What should I do?

[GarethT]

Hi Guys

I have a question about my St Peters Ruby Red ale.

All airlock action finished last week, but I've only just had a chance to look at it, and this is what I found..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60825069@N07/7777049448/

Has it screwed up or should I leave it?

Thanks

Gareth

[neilmcca]

I'm about as far from an expert as u can get, but that does not look good !

those orange flecks look like yeast after it's just been sprinkled in !?
the green mouldy stuff though
are you certain it was at the correct temperature when u pitched the yeast into it, too warm would have killed it ?

never brewed St. Peters ... i hope someone here can put your mind at rest,
good luck.

[Ditch]

Gareth; The 'Tide Mark' and the fact that ye saw air lock activity tells us it 'fermented', to some degree.

The obvious mould on top tells us we're f**king glad we're not the ones to have to simply man up and Taste It.

If that FV has a tap? Pour off an egg cups worth. If not? Stick a syphon tube down into it. Either way, if it doesn't taste like cats piss? Lose that top layer and treat what remains as ye see fit.

Good luck .....

Oh; And how about ye video the tasting moment. Just in case?

[neilmcca]

Oh; And how about ye video the tasting moment. Just in case?

+1 for that

[Monkeybrew]

Gareth, I looked in on my Ruby Red on Sunday (day 9) and it looked similar to yours, just my white spots weren't quite as pronounced as yours.

Just draw some off and taste it as others have said, your taste buds will soon answer your question.

I'm sure if you search for white spots on here, that you will find an explanation. I may be wrong, but I am sure that I have read that they are caused by hop oils

[orlando]

Don't panic yet. That is still looking like yeast activity to me, the question is, is it wild yeast. You didn't mention the gravity, is it wildly under the expected FG? If it is then wild yeast is the top suspect. Smell and taste will provide clues, hopefully not too unpleasant but if you smell it first you can decide upon the next step and avoid A&E Brewing this time of the year is more prone to infection, did you use a lid and airlock on your fermentor? If you did and you followed good sanitation you might well be alright.

I can't see what is in the fermentor that accurately as the picture is a little out of focus and the colours might not be represented very well, but the small brown lumps look like flocculating dead yeast cells.

[GarethT]

I've not taken a FG reading as yet, will be doing that tonight.

It smells ok, not sure on the taste yet. I used a lid and airlock and sanitized everything. However I did it straight after a lager brew, and didn't leave it soaking over night, but I did wash everything thoroughly.

I've taken a better picture this morning. Hopefully it will be a little clearer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60825069@N07/7779628808/

will let you know how it goes tonight

Thanks

[orlando]

I don't see anything wrong with that. If the FG is at or above expected it bodes well.

[barney]

Keep Calm and Carry on.

Looks like one of the "normal" types of fermentation.

[drunkpapaj]

As per oralndo and barney that looks about normal...

The brown lumps as oralndo previously said is just the dead yeast flocculating.

[GarethT]

I've just done a gravity reading, it was 1014, if its the same tomorrow night, I'll taste it and if its ok its going to be bottled

[orlando]

Try rousing and upping the temp by a couple of degrees first, unlesss the FG is predicted to be 1.014. You really need 3 readings the same to be sure it's finished. The other factor is that the yeast does continue to finish its work even when the gravity reading isn't dropping, clearing up all the off flavours it has produced during fermentation.