Skin On Top Of Fermenter

[Hoyt]

Just opened my fermenter to keg a brew and find a thin white skin on top. Does this sound like its a throw away?

 

[razz]

Not ness-a-celery Hoyt. You need to taste/sniff it to make sure it's okay. If it tastes okay then go ahead as planned.If it tastes sour or other off flavour then chuck it.

 

[Gavo]

Tell us a bit more, What did you sanitize with? How long in the fermenter? What temp was it fermented at? What is the recipe?

Cheers
Gavo

 

[Zwickel]

Sorry mate, that could be "Kahmhefe" (film forming yeast), thats a kind of wild yeast and makes your beer awful.

It smells a bit like toilet and also the taste of the beer will be affected. Its not sour, more like rotten stuff.


I hope, Im not right with that :icon_cheers:

 

[NickB]

There was a thread about this just yesterday. If it's a slimy film that sticks together then it's probably an acetobacter infection. A single vinegar fly or similar is enough to have this happen, although it seems to happen to me most when I'm racking to secondary and seem to oxidise my wort.

I would avoid a secondary if you're using it (my beers have definitely improved since I just primary and then filter to the keg), and be very careful if you're lifting the fermenter lid at all during the ferment. Squirt some sanitizer around if you have to lift the lid.

Either way, firm up your sanitising procedures and only open your fermenter if you have to.

Otherwise, keg the beer and drink ASAP, or you risk the brew souring. If you're bottling, I'd be very careful where you're storing your bottles as you may find they turn into bombs if the infection takes hold.

Cheers

 

[Hoyt]

The brew was coopers pale ale with some extra hops. It was ok thursday i was going to keg it then but got called in to work so it seems i ve done the damage then by taking the lid off. The skin is thin and sticking together. Should i keg it or not? it does nt smell bad and tastes ok

 

[NickB]

I would keg it and drink it pretty quick. I've had a great beer recently that had a film on top, so I kegged, and drank it within a fortnight, and didn't notice anything dodgy. if it was for aging, I would have given the lawn a bath though

Cheers

 

[Zwickel]

Hoyt, Im not sure that it is really Kahmhefe, but if it is and the beer doesnt smell and tastes bad yet, hurry up and fill it in bottles. Kahmhefe is an aerobic yeast, it needs oxygen to grow. Try to avoid any contact with oxygen.

Cheers mate :icon_cheers:

edit: I see, NickB was faster

 

[NickB]

edit: I see, NickB was faster

I'm sure times zones have nothing to do with it!

:icon_offtopic: Let me know when you're visiting Aus again mate! Missed you at Eagle Heights last time Would love to chat over a Pilsener or sixteen (however, the only German I know was from high school.... Das Ist Mein Hamburger!)

Tchus!

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks guys looks like i will keg it and see what happens!!!

 

[Renegade]

Having had the infection earlier this year (no jokes, kids), I would concur with NickB and say it sounds like acetobacter. If that's what you are describing, you will know soon enough by the taste - a better indication than just the smell of the draughted sample.

At the time of mine, some people suggested i rack off from under the layer of skin, and bottle it anyway - but I found that it was simply too bad to consider.

If indeed this is what you have contracted, or at least if you're sure it's fucked, just tip it. At the end of the day it's no big deal, when a new brew's a weekend away.

Just make sure you clean all of your gear very, very well. Then repeat the regime. Then repeat again.