Infection-like bubbles from spices?

So, I brewed the NB “Spiced Winter Ale” ( http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/spic … n-kit.html ) the other day. Despite it being the most “National Lampoon” brewing day ever, with nearly everything going wrong, including the spices sitting in the kettle at flameout for several minutes, I still somehow managed to get it into the fermenter.

I pitched two pints of Wyeast 1728 slurry that I had harvested less than a week prior. Fermentation seemed sluggish, but eventually started. I have almost none of the usual krausen, and instead I have large “infection-like” bubbles.

I’ve never had a batch infected in the fermenter before. I’ve also never brewed with spices, before, either. Are these bubbles–is this fermentation activity–from the spices? Or is it infected?

Cheers.

hard to say. the bubbles do look a little ‘filmy’ but i’ve seen weirder.

maybe the spices acted as a defoamer, and caused less krausen then normal. Maybe they gave off some oils that the co2 made into bubbles.

I’d let it ride, and see how it tastes later. if it starts to form a more distinguishable pellicle, then you’ll know it’s infected.

at this point it’s too early to tell unless you have a microscope. I wouldn’t start worrying yet

Yeah, just looking for some commentary. I, too, think that it’s plausible that the spices acted as a defoamer and/or/because-of added oils…