I have a stout that is in the secondary about ready to be bottled. These is kind of a weird white film around the very top that is freaking me out. I just got back into brewing, but I can’t remember if this is something to be concerned about or not.
Can you be a little more descriptive of the film? Or post a picture?
Likely nothing, but could possibly be an infection.
I will take a picture of it tonight. It is a translucent white film. It is very thin
Hmmm… definately post a picture.
Sounds like it could be an infection, but wait till a few other people have a look at it before jumping to any conclusions.
I really really hope not. That would suck!!
Someone I know recently had a powdery white film on their beer- almost as you describe - and I assumed at the time it was a Lacto infection.
It definately had an odor to it, which I had not detected before.
Maybe give it the old sniff test. and see if you pick up anything sinister.
Again, not trying to alarm you. Could still be nothing.
Yeast that rises and falls in the secondary can cause some concerns but these are usually solitary blobs here or there. A thin, white film does not sound good but again, a picture is the best way to know. There have been times where I have had something on the top of the beer that I did not expect and the beer was okay but a sniff test will tell you. If you can take a whiff and it smells like beer, you’re okay. If it smells like vinegar, sour-like, vomit, the sewer, etc., it’s a problem. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
here it is in an attachment
to me that looks like the end of the dropping krausen (of yeast) and some CO2 nucleation. Do you have any way to cold-crash?
Just ice bath
Yes, from here it does not look too sinister.
Did you give it a snif?
Not yet
Wait and see how it smells.
Last time I saw an infection issue, it looked like little dried white blotches with a film (almost like on a milky soup), powdery white, and almost like cobwebs on top.
I do not see that here.
Had a chalky sweet aroma - nothing beerlike - to it.
If all you smell is beer, I’m guessing you are in the clear.
Yeah, that actually looks encouraging and it depends on how much yeast and other break material you transferred to the secondary. If it passes the sniff test, I’d say you’re okay.
The chunks definitely look like yeast. The white film in the middle… looks ok now, but keep an eye on it. If it grows or starts to form weird lines like veins, then you got an infection. Most likely not, but it’s a possibility.
The good news is even if it is infected, it’s still drinkable. Rack from under neither and don’t suck up any of that crap. Keg (preferably) or bottle, get cold and drink quickly. I had a Maple Pumpkin Porter in 2012 that got infected. First and only infection, ever. Racked to a keg, chilled, carbed and drank. I couldn’t taste anything wrong with it. Many tried it and no one could tell there was an issue. Infections usually take some time (months) to impart flavors in the beer.
It has been bottled. I will see how it turns out and report back
