Tragedy Strikes

[Dicko ACT]

Today marks a very sad day at Dicko’s Den. I had heard the tales from other brewers, but I honestly thought it would never happen to me. Somehow, despite my love and devotion, I had brought the wraith of the Beer God upon myself. Perhaps it was just my time…

Seriously though… WTF is that in my fermenter? The Brew, aptly ‘Spicy Ghost’, was a gift from my brother purchased at the Cascade Brewery. I was eager to get this right and introuduce him to the world of brewing. Something tells me sampling this will turn him into a teetotaller.

Could someone please tell me exactly what sort of infection this is so I can prevent it from happening again in the future.

Cheers

Dicko

 

[kook]

I could be wrong here, but that simply looks like saccharomyces failing to drop out yet. It doesn't look like anything I've experienced with my wild beers (brett, pedio, lacto, etc).

edit - What was the yeast strain used? How many days has it been fermenting for? How does it taste & smell?

 

[braufrau]

Yeast infections! I hate those!

 

[Sammus]

I've a regular (Read: infection free) ferment look pretty similar to that. Was my first and only dunkelweizen to date. used the wb-06 for some reason - turned out great!

 

[pokolbinguy]

From memory one of my brews looked like that, but the beer turned out fine.

However depends on how infectious the infection is if that makes any sense.

Cheers, Pok

 

[kook]

Yeast infections! I hate those!

It doesn't really look like any infection I've ever seen though?

Whereas, it does look like some saccharomyces strains near the end or near the start of fermentation. A krausen can start to look like this as it is forming, or also as it drops out.

edit - To qualify my statement a little more - the colour looks identical to the colour of the yeast on the side of the fermenter. In my experience, brettanomyces is much whiter than this. Additionally, acetobacter tends to form a film, whereas pedio sends the beer ropey.

 

[Whistlingjack]

The truth is in the tasting, Dicko ACT...

Take a sample and taste for any medicinal, or yoghurt type flavours.

I'll go with kook on this one, doesn't look like the usual suspects in contamination. Just floating yeast.

WJ

 

[InCider]

Hey Dicko, (ACT Chapter!)

If you get another infection, do the bunnings run and get another fermenter and tap. Cheap solution and you can keep your old fermenter for storing gear in a solution of sod.percarbonate/bleach/iodophor.

Cheers,

InCider.

 

[kabooby]

There is a bit of a white film there that looks like the beer has been exposed to oxygen. At least that what my drip bucket under my taps starts to look like after a few days of not being cleaned.

Kabooby

 

[kook]

There is a bit of a white film there that looks like the beer has been exposed to oxygen. At least that what my drip bucket under my taps starts to look like after a few days of not being cleaned.

Kabooby

That doesn't look like film to me? Take a look at the pictures in my gallery for pics of film from infections. The whitish patches there look like CO2 bubbles escaping to me.

 

[kabooby]

Give the fermenter a swirl. If those patches disapear into an even covering than it will be co2.

I could be wrong. I have been pretty lucky on the infection front

Kabooby

 

[EK]

Today marks a very sad day at Dickos Den. I had heard the tales from other brewers, but I honestly thought it would never happen to me. Somehow, despite my love and devotion, I had brought the wraith of the Beer God upon myself. Perhaps it was just my time

Seriously though WTF is that in my fermenter? The Brew, aptly Spicy Ghost, was a gift from my brother purchased at the Cascade Brewery. I was eager to get this right and introuduce him to the world of brewing. Something tells me sampling this will turn him into a teetotaller.

Could someone please tell me exactly what sort of infection this is so I can prevent it from happening again in the future.

Cheers

Dicko

The Cascade home brews use a peculiar yeast. Have a look on their site specifically their FAQ's for info.

I have made one of these and I can't consciously recall what the krausen looked like, however, yours does not look infected to me. I would bottle it and proceed as normal.

EK.

 

[Dicko ACT]

It doesn't really look like any infection I've ever seen though?

Whereas, it does look like some saccharomyces strains near the end or near the start of fermentation. A krausen can start to look like this as it is forming, or also as it drops out.

edit - To qualify my statement a little more - the colour looks identical to the colour of the yeast on the side of the fermenter. In my experience, brettanomyces is much whiter than this. Additionally, acetobacter tends to form a film, whereas pedio sends the beer ropey.

The truth is in the tasting, Dicko ACT...

Take a sample and taste for any medicinal, or yoghurt type flavours.

I'll go with kook on this one, doesn't look like the usual suspects in contamination. Just floating yeast.

