white film on beer

[Pheeel]

Working on a APA. In the secondary for a week and I can see a white film on the top. It doesn't look like krausen. Worried it might be an infection. I've not seen anything like it before. I gambled cracked it open and gave it a wiff. Smells fine. Was going to bottle on Saturday and cold crash beforehand. Thoughts?

[armedcor]

Did you take a picture?

[johnrm]

Did you taste it?
Sanitize a glass thermometer.
Dip it in, does it stick to thermometer, sort of waxy, oily?
If it tastes off, dump it.
Sounds like a infection.
I had this before.
It's possibly pediococcus, have a look here...
http://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/9569/is-this-lactobacillus
You could bottle it off, but you'd will need to sanitize everything that comes into contact with it.
Forget Starsan, you need bleach to bail this one.

[Pheeel]

I haven't tasted it yet but it didn't smell off. I'll try tonight
Picture is after I swilled it to try and work out what it was, there's very little left on the surface. It's a pure white, not like krausen

I was thinking I may transfer to my bottling bucket now, verify the gravity and cold crash if it's done. I had heard that Camden tablets may kill the nasties
I'm pretty sure an infection was due to a under sterilized dry hopping bag so I was going to sterilize my glass carboy in the oven (slowly up to 180, for an hour and then slowly back down) to minimize cross contamination

[Bazza]

Can't see clearly from the picture but if it's like a white webby skin on the surface with a bubble or two then it's definitely an infection; most likely from wild yeast.

My advice is bottle it now, from underneath the layer, while it still tastes okay. Leave it any longer and you'll be shaking it on your chips; it's only going to get worse.  I speak from experience.

Then, as John says, bleach the sh1t out of your fermenter and everything else that's been in contact.



-Barry

[Parky]

Shame you swirled it, as Bazza says it's best to siphon/drain from underneath the layer, so if possible keep that layer intact.

I'm on the fence when it comes to wild yeast infections, as I bottled one a few weeks ago and it tasted pretty good, and seems to be getting better. Everyone has their own experiences, but for me a rule of thumb is - if it smells bad, dump it - if it smells clean, it may be worth taking a gamble and keeping some bottles aside for a few months (just as an experiment).

The only other advice I can offer in regard to my experience with wild yeast is to check the pressure of a sample bottle after a week of conditioning. You can do this by slightly lifting the crown cap (just to de-gas it a little). If it fizzes up like crazy you'll have to keep careful watch on the batch, and de-gas the lot every couple of weeks (this is because wild yeast will eat fermentables your standard yeast won't touch, so will continue fermentation in the bottle). If it fizzes up, but doesn't overflow too much then you're good to leave them for a few months, letting that sour flavour develop.

Oh yes, and +1 on the 'bleach everything in sight' 

[Pheeel]

When I swirled it most of it did stick to the side of the carboy so I might be alright

Decided I'm going to taste it tonight. If it's okay then I'll transfer to my bottling bucket and cold crash. I won't be able to bottle it until Saturday

I've decided not to Camden it (believe I need to repitch before I bottle) and won't stick my carboy in the oven (read that's a good idea for bottles, bad idea for carboys). Bleach the shit out of it is the way forward!

[Pheeel]

Transferred it to bucket. Come over visibly clean. Tasted fine, smell was okay too. See how it looks Saturday

[Parky]

Come over visibly clean. Tasted fine, smell was okay too

That's good news indeed! Keep us posted, you may actually end up with a nice tasty sour in a few months 

[Bazza]

Come over visibly clean. Tasted fine, smell was okay too

That's good news indeed! Keep us posted, you may actually end up with a nice tasty sour in a few months 

Better news okay, but I still think you should bottle it ASAP. What was there is still there.

-Barry

[armedcor]

What difference will bottling make unless he kills off the infection? Tbh I wouldn't go anywhere near bottling it. The infection is going to eat up any residual sugar I'd be fearing some serious bottle bombs if bottled now.

[Bazza]

Just in my own experience, I found that getting it contained and away from the open air helped slow down the process somewhat.
Agreed, however, that the bottles would need to be drunk pretty quickly.

-Barry

[armedcor]

Yea having it out in the bucket will definitely speed things up. Could turn out amazing though. I'd let it ride for a bit if you have the space.

[Bazza]

The disturbance caused by bottling will introduce more o2 into the beer, helping accelerate the growth of acetobacter, if that's what it is.

You still using your 'big funnel and a steady hand' method, Shane?

-Barry

[irish_goat]

Is garden hose food safe?