Franham Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 So i'm certain i've got my first infected beer (pellicles floating and filming on the surface of the beer), but the annoying thing it's happened on day 6, and i've basically reached expected final gravity. I've tasted it and tastes fine. Alright so my question is, what should i do from here? I'm thinking of doing a 3 day gravity test (today will be 2) then bottling in PET bottles and storing them in a container to minimise any explosions that may occur. Also it's a plastic fermenter, i don't need to throw this out now right? i can just give it an especially good clean and off we go again? Just don't want to prematurely throw the beer and the fermenter out. Thanks guys 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Having no clue what Pellicle means I googled. The last line may help.. or not. A pellicle (pronounced “PELL-uh-kull”) is the gooey, slimy, bubbly, fuzzy layer of nastiness that may appear on the surface of beers fermented with Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, or Pediococcus. ... Whether a beer develops a pellicle or not has little to no bearing on the nature or quality of the end product. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franham Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 47 minutes ago, DavidM said: Having no clue what Pellicle means I googled. The last line may help.. or not. A pellicle (pronounced “PELL-uh-kull”) is the gooey, slimy, bubbly, fuzzy layer of nastiness that may appear on the surface of beers fermented with Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, or Pediococcus. ... Whether a beer develops a pellicle or not has little to no bearing on the nature or quality of the end product. Yeah i saw this quote, it made me feel a little better lol. And it's at least to a degree true, the beer tasted fine. It's a coopers real ale, and although i've never made one before, it tastes how i'd imagine it too. Plus i did a reading yesterday before the growth started, and the two samples tasted the same give or take. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 50 minutes ago, Franham said: So i'm certain i've got my first infected beer (pellicles floating and filming on the surface of the beer), but the annoying thing it's happened on day 6, and i've basically reached expected final gravity. I've tasted it and tastes fine. Alright so my question is, what should i do from here? I'm thinking of doing a 3 day gravity test (today will be 2) then bottling in PET bottles and storing them in a container to minimise any explosions that may occur. Also it's a plastic fermenter, i don't need to throw this out now right? i can just give it an especially good clean and off we go again? Just don't want to prematurely throw the beer and the fermenter out. Thanks guys Nah, don't tip! I'm sure the others here would agree - you need to post a few pics so that the more experienced brewers here can have a look at your issue. I'm a relative new comer Franham, but if your beer tastes fine then maybe I'd just hang off doing anything in haste. Don't disturb the top of the FV either until you've heard back from others here - that would be my advice for now. I wouldn't imagine you'd have to throw your FV out either - just a decent soaking with non scented bleach and water for a couple of days..... and then a bit of SP soaking and a no rinse sanitiser. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franham Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 6 minutes ago, Mickep said: Nah, don't tip! I'm sure the others here would agree - you need to post a few pics so that the more experienced brewers here can have a look at your issue. I'm a relative new comer Franham, but if your beer tastes fine then maybe I'd just hang off doing anything in haste. Don't disturb the top of the FV either until you've heard back from others here - that would be my advice for now. I wouldn't imagine you'd have to throw your FV out either - just a decent soaking with non scented bleach and water for a couple of days..... and then a bit of SP soaking and a no rinse sanitiser. Sorry too late , but if you can imagine this image, with a dry hop bag in the middle, than that's what i looked like last night. It had began growth very quickly, i would within an hour of the last time i checked it. First hunch i had was to remove the dry hop bag, as a potential source of infection. Overnight, it hasn't developed anymore growth actually, and to the naked eye, you wouldn't think anything of it, APART from the icy white looking ring around the fermenter, at the top of the surface. Did first FG reading yesterday of 1.006, and will plan to do another reading today as normal. Unless advised otherwise? lol... Really appreciate your thoughts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Jones Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 1 hour ago, Franham said: Just don't want to prematurely throw the beer and the fermenter out. I think the best test for "bad beer" that is still in the FV, is the taste test which you have done and if it tastes OK. Keep going as you would for "a normal beer" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franham Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 4 minutes ago, Pickles Jones said: I think the best test for "bad beer" that is still in the FV, is the taste test which you have done and if it tastes OK. Keep going as you would for "a normal beer" I'm glad to hear that 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Bottle it, just make sure you don't get any of the layer into the bottles. I've had the occasional batch with the bubbly film on it but the beer always appeared ok. I haven't had this in a while though. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franham Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 I guess my concern too is bottling and overcarbonation, as apparently the new bacteria can eat up sugars that the yeasties can't get too. however i can't see this being as much of an issue if i've reached final gravity. to be on the safe side, i'm bottling in pet bottles as opposed to my lovely new glass bottles i just bought lol. