Another "Infected?" Post

[UKSkydiver]

Hello everybody peeps.

I've seen posts like this, but never experienced it myself.

Brew is a user upper stout (which I have neglected to post details of, and for that I apologise) I will update my brewday thread at some point.

Seven days into fermentation, I roasted 160g cacao nibs at 120c for 15-20 mins, and then chucked them lovingly into the fermenting stout. I expected that the heat would kill any nasties. Maybe too low / not long enough.

We are now just over 48 hours in from that addition and we have this.

It smells pretty good, but looks a bit funky.

I suspect that the answer will be, 'Let it roll', but your thoughts and previous experience world be welcome.

Just looks a bit scary.

Thank you

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Hmmm that yellow thing doesn't look right....




In all seriousness, that looks to me like it may be infected. Can't believe that 2 days after the nibs went in that grew though! The middle bit looks like krausen, was that there when you chucked the nibs in?

All the usual things I suppose, have a taste, check gravity etc etc. It may be OK.

 

[Sandimas]

Impressive! Yep, that's infected.

You can't change anything now so you either dump it or let it run. I'd let it run, I had a similar one recently and bottled it, I could taste it but the Mrs couldn't, it went into cold storage in the garage and actually seemed to get better. We've drunk the whole batch, not as good as it could have been but still good.

 

[An Ankoù]

If you're going to bottle or keg it, do it now. If it's an oxygen obligate it'll stop it denaturing the alcohol.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Centre stuff is floating nibs. I guess some sank and some floated. Strange that the funk seems to be pushing it in towards the centre. Maybe it's my imagination.

If you think two days is short, it's entirely possible I introduced something. I was top cropping yeast on days 3ish. But it's all been pretty standard until I put the nibs in.

AA - Appreciate your thoughts. It's Voss so it's probably finished, as we're now about 9 days. I will take a hydrometer reading tomorrow and keg if it's anywhere near done.

 

[Leon103]

It's pelicle infection. Most likely from the yeast. You can siphon off the beer underneath. Be careful bottling, get some in the bottle and most likely get gushers

 

[UKSkydiver]

Thank you.

It's interesting that the top crop in the fridge does not have any sign of infection, mind you it's at about 6c compared to 22c in the ferment fridge.

Next question.

How can I successfully keg / bottle? I'm thinking maybe scoop the pellicle aside and use a mesh so that nibs don't transfer.

I'm a tad worried about bottle bombs. I have some PETs but without tops. Can I get tops from anywhere quickly?

Cheers

 

[The Baron]

Deffo pellicle, let it roll then syphon from under the pellicle and chances are it will be ok IMO

 

[UKSkydiver]

It's 'only' down to 1014. Brewfather recipe predicts 1013.

Smells OK

It doesn't taste bad. Quite dry. Like watery chocolate.

 

[AJA]

Thank you.

It's interesting that the top crop in the fridge does not have any sign of infection, mind you it's at about 6c compared to 22c in the ferment fridge.

Next question.

How can I successfully keg / bottle? I'm thinking maybe scoop the pellicle aside and use a mesh so that nibs don't transfer.

I'm a tad worried about bottle bombs. I have some PETs but without tops. Can I get tops from anywhere quickly?

Cheers

You could bottle with CBC1 yeast to prevent bottle bombs (provided the infection is from a yeast strain).
This yeast contains a killer factor which kills yeast sensitive to it (around 80% of strains).

 

[phildo79]

I don't imagine roasting the nibs did anything bad. I have made several beers with a nibs addition to the FV and I just chuck them in, as is. You have been unlucky and picked up an infection. A deep clean of everything is needed, unless you want to run the risk of the next batch being infected.

Throw away anything that can be easily/cheaply replaced and get the bleach out. It's a pain but it needs done. Last time it happened to me, took me 2 or 3 days to clean everything.

 

[Stan's Brew]

It's 'only' down to 1014. Brewfather recipe predicts 1013.

Smells OK

It doesn't taste bad. Quite dry. Like watery chocolate.

If it's not good enough for your chips then it's likely not infected - lovely looking pellicle I would be proud if it had chosen me

 

[UKSkydiver]

Here is a video I made whilst siphoning off the infected brew.

You can see what looks like yeast rafts splitting apart to form the pellicle. But no doubt this is not what is happening. I'm sure pellicles don't form as fast as these things.

I said 'yeast'. I didn't mean yeast, but I don't know what I meant. Either way it was an unusual video.

(Annoyingly, but understandable, I had to split it into three separate vids of < 50mb each - P1 / P2 / P3 is the order)

 

[Twogunrocky]

Reminds me of that instrumental scene in 2001 A Space Odyssey

 

[UKSkydiver]

Update.

Transferred to keg on Thursday I think it was.

Force carb at 35-ish psi at 9c for about 4 days.

Smells like a stout. With a bit of choccy.

Tastes OK. Not perfect. But OK. Maybe a bit thin.

Still pretty green.

Definite chocolate. Could do with a bit more carb and a few weeks conditioning.

Not sure if this has been saved, but it's not undrinkable.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Update II

Stout has been on the gas and conditioning about 8c for four weeks.

I've not been near it, honest.

Lovely chocolate aroma.

Good carbonation and head.

No off flavours that I can detect. A little bitterness at the end to balance the choccy. It doesn't appear as thin as it did when I first tried it.

It's actually pretty good, certainly not a bad as others I've produced and happily drunk in the past.

So, I'm putting this one down as a success and a beacon of hope for others that means that an infection doesn't necessarily mean its destined for the drain.

 

[UKSkydiver]

It's interesting that the top crop in the fridge does not have any sign of infection, mind you it's at about 6c compared to 22c in the ferment fridge.

Update III

I forgot to say that the top crop itself did eventually produce a similar layer of scum on the surface. Not as impressive as the fermenter. So that did go down the drain.

 

[The Baron]

Oh Dear
so a good clean and sanitize next?

 

[UKSkydiver]

Oh Dear
so a good clean and sanitize next?

Yeah. Did that after transfer a few weeks ago.

 

[The Baron]

Good luck on the next brew I have been lucky and never had a real infection just the odd minor top pellicle(which turned out ok) but it must P!ss you off