Odd Secondary Fermentation - Surface Film

[Snowie]

Odd secondary fermentation - surface film - possible contamination or bottle krausen.

Okay, so I have been brewing for about a year. I have friends that brew too, one a 10th level beer nerd. So while I am no expert, I wouldn't consider myself a nooby.

Anyway recently I did a Coopers Pale Ale, using the tin and Brew enhancer from coopers, along with some liquid Coopers yeast. The yeast was sourced from the aforementioned 10th level beer nerd, cultured from a coopers bottle by and it had already been used in a successful brew. (SO yeast is okay). The primary fermentation went well, and in typical for that yeast went hard and fast, it was allowed to sit for 2 weeks over the Christmas break in a cool underground garage. No unusual surface layers appeared during primary fermentation. Some yeast was also captured to use in a sparkling ale.

Bottling took place in the garage (a change to normal, due to preference to keep spouse happy) in the evening of new years day. Bottles were cleaned with multiple rinses of boiling water and sprayed with Starsan. Priming was done with coopers sugar drops and then immediately capped. (Caps rinsed in boiling water).

So the possible issue/funny thing is that there is now an unusual film on the surface of each if the bottles. I initially surmise an infection, but when a bottle was cracked open yesterday it tasted fine (if not yet fully carbonated). Also if I shake it up it settles and the bottom looks like a normal yeast layer.

So whaddya reckon?

 

[Rodolphe01]

Looks like an infection I had recently, if it the same as what I had it will turn about as sour as vinegar... Maybe drink them quick while they taste OK because there is almost certainly something wrong

 

[crundle]

Possibly acetobacter mate. I have had this twice with secondary fermentations, and it has been a big reason for me changing to only fermenting in the one container till the beer has fermented out totally. It seems that the infection occurs when there is a lack of CO2 blanketing the top of the beer, which is likely to occur in the process of racking to secondary, or perhaps moving the fermenter about too much near the end of active fermentation.

You may not see it in the bottles, but in your fermenter it looks like a film on the top, with strands running in different directions.

This will turn your beer to vinegar in time, and will taste funkier the longer it is kept. having said that, I have a keg of lager with this, and am drinking it quickly to get it out the way, so no harm is done to the body it would seem!

Acetobacter will slow down the turning of beer into vinegar with lower temperatures, lack of O2 and being carbonated. For kegs this is easy, but you may need to get your bottles into the fridge as soon as they are carbed if you are going to keep them, and drink them down as quickly as you can.

cheers,

Crundle

EDIT: Afterthoughts on what causes acetobacter infections.

 

[Snowie]

Thanks for the replies. I am naturally a little disappointed that I have an infection (my first), but from the replies have said I had better drink it fast or feed the lawn.

I didn't mention in the original post that I bottled another beer at the same time and it seems fine. So I am led to think that the issue originated in the fermenter and not from the bottling process.

or perhaps moving the fermenter about too much near the end of active fermentation.

This could be right, as I did move the fermenter a little and there was the inevitable 'breathing in' of the air lock. This may have drawn in something un-pleasant. <_< On that train of thought, any advice on moving the fermenter to avoid this? Any different airlocks perform better?

Either way, once carbonated I will post how it tastes. plus i will keep a bottle or so for a while to investigate the flavor over time and report back.

Cheers

Snowie

PS I have already been flamed for using green bottles.

 

[poppa joe]

" GLAD WRAP "
PJ