to secondary it to blend the two batches and as an experiment to see if it made a difference as I haven't used secondary before.

Lessons learned.

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

Ive blended 2 worts together before, pre-ferment. It turned out great! No secondary required as i just poured 1/2 a cube of each into the 2 fermenters, and fermented and cc'd . If you wanted to do it post-ferment why didnt you just cc both after finished and pour 1/2 into each keg and force carb?

 

[Moad]

Sorry I didn't mention that half was to go into bottles for a gift and half for myself (which did go into a keg).

So I kegged half from each fermenter and put the other half of each into a third fermenter as a secondary. Blended in the keg and blended in the bottle to try and dilute any off flavours from hot ferment.

I won't be doing any more double batches as I only have room for one fermenter in my temp controlled fridge.

I just cant let this one go haha

 

[Moad]

Yep its gone...

I tasted the one in keg as well and it isn't great. It could have been an infection in one fermenter as well as I haven't used it before, or it could just be that it was way too hot during fermentation and created lots of off flavours.

The kegged one is drinkable...just. I'll put this one down to learning and move on.