Possible Lacto Infection

[Sozzled]

Hi All,

I think I've managed to pick up a lacto infection in a pale i recently made. I'm not sure where it's gone wrong as I thought I was pretty anal when it comes to cleaning and sterilizing.

There was no sign of infection during fermentation and all smelled and tasted fine.

However, I tried the beer one week after kegging (i was expecting it to still taste young) and there is a really strong smell of off milk, the beer still tastes ok but it's hard to drink with such a rancid smell.

I'm going to try it again tomorrow and if it's still smelling bad I'll be dumping the batch.

My question is does this render the keg unusable for anything other than sours or is the keg salvagable with a good bleaching and sanitizing before I fill it again?

For reference the beer was the Saaz Pale from the Greg Hughes book.

 

[Sadfield]

The keg will be fine, clean and sanitise as normal.

Don't rule out the possibility of the infection having happened earlier in the process, as it can often be a case that symptoms are slow to develop.

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[Zephyr259]

Not got practical experience yet but about to start playing with sours but doesn't lacto create acid fairly cleanly? Guess it would be strain dependant. I'd have thought a lacto infection would make the beer progressively sour but not "nasty." Would also have to be a hop resistant strain to infect a pale ale. Wild yeast? Doesn't change the fact that the batch might be a goner. Sorry about that.

 

[Sadfield]

Not got practical experience yet but about to start playing with sours but doesn't lacto create acid fairly cleanly? Guess it would be strain dependant. I'd have thought a lacto infection would make the beer progressively sour but not "nasty." Would also have to be a hop resistant strain to infect a pale ale. Wild yeast? Doesn't change the fact that the batch might be a goner. Sorry about that.

Lactobacillus can create some pretty unpleasant flavours in the presence of oxygen, isovaleric acid (cheesy) and Butyric acid (vomit).

Yes, you are correct about the limiting effect of hops, and that this could also be some other infection, either yeast or bacteria. Probably, more likely pediococcus.



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[Zephyr259]

Lactobacillus can create some pretty unpleasant flavours in the presence of oxygen, isovaleric acid (cheesy) and Butyric acid (vomit).

Yes, you are correct about the limiting effect of hops, and that this could also be some other infection, either yeast or bacteria. Probably, more likely pediococcus.

Ah yes, so it does, I keep thinking those come from other bugs on the grain when folks so a kettle sour. Thanks for the info.

 

[Sozzled]

Thanks guys, either way, if it's still grim when I try it tonight i'll tip it. I've binned the fermenter i was using and bought a new auto syphon. Fingers crossed for the next batch. I've not been having much luck just lately with my brews....2 lagers down the drain and now maybe this.... gutted

 

[Zephyr259]

Thanks guys, either way, if it's still grim when I try it tonight i'll tip it. I've binned the fermenter i was using and bought a new auto syphon. Fingers crossed for the next batch. I've not been having much luck just lately with my brews....2 lagers down the drain and now maybe this.... gutted

What happened to the lagers?

 

[Sozzled]

What happened to the lagers?

I wish I knew, I think I used too much flaked maize in them, I was trying for a cerveza. They just don't smell very good, it's a hard to describe smell, have terrible chill haze and the taste is flavourless. Going to try a Kolsch or basic pilsner soon and see if it is the maize that's causing me the problems.

 

[Zephyr259]

That's strange, hope you manage to figure it out.