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franham Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 Just now, Aussiekraut said: Bottle it, just make sure you don't get any of the layer into the bottles. I've had the occasional batch with the bubbly film on it but the beer always appeared ok. I haven't had this in a while though. i know that finings won't get rid of the infection, but the presence of the infection, will the finings still do its normal job? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Jones Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 At this point don't treat it as an infection and continue on as per normal. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Franham said: i know that finings won't get rid of the infection, but the presence of the infection, will the finings still do its normal job? I've never had this problem before, Franham, but I'd be reluctant to add finings as I reckon it might sink some of the nasties into the beer. If it was me, on bottling day I'd be skimming the scum off the top and then bottling but as I said I haven't had to deal with a problem like this before. Edited January 19, 2022 by MUZZY 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 as other have said bottle it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franham Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 10 minutes ago, MUZZY said: I've never had this problem before, Franham, but I'd be reluctant to add finings as I reckon it might sink some of the nasties into the beer. If it was me, on bottling day I'd be skimming the scum off the top and then bottling but as I said I haven't had to deal with a problem like this before. yeah, see last night i took the hop bag out and skimmed some of the bubbles out on a sanitised spoon, so hopefully i didn't mix it in too much. yeah and the finings point you made is sensible, i'll bottle it tomorrow after it's third straight reading, just to be safe. cheers 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 44 minutes ago, Franham said: i know that finings won't get rid of the infection, but the presence of the infection, will the finings still do its normal job? If the finings were in it beforehand, they should still do the job but do not put anything in now. You do not want to disturb the top layer and mix it into the beer. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franham Posted January 20, 2022 Author Share Posted January 20, 2022 thank you all for your help as always, it's much appreciated 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 3 hours ago, Franham said: thank you all for your help as always, it's much appreciated Good Luck, you should be fine. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Jones Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) On 1/20/2022 at 7:34 AM, Franham said: I guess my concern too is bottling and overcarbonation, as apparently the new bacteria can eat up sugars that the yeasties can't get too. however i can't see this being as much of an issue if i've reached final gravity. to be on the safe side, i'm bottling in pet bottles as opposed to my lovely new glass bottles i just bought lol. Interestingly having reached' Final Gravity" as in this instance doesn't necessarily mean that the fermentation has finished. When you add carbonation drops to the bottle the yeast will restart the fermentation process however, this time the CO2 will be contained in the bottle resulting carbonated beer. If there is an infection in the beer, and this can be only one cell, which will multiply rapidly, it will aggressively attack the residual sugars in the bottle that don't readily breakdown in the FV. As there no where for the CO2 it produces to escape, the pressure builds up rapidly to a point that causes the bottle to fracture or create gushers when opened. The beer is usually tainted by the infection which also produces off flavours and makes the beer undrinkable. Edited January 21, 2022 by Pickles Jones 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Looks a little like the start of acetobacter infection to me. As others have said bottle it being careful not to disturb the top. Leave the last inch or so of beer and tip that. Acetobacter infection happens when the layer of CO2 on top of the beer is gone and oxygen is getting at the beer. The organism requires oxygen to grow and reproduce. It eats alcohol and turns it into acetic acid ( vinegar ) If it tastes alright and not like vinegar you should be ok. The secondary fermentation in the bottle will eat whatever oxygen is there and create co2 on the top of every single bottle and stymi the acetobacter from taking over and turning it all into vinegar. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 On 1/20/2022 at 9:34 AM, Aussiekraut said: Bottle it, just make sure you don't get any of the layer into the bottles. What the German said. He should know, he comes from the land of bacteria infected beer, that's why he likes them so much! 1 hour ago, Greenyinthewestofsydney said: If it tastes alright ... you should be ok. Yes, what Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeny said 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pints Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Something similar has happened to me. I bottled it and drank it. Only problem was a slight sour taste which gets worse as it ages so drink early! Also might give u a bit of extra gas ! Other than that drink up ✌ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 13 minutes ago, disgruntled said: What the German said. He should know, he comes from the land of bacteria infected beer, that's why he likes them so much! Gonna take a gravity reading of the Catharina Sour today and will add the fruit tomorrow or on Sunday. It better be good 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Just now, Aussiekraut said: It better be good More than happy to drop in so you can punch me! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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