WJ

That doesn't look like film to me? Take a look at the pictures in my gallery for pics of film from infections. The whitish patches there look like CO2 bubbles escaping to me.

The Cascade home brews use a peculiar yeast. Have a look on their site specifically their FAQ's for info.

I have made one of these and I can't consciously recall what the krausen looked like, however, yours does not look infected to me. I would bottle it and proceed as normal.

EK.

I'm absolutely chuffed with the response. :icon_cheers:

Seems like my beer might be salvagable.

I gave it a taste (didn't realise I could do that without falling ill). It had a sweet yet zesty wheat quality, as described on the label. Definately no bandaids or yogurt.

The Spicy Ghost has just turned a week old and has sat at a very constant 20 degrees in my fermenter fridge.

There is no film on the top, just creamy/yellow chunks. The bubbles are definately Co2 bubbles.

Should I give it a stir or leave it alone?

Thanks for your help and response.

Dicko

 

[dr K]

without smelling and tasting it is impossible to say from that photo.
what i see in the photo is some clumps of yeast, it is difficult to determine from the Cascade site if they use a wheat, or at least an ale yeast in the Spicy Wheat Beer, as a quick glances says they use a lager yeast, at, might I add about 1/3 the normal pitching rate for such.
please try it before chucking it..oh if it is a tad off, it is not going to get better.

K

 

[Dicko ACT]

without smelling and tasting it is impossible to say from that photo.
what i see in the photo is some clumps of yeast, it is difficult to determine from the Cascade site if they use a wheat, or at least an ale yeast in the Spicy Wheat Beer, as a quick glances says they use a lager yeast, at, might I add about 1/3 the normal pitching rate for such.
please try it before chucking it..oh if it is a tad off, it is not going to get better.

K

Thanks again Kurtz... B.Crusher told me to bring some along to the meeting on Thursday. Your welcome to try it if you like :icon_vomit:

 

[kook]

I gave it a taste (didn't realise I could do that without falling ill). It had a sweet yet zesty wheat quality, as described on the label. Definately no bandaids or yogurt.

It would be very rare for an infected beer to make you ill. I've personally never heard of or read of a case of it happening. Some don't taste too great (extremely sour/vinegary, fecal) but they wouldn't make you throw up. I've tasted infected commercial (particularly cask) beers on quite a few occasions and although in most cases they didn't taste wonderful (read terrible), they were never enough to make me feel sick.

Most beer spoilage microorganisms aren't harmful to humans. There is good reason why they used to drink beer (which would have been "infected" by todays standards) instead of water not too long ago.


edit - By the way, in answer to your question. I'd leave it alone. Every time you keep opening that fermenter (especially now that fermentation is pretty much over) or sticking in stirring implements you risk actually infecting it. I'd go ahead and keg or bottle it now personally if its finished.

 

[petesbrew]

It would be very rare for an infected beer to make you ill. I've personally never heard of or read of a case of it happening. Some don't taste too great (extremely sour/vinegary, fecal) but they wouldn't make you throw up. I've tasted infected commercial (particularly cask) beers on quite a few occasions and although in most cases they didn't taste wonderful (read terrible), they were never enough to make me feel sick.

Most beer spoilage microorganisms aren't harmful to humans. There is good reason why they used to drink beer (which would have been "infected" by todays standards) instead of water not too long ago.


edit - By the way, in answer to your question. I'd leave it alone. Every time you keep opening that fermenter (especially now that fermentation is pretty much over) or sticking in stirring implements you risk actually infecting it. I'd go ahead and keg or bottle it now personally if its finished.

One of my stouts was judged infected last year. I drank my way through most of the bottles, and it still tasted fine and I'm still here.
Got one in the garage that is definitely infected. But it kinda tastes... alright... for the first half of the bottle, at least. And I haven't been sick from it. (normal people would probably just turf it)

But I'd not disturb the batch Dicko, by the sounds of it it's okay. Just bottle it.

 

[braufrau]

It doesn't really look like any infection I've ever seen though?

It was a joke Joyce!

 

[Screwtop]

It was a joke Joyce!

I'm told on good authority that yeast infections are No Joke :lol:

But seriously Dicko that pic looks like yeast bloom, keep the lid on and don't invite the nasties you're worried about. If the gravity has fallen as far as it will, rack it off to a bottling vessel and stop before the floating yeast goes down the tube.

 

[Klemmstein]

Yeast infections! I hate those!

Snorted coffee out my nose when i read this one..

Good one braufrau.

Cheers,

klemm