Possible Infection

[rday]

Attached is a photo of my possibly infected batch of beer. I wouldn't be too worried about the look of it, except that it has a really pungent, acrid sort of vinegary smell to it. I tasted a bit 2 days ago when I took a hydrometer sample and it tasted fine, so I'm not sure if I'm worried about nothing.

I was thinking about bottling and leaving the top few cms, but I was also hoping to reuse this yeast for a brew today.

Any advice?

 

[manticle]

While vinegar can be a sign of acetobacter infection, the simple odour of fermenting beer can be really strong in quantity.

Are you getting the acridity from smelling the hydrometer tube or from opening the fermenter lid and smelling the whole brew itself?

Photo looks like fermenting beer to me.

 

[rday]

The nasty smell is from opening the fermenter. The hydrometer tube sample smelled just fine.

The photo doesn't show it well, but the only thing I find concerning about the look of the beer is that the bubbles look milkier than usual.

 

[manticle]

Don't know how many brews you've done but the smell/sensation from opening the fermenter can be overpowering. A lot of VOCs are being produced (volatile organic compounds). It is also generally unnecessary to open the lid and is best avoided where possible.

If the sample smells and tastes ok then I don't think you have much to worry about.

 

[Screwtop]

Doesn't look like acetobacter to me, it is white, a bit like a clingy skin with a kind of striated appearance. Where as yeast is more creamy in colour, has a bubbly rounded globular or floret appearance.

Cheers,

Screwy

 

[rday]

Sounds good. I've done a handful of brews and this one just seems a bit off. But it is also my first extract brew, so that could be part of it. I think I'll bottle it but not re-use the yeast just in case. Better to only have one ruined batch.

Also, the only reason I opened it to give it a sniff is because I used the old plastic wrap method instead of a lid and could see into it and was a bit worried.

Thanks for the help.

 

[manticle]

Milkiness could be dried yeast rehydrating. Did you sprinkle the yeast on top or rehydrate or make a starter with a liquid or use recultured?

 

[Ross]

rday,

everything looks absolutley fine. Relax, have a homebrew

Cheers Ross