White scum on top of my fermenting beer

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Manngold
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White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Manngold » Sat Nov 01, 2014 3:12 pm

Hey all, brewed a coopers stout a few weeks ago, added some extras like cacao powder,chocolate malt and vanilla. All the extras were boiled in about 2l of water for 10 minutes, and added to the fv.

Image

It looks a bit like that. I tasted it, and it tastes very malty and rich. However, it really smells. I have tired to get as much of that scum off it using a sanitised spoon.

Thanks for any help

Edit: can't get image to work on ipad so here is link http://tinypic.com/r/2dbwllg/5

boingy

Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by boingy » Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:45 pm

That may well be an infection. Syphon off the bulk of the beer from the bottom of the bucket, stopping well before you get anywhere near that top bit.
Put the remainder in a separate container (pop bottle or whatever) and assume it will all go off quickly so drink it young!

Manngold
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Manngold » Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:05 pm

Thanks. Is the fv still ok to use for a future brew? I am doing my first biab tomorrow and had wanted to use the fv, or worth buying a new one?

Thanks

boingy

Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by boingy » Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:59 pm

Wash it, bleach it, wash it again then sanitise with whatever you normally use and it will be OK

Manngold
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Manngold » Sat Nov 01, 2014 6:06 pm

Ok, is normal household bleach ok, will the oxy cleaners from ££ land work as well??

Thanks Boingy!

Fil
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Fil » Sat Nov 01, 2014 7:15 pm

oxy cleaners wont sanitise, afaik one of the active ingredients is sold individually as a short life sanitiser but i wouldnt trust the cleaning products. bleach will, cheap thin hose bleach works, just rinse out well.. if using oxy cleaners to clean you really need a sanitiser too, a lot of folk myself included use oxi cleaners and sanitise with no rinse sanitisers such as starsan or videne basically to save extra rinsing ;) as the ocd rule of thumb with chlorine based sanitisers like bleach and vwp is to rinse well 3 times..

dont forget to clean and wipe down with bleach solution on the outside too ;)
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

Manngold
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Manngold » Sat Nov 01, 2014 7:23 pm

Thanks guys. I plan to bleach, rinse, oxi, rinse, starsan and ferment!

Capn Ahab

Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Capn Ahab » Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:24 pm

Big brett bubbles.

It's a wild yeast for sure and might taste funky. Drink it young, and don't bottle it due to risk of bottle bombs.

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Ditch
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Ditch » Sun Nov 02, 2014 1:27 am

What set ups do you guys use, to grow the Stinging Nettles ye thrash ye naked backs with as ye make ye stuff?

Just curious .....

Fil
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Fil » Sun Nov 02, 2014 2:43 am

Ditch wrote:What set ups do you guys use, to grow the Stinging Nettles ye thrash ye naked backs with as ye make ye stuff?

Just curious .....
Not as simple as that first u need to tripple dig the plot for 7 years with a teaspoon
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

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Ditch
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Posts: 11380
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:22 pm
Location: Co. Leitrim.
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by Ditch » Sun Nov 02, 2014 3:23 am

Fil; Y'ever passing through Co. Leitrim ....? I won't f**kin' forgive ye, if ye don't look me up! =D>

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IPA
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Re: White scum on top of my fermenting beer

Post by IPA » Sun Nov 02, 2014 9:34 am

Manngold wrote:Hey all, brewed a coopers stout a few weeks ago, added some extras like cacao powder,chocolate malt and vanilla. All the extras were boiled in about 2l of water for 10 minutes, and added to the fv.

Image

It looks a bit like that. I tasted it, and it tastes very malty and rich. However, it really smells. I have tired to get as much of that scum off it using a sanitised spoon.

Thanks for any help

Edit: can't get image to work on ipad so here is link http://tinypic.com/r/2dbwllg/5
I had exactly the same two years ago when I brewed a Chimay Rouge and this is what I posted on Graham's forum at the time.

Has anybody experienced this. I have just brewed Graham's recipe for Chimay Red and just before the bottling stage a white film appeared on the surface of the beer. It looked like the cacium deposit you find on the bottom of a vessel after boiling hard water except this was on the surface and did not sink even when the beer was stirred. In fact it clung to the side of the vessel. I used Safbrew T58 yeast. The beer tasted fine and I racked the beer leaving about three litres behind with the white film on. In more than twenty years of brewing I have never seen this before can anyone explain please.

As I said the beer turned out fine.
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