CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Hi everyone. i just checked on my Pacific Summer ale a few days after dry hopping it and its now got a white skin on the top of it. it still tastes nice and smells lovely. is it infected? will it end in sadness? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Hi CSG. It could simply be yeast on the surface, or could be something a little more sinister like a lactobacillus infection,... or neither. A picture would be handy, as I'm purely speculating on what it could be. Cheers, Lusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 Here's a pic https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9rbmSi4HdduaHQ0anQ1UERyMnc/view?usp=sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Here's a pic https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9rbmSi4HdduaHQ0anQ1UERyMnc/view?usp=sharing @#$%! that looks like Lacto to me! The strands are usually a prime indicator. Just hold on though' date=' as I'd prefer a second opinion from at least one of the other senior brewers on the forum. Lusty.[/size'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 the strands look like folds in the skin from the hop balls moving when i opened the fridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 Well we bottled it today as planned. Still tasted nice and smells good so fingers crossed it turns out ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 It looks like the start of some sort of infection. Lacto or Aceto perhaps. Hopefully it is alright. Usually white skin on beer indicates that your beer has a small penis. Sorry, just perpetuating stereotypes/myths there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Acetobacter Infection. Apparently if you see it and bottle it without disturbing the surface you can get away with it. My last two Saisons had this and are fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 I had an Acetobacter infection once; I mustn't have got in time because it tasted like vinegar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Google images of it.... looks the same... And yes, you need to get it in time. Those pesky little flies can cause it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 Google images of it.... looks the same... And yes' date=' you need to get it in time. Those pesky little flies can cause it.[/quote'] Well I Google lactobacillus pictures and it looked like that. I bet it was one of them flies. I boiled the $#!+ out of the hop balls (aka watching youtube and forgetting that your boiling your balls) and star san everything as I put them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeblebrox Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 So long as you didn't disturb the surface you may be ok. The biggest mistake you can make with that sort of problem is to try to scoop it all out or if it happens in tandem with a persistent krausen, try to get it to sink down, then you can spread the infection throughout the brew. You'll never really know if it's ok or not until you open a few bottles though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graculus Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I had the exact same thing on a cider I was making last week. I was hoping it would be OK. I've syphoned off most of it leaving the stuff on the surface intact. I've now put it into two DJ's to see what happens. I'm in no hurry to bottle it so i might leave it a couple of weeks to see what happens. I might even rack it off again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I forgot to mention that my Aceto infection did look like the one in CSG's photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 sounds like im gonna have some tasty vinegar then..... oh well cant win them all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I had the exact same thing on a cider I was making last week. I was hoping it would be OK. I've syphoned off most of it leaving the stuff on the surface intact. I've now put it into two DJ's to see what happens. I'm in no hurry to bottle it so i might leave it a couple of weeks to see what happens. I might even rack it off again. Hi Graculus. I would be concerned it might keep growing during extended aging. I am not sure, but might adding a healthy dose of Campden tablets arrest it, you know prevent it from worsening? Of course they wear off eventually. I think wine-makers add Campden tablets at every racking, and at bottling, but of course wines are usually still. As I am sure you know, you can't add sulfites at bottling if you intend on making sparkling cider. Considering this infection, might this be a good opportunity to try making still cider? Add Campden tablets at bottling, along with some potassium sorbate, and then you could back sweeten (if you wish) with thawed apple juice concentrate or fresh cider. Cheers, -Christina. PS As long as one was kegging, couldn't a brewer add Campden tablets and potassium sorbate to "save" a questionable batch of beer. Any amount of souring that might have begun would be arrested, wouldn't it? I am not a kegger, but couldn't you leave it sit for 24 hours, to let the Campden tablets work, and then purge the SO2 out of the keg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graculus Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Thanks ChristinaS1. I've now racked it twice. I've gone from 12 litres at the start to around 6 litres now. I think there's still a slight "scum" on top. I'll take a look in the morning. Hardly worth worrying about really. I might actually rack it off tomorrow into a DJ, which is about 4.5 litres and leave it and see what happens. As you say stabilise the yeast and make it still. I was going to thoroughly clean / sanitise the FV and start again. I was going to make apple / pear this time. The local supermarket had juice at half price this week, so I bought about 20 litres of apple and pear. But after I realised the cider might not be any good I stopped off and bought 24 litres of apple juice. That's still in the car. I'm wondering how to sneak it into the house and more importantly where to hide it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 That's still in the car. I'm wondering how to sneak it into the house and more importantly where to hide it. 44L of juice? Wow' date=' sounds like the cider making bug has bitten you pretty good Graculus! [img']biggrin[/img]....That is a whole lot of juice, but why do you have to hide it? Do you have two fermentors, or are you going freeze some for later? Funnily enough the first cider I made was very similar to what you are about to make, a combo of pear and apple cider at 50% off, with extra apple cider; I keep checking for it to go on sale again. That batch is conditioning now. Can't wait for it to age a little so I can try it. I have gotten bit by the cider making bug too. There are so many possibilities. A new challenge. I find it interesting to see how techniques differ between brewing and cider making, and to speculate how a cider making technique could be used in brewing, like what I suggested in my earlier post, and vice versa. Speaking of my earlier post, what do you think of my idea of adding sulfite and potassium sorbate to beer brews that look like they might be contaminated? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I'm guessing it's about making sure the wife doesn't see it so as to not receive an earful for buying it, Christina. I'm sure I'll experience this for myself one day too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I'm guessing it's about making sure the wife doesn't see it so as to not receive an earful for buying it' date=' Christina. I'm sure I'll experience this for myself one day too. [img']lol[/img] Yes, but it was 50% off! How can you pass up a deal like that? He can plead economics. At that rate it is cheaper than homebrew. The purchase was perfectly justified, IMHO... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I don't disagree with you. I've got my plan all worked out, see I'm buying up all this brewing paraphernalia now while I'm single and don't have to justify it to anyone so when I'm not single there can't be any arguments against it. Probably a misguided theory but I'm sticking to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I just hope your shovel skills are of a high standard Otto man, because you're gonna need a pretty deep hole to hide all this stuff from the prospective next partner! Cheers, Lusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I don't disagree with you. I've got my plan all worked out' date=' see I'm buying up all this brewing paraphernalia now while I'm single and don't have to justify it to anyone so when I'm not single there can't be any arguments against it. Probably a misguided theory but I'm sticking to it. [img']lol[/img] I like the way you think, Kelsey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Well that's the whole point of building it all up now Lusty. I come as a package - me and my brewing equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 So when you meet girls I assume you tell them you are into beer and cricket. I'm sorry Kelsey, but unless you are prepared to hook up with David Boon you will probably stay single Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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