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Infection - can you identify this from description and pic?

Northern Brewer General
#1

I had three batches going in carboys and they all looked like this.

I say had three batches because I bottled one last night. Innkeeper.
As I went to bottle it, it smelled kinda twangy - and I thought, here I go again. Last time my beer smell/tasted like this I had a pale ale that tasted bad, not undrinkable,but bad enough that I figured out I didn’t want to drink it. Opened bottles to pour it and each bottle gushed.

Tastes kind of Belgian or lambic. Not like a British ale.

The faux krausen on it was there, after 3 weeks of fermenting. This jelly, opaque and milky krausen didn’t look like krausen.

I’m taking apart everything, replacing equipment, sanitizing and scrubbing, cleaning everything.

But what is it? What do I get to curse? (Aside from my poor cleaning.)

#2

That’s krausen, not contamination, unless maybe it’s wild yeast that still makes a krausen, but… I don’t think so. Either you still have fermentation going on, or the yeast is one of those that doesn’t settle out very quickly. My guess is the former, especially if you experienced bottle gushers. You need to exercise patience and leave the beer alone until that krausen falls back in, even if it takes 4-6 weeks. You can help things along in the second half of the fermentation period by warming the fermenter a few degrees.

If you don’t like the taste of your beer, then consider trying a different yeast strain in the future, and also consider this:


http://s1022.photobucket.com/user/dmtaylo1/media/extract-beginnerrulesofthumb.png.html

#3

Yeah that looks exactly like a 1469 Yorkshire Ale Krausen to me. It’s my favorite English strain, but it sure does weird things toward the end of fermentation.

#4

I don’t think it’s an infection either. It sounds to me like a weak fermentation that produced undesirable flavors. Check the normal things-- fermentation temp, oxygen level, and viability of yeast.

#5

+1, I’ve had a couple of batches with that yeast where the krausen never dropped. That yeast can have some tartness, but it’s been subtle, IME.

#6

+1 regarding long lasting krauesen with 1469. It’s a true top cropper and the krauesen can hang around for weeks. Cold crashing sometimes helps it drop. Other times I’ve just racked out from under it. There is some residual yeast ‘tartness’ as well. Can take a couple weeks in the keg for it to mellow out.
I

#7

Really? I’ve had an infection before, but if you all think Yorkshire Ale is like this, I guess I believe you.

Ok, here’s some more info… The Krausen never dropped. And the temp in the basement (where it fermented) was around 55° at the very end with the WI deep freeze we had there for a bit.

Is this yeast so tart, grassy and lambicy?
That’s normal for this yeast?

I’ll trust the bottles i have, but last time I encountered this smell, I had gushers and the same taste… Although more pronounced last time.

I know I should have raised the temps, but I don’t have the space for it. I guess I’ll keep brewing with my Cali common yeast!

#8

It’s not normal for the yeast. But it’s normal for any yeast if they are dealing with poor fermentation conditions to produce undesirable flavors. You may also have an infection.

I know it is human nature to want to know “what” the infection is, but really, it doesn’t matter a lot. Wether it’s brett, lacto, or a rogue sacc strain, the fix is the same. Tighten up your cleaning/sanitation, pitch enough healthy yeast, oxygenate the wort sufficiently, and control your fermentation temps.

#9

55 is pretty low

Get yourself one of these:

http://www.burpee.com/Seed-starting/hea ... oC_dXw_wcB


It raises the temp roughly 10 degrees above room temp. it works great for finishing slow yeast or fermenting Belgians in the winter. After you place it on the fermenter cover the entire setup with a thick towel or blanket.

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