You go away for a week and this happens...

[bigdave]

About ten days before I went on holiday I put a St Peters IPA on. it was almost done fermenting when I went away but I thought I'd give it the extra week while I was away to finish properly. In the time I've been gone there have been workmen in and out of the house doing various jobs and I think one of them must have been a bit nosy and popped the lid off the FV to have a look inside (and perhaps a sample?) as on my return the lid wasn't fully sealed anymore:



I'm assuming there's some infection in there causing the white blotches as I've never had a brew look like this or still be showing signs of fermentation after nearly 3 weeks!? any opinions?

p.s. I've not yet had chance to thake a reading but the hydrometer is currently soaking in bleach ready! lol

[Geezah]

I had a very similar thing happen twice now.

1. I brewed 20l of turbo cider and dipped my glass in the fv for a cheeky 1/2 pint sample and behold 5 days later there is a white film starting to form and a 'stale' taste to the cider. Lesson learned

2. I brewed a Coopers Real Ale kit and left it for 3 weeks while I was on holiday. Returned to see white blotches exactly like your photo.
Turned out to just be co2 patches around bits of DME floating on the surface.

Siphon a bit out and have a taste, if its good enough to drink and a low FG then get it kegged/bottled.

[bigdave]

Cheers. the hydrometer should be ready for a reading by now so I'll see where its at and get it kegged.

[Ditch]

Dave; Why not just taste the stuff ....?

[Dr. Dextrin]

Sometimes you'll get white patches like this if you leave beer on a yeast sediment for a while. Gas gets produced within the sediment and seeps out at various places from little yeasty "volcanoes" at the bottom of the FV. The tiny bubbles then collect in these little white rafts on the surface.

Of course, it could be an infection, but my guess is probably not.

[St. Ailbhe's Brewery]

I see nothing wrong with that, to be honest. I've had brews look like that before.

Any funny smells or tastes?

[Kev888]

I wouldn't worry unless it tastes wrong - I've had 'much' stranger looking brews than that, which had nothing wrong with them at all.

I tend to leave my brews on the yeast for a few weeks sometimes, if I'm dry hopping for example. As Dr Dextrin says, the bubbles aren't unusual even after that long.

Cheers
Kev

[Monkeybrew]

I hope it turns out ok for you, because its a lovely kit IMO.

[bigdave]

I kegged it, and the keg hadnt sealed so theres no gas! I re-sealed it and re-gasses and 24 hrs later its leaked again! Tried a little taster and its rough as a badgers arse!! It can sit there for now as I'm in no hurry for the keg but I'm p**ed as its the most expensive brew I've made for a while and it had to be the one that went wrong.

[Kev888]

Oh dear, this one seems determined to fight you!

I'd give it some time before getting too upset though - plenty of time for that later I've not done this specific kit, but most of my IPAs take quite some time to mellow and round out properly - originally the recipies were made to taste right 'after' a long voyage out to India.

Fingers crossed!
Kev

[bigdave]

It doesn't even taste like a crap beer, it just tasted plain wrong. Sort of musty, medicinal/chemical taste (but not medicinal in the TCP sense that you'd expect from too much chlorine).... I've got another keg to fill and one more to empty before I worry about making room so it can just sit there for now. lol.

[boingy]

Sort of musty, medicinal/chemical taste

I'm all for giving beers a bit of time but in this case I fear it's not going to improve. No harm in waiting a while but you might want to lower your expectations...

[bigdave]

I know its going to be sh*t.

[Bradsbrew]

I feel your pain, had 1 or 2 brews before that absolutely nothing went right and the end result made a generic beer taste great