Wierd Smell from wort

[weiht]

I had brewed on sunday and everything went fine as normal, buti wasnt happy with my yeast starter, so i had to get new yeast... As a result i only pitched on tuesday. Before i pitched, the wort seemed to have developed a wheaty/corny smell and taste and im not sure if its infected. I kept it sealed in the FV in the fridge, and it should have been alright.

Hmmm, altho i like cornish ales, i definitely did not like that corn taste. Its a mix of corn n wheat, and i not sure if 8% wheat in the bill is able to contribute such a strong aroma. It might be dms, but i think its highly unlikely given i boil 90mins and chill fast without the lid on, so no chance of it condensing back.

any idea?

[Wolfy]

If there were other signs of fermentation/infection, cloudy wort, a slightly foamy head, I'd have thought it could easily be an infection, especially if the smells changed from when the fermentor was first filled.

[gregorach]

Seriously, do not brew unless you've got yeast ready. It's much better to keep a yeast starter in the fridge for a couple of weeks than to have a full batch of unpitched wort sitting around for even just a few hours. I would bet money that it's infected - because, unless you take truly heroic measures, it's always got mould and bacteria spores in it and it's only the yeast rapidly consuming the O2 and dropping the pH that stops these developing. If I'm reading you right, you've given all those nasties a 48 hour head start.

Still, what's done it done - there's no harm in letting it ferment out and seeing how it turns out. Wouldn't hold high hopes for it though.

[Naich]

Giving it another boil for a few minutes and re-cooling before pitching would have stopped the nasties doing any more harm than they had already done. But then if it already had an off-taste then it was probably knackered anyway.

[Rowang]

If its been properly colonised by bacteria - they will have secreted toxins. Botulinium, e.coli to name but a few possibilities..

I would chuck it - no doubt.

+1 on what Greg says - never leave anything lying around. If all else fails - keep a sachet of safale to lob in if you get caught short!

[Befuddler]

If its been properly colonised by bacteria - they will have secreted toxins. Botulinium, e.coli to name but a few possibilities..

Nothing harmful like that can live in wort.. the worst that can happen is it tastes manky. Botulinum is caused by an anaerobic bacterium for a start. It generally grows in oils and fats.

[weiht]

hmm i think u guys may be right, im guessing mold infection given the smell, altho there isnt any visible signs of any wild yeast or mold growth. Just one of those unlucky times i guess. I chilled it down to about 25c-28c, thats the lowest i can go with my IC and ice recirc as my ambient temp is about 30c. Even if i can chill it to 18c with my ic, it would have risen back to 25c by the time i trf to the FV and aerate due to the high ambient temp. So usually i will chill for a few hours in the fridge with the FV tightly sealed before pitching at the right temp and it has never given me any problems... Pls dont tell me that its not best practise, cuz i know it isnt but that's what i have to settle for due to tropical conditions... 2 days was probably too long in this case