Possible Infection?

[shark]

Hi Everyone,

Have been fermenting this fresh wort kit (norwest pale ale) for 7 days now.

Gravity has dropped to around 1008. Yeast was safale us-05 pitched at 22C

Has been fermenting at around 18C but one day went up to 22C until I managed to get it into a box with some ice inside it.

Foam has been and gone and now I noticed the last 2 days it has developed these white spots on top.

Tasted it today and seems fine but very cloudy (which I think fresh wort kits can be), Tastes like a bitter pale ale.

Any advise would be great. I am a bit worried its the start of infection. Thought my cleaning procedure was pretty good

Thanks
Ben

 

[Gavo]

Are the white spots like groups of fine bubbles or something else. It will probably be cloudy because it probably isn't quite finished yet and the yeast hasn't dropped out. If it tastes ok then it is probably fine.

Gavo.

 

[shark]

No not bubbles. The lighter stuff on top in the picture is groups of bubbles.

Its more like white mold.

 

[Gavo]

White mold would be a bit of a worry. I have never had anything like that except for a white wine when the yeast never started due to the fact that it was so old. The mold grew on the oak chips and I just scooped them out and used a new yeast and salvaged it.

What is the SG reading? You may be able to salvage it, if your game, by racking it and leaving the top behind. Others may have a better idea.

Gavo.

 

[Pennywise]

IMO if it tastes ok, then get it out of the fermenter, leaving a little more than usual so you don't take any of that mould with the beer you bottle/keg (if it is indeed mould). @ 1008 I'd be sure it's finished but I would also bottle one or two in PET so you can test it, just incase it is an infection and it ferments even furthur. Maybe try and skim some of it off with a sanitised spoon or something as well.

 

[shark]

Thanks everyone. SG 1038 and its now around 1008-1007

Fermenting 7 days.

 

[discoloop]

Can you pick out some of the 'mould' with a sanitised spoon? If so, grab some, have a feel, have a sniff, (have a taste? ). If anything seems off, it's probably an infection. Either way, I'd be inclined to act as per HB79's advice above.

 

[Pennywise]

Ideally, you'd leave it on the yeast cake for a bit longer, but if you have a possible infection then IMO get it away from it (the infection) asap. Racking is one option, and it may work, maybe rack with a solution of boiled and cooled water/dextrose mix added so it ferments just a little and you have a CO2 layer to protect it, it may be an infectin due to oxygen exposure.

 

[fergi]

Ideally, you'd leave it on the yeast cake for a bit longer, but if you have a possible infection then IMO get it away from it (the infection) asap. Racking is one option, and it may work, maybe rack with a solution of boiled and cooled water/dextrose mix added so it ferments just a little and you have a CO2 layer to protect it, it may be an infectin due to oxygen exposure.

if its got an infection well then its not going to make any difference how quick you get it out of there , the infection is already there , only thing to do is bottle it and hope that its not an infection

 

[Cube]

Looks fine to me. If that was my beer I'd look and say 'looks good' and slap myself for exposing it to the atmos :lol:

Then again it's not my beer and it depends on your sanitisation and how many time the lid has been off etc. Bottle it and see. I'm sure it will be OK.

 

[scoundrel]

i've just ahd something similar in my IPA partial, ill crack one tomorrow and let you know. i just dry hopped and bottle as fast as i could.

 

[Pennywise]

if its got an infection well then its not going to make any difference how quick you get it out of there , the infection is already there , only thing to do is bottle it and hope that its not an infection

If it's an infection like Acetobacter, then chances are it't just on the surface as this particular infection needs to be exposed to grow, chances are it WILL NOT be in the beer, just on top of it, Hence, it could be salvaged. There are other types of mould infections also that if skimmed off the top quickly enough, wont ruin the beer. Of course it's prolly best to get it to the drinking stage sooner rather than later with any infection to be on the safe side.

 

[Pennywise]

Looks fine to me. If that was my beer I'd look and say 'looks good' and slap myself for exposing it to the atmos :lol:

Then again it's not my beer and it depends on your sanitisation and how many time the lid has been off etc. Bottle it and see. I'm sure it will be OK.

I agree it looks fine from the photo, but, he is telling us it's mould. That's not good.

 

[petesbrew]

I make an effort not to look at the top. It always looks weird and wrong in some different way,
Plus I don't know what an infection LOOKS like.
I did find some wicked looking floating mould cakes growing in a 1/2 filled cube months ago and it all went in the bin. I posted pics in another post somewhere. Really I could've attempted racking it off and brewing it, but decided against it.

I think tasting it is the best way.
If it's drinkable, it's okay.
If it's a bit weird, I bottle it and see what happens. It could come good, maybe/maybe not.
If it's gross, chuck it. (I've only done this a few times thank goodness)

 

[marlow_coates]

Shark,

I have had a similar thing before. I thought it was some form of infection clumping on the top.

Crash Chilled it, and it went away. Bottled it and had no problems.

I put it down to being some dense-clumped-bubbles or something like that. But was not an infection. Some bottles lasted months and no off flavours.

Hope that helps

Marlow

 

[mwd]

Can you pick out some of the 'mould' with a sanitised spoon? If so, grab some, have a feel, have a sniff, (have a taste? ). If anything seems off, it's probably an infection. Either way, I'd be inclined to act as per HB79's advice above.

+1 Should be fairly obvious if it is a mould, slimey gunk with a furry top and will grow bigger if you leave it alone.

 

[shark]

Thanks everyone for their help.

Well I woke up this morning and had a look at it and noticed the spots seemed to be going.

Got home tonight and all the white spots (that I thought were mold) were GONE! Go figure!

So I worried for nothing.

Thanks everyone.