Is this an infection??

[steve_flack]

No, it won't help. It's on the way to vinegar and is probably best chucked away. You could try cleaning the fermenter as DaaB mentioned or alternatively just chuck the bucket as well.

The antibacterial properties of hops are overrated - especially as todays brews don't really have enough hops in them to have much effect. The IPAs of old had a LOT more hops in them. The things that have the most effect in reducing bacterial infection are lack of oxygen and low pH. Basically there's only a few bacteria that can survive those conditions - they aren't harmful but turn your beer to vinegar. Sadly those bacteria are very common and are all around us (the b*stards! )

[Vossy1]

That's an awesome picture KM

I'd bin the fermentor, it's not worth the agro of another lost batch

[Garth]

yeah, that is an amazing picture, I would dump the lot

[kenmc]

Thanks for the vote on the picture, it WAS pretty cool I have to admit, and I did spend a while looking at it, closing my eyes and hoping that when I opened them again it'd be gone...

Here's my tap - I'm worried that it comes in two pieces (didn't realise this till tonight) but I can't get it apart - hence I can only assume that there is enough contact of sanitizer in there to do the job. Doesn't sound like too good of an idea, eh? Both of my taps are like this - they're 'little bottler' ones.

[kenmc]

Yeah it does seem like a serious limitation of the little bottler type. Do you know if the bottling wand fits into that tap ok???
Although I'm thinking of never using the tap from now on, will syphon from one to another - that way i can be sure it's sanitized when used.
I'm worried now - the infection was spotted in the secondary, but it could well have come from the tap on the primary - much more likely I think. So do I dump both fermenters?? I might go for buckets instead when I replace them - easier to get in to clean, with no tap will be easier to be sure there's no-where to hide bacteria. I currently have 2 of these (bottom middle - red top):

[kenmc]

another question - do i need to dump the yeast which I saved from the primary (didn't go through the tap, just poured through a sanitized funnel through the lid). Probably better safe than sorry eh??

[steve_flack]

another question - do i need to dump the yeast which I saved from the primary (didn't go through the tap, just poured through a sanitized funnel through the lid). Probably better safe than sorry eh??

I wouldn't use anything that's been in that fermenter - it's all suspect.

[Fozzie]

Just been reading through some instructions for a Coopers kit. This was mentioned in the common faults section:

White skin on top of fermented beer or sour taste (infection) - Equipment has not been cleaned and sanitised properly, wort has been exposed to air for too long before yeast is added, or fermented beer has been allowed to stand for too long before bottling.