Infection?

[Tensbrewer]

I have just completed my second batch of dry-hopped bitter, bottling the stuff yesterday. I am a bit worried however that I might have wasted my time as the stuff may have been infected. The recipe was a pale bitter hopped with Fuggles and Hallertau, I dry hopped with Fuggles, in a hop bag for 4 days before bottling. I was pretty careful with the dry hopping - bag and stainless steel weights sterilsed by boiling before putting them in the fermenter. Anyway, yesterday at the end of my usual two week fermentation I went to bottle the brew and as soon as I removed the heater (I use a fish tank type hanging from an airlocked cork inserted through a hole in the fermenting bin lid) I knew something was different. The heater had whiteish film over it and when I took the lid off I could see a thin white film on the top of the beer. I should have taken a photo as it's difficult to describe but a slightly oily film over the surface of the beer with some slightly clumpy bits. There was no noticeably smell of H2S or anything else and it seemed to bottle fine albeit I might have thought that it was slightly foamier than normal.

Does anyone have any experience of something like this? Should I bin the lot or might it be something normal that has occurred because of the dry-hopping? I am conditioning it in the greenhouse (it is thermostatically ventilated at a steady 20 C) as I am nervous of taking it in the house in case the bottles explode!

Any views appreciated.

Tensbrewer

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Taste it, its the only way you will know. If it infected you will know instantly.

[Tensbrewer]

Sound advice I think! I guess I was slightly nervous that it might be highly toxic! What should I be looking for tastewise, eggs, vinegar?

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Vinegar is the main thing. Eggs are not really a sign of a problem. Some beers really smell of rotten eggs, personally I don't like it, but I don't believe it is a fault as such.
You will know if it is infected as it will be awful.

[Tensbrewer]

Now it's in the bottle I might as well give it a couple of weeks and then gird my loins for a taste test, it would break my heart to pour 5 gallons down the drain so fingers crossed.

[TC2642]

I've had the same thing your talking about, if it looks a little oily it should be fine, possibly hop oils but I'm no chemist. If it tastes of vinegar or TCP it's a dumperbrau but from what you have described I wouldn't say it is infected.

[Tensbrewer]

Cracked open a bottle tonight (couldn't wait any longer) and wooo hooo it's just fine! Really quite nice actually, no sense of vinegar or anything else nasty, just a good pint of stuff! Thanks for all your help!

[TC2642]

Glad to hear it

[floydmeddler]

It sounds like Acetobacter. Is there a white film appearing on the beer surface inside the bottles?

[bob3000]

It will be infected to some degree but it may not effect flavour too much at first. Especially if other strong flavours are present. drink it quick would be my advice.

[Tensbrewer]

No sign of any film in the bottles, shouldn't be a problem to drink it quick!

[floydmeddler]

It will more than likely be OK now regardless. I doubt you'll need to rush through them. Bottling early was the best thing you could have done - good work!

If you so see a white film appear in the bottles, don't worry. Just give it a shake and it will fall to the bottom never to return. Report back here if it does happen though and I'll give you some Acetobacter advice. I went to hell and back over Acetobacter but you won't have to!