[tschmidlin]

Yes...rod like is a better descriptive. In any event they are not preferred in beer. Keeping tabs on your sanitation will prevent these little guys from rearing their ugly heads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteria#Etymology
Etymology
The word bacteria is the plural of the New Latin bacterium, which is the latinisation of the Greek βακτήριον (baktērion),[10] the diminutive of βακτηρία (baktēria), meaning "staff, cane",[11] because the first ones to be discovered were rod-shaped.

[maxieboy]

FWIW aluminum foil, plastic bags, paper towels are sanitary from the roll/box.

I don't chance it. Sanitizing is EASY. It's BEER for gosh sakes!    Closing in on 400 batches in 12 yrs. with one contamination(batch #2).

ETA; I posted awhile back on how I thought I had a bad batch. It turned out fine, just didn't taste worth a s**t green...

[phillamb168]

Oh no, this is definitely infected. Both of them, I think.


Really bad


Closeup of the top of the betterbottle of the bad one...


The other fermenter, less milky but still there.

Dahmn. This is my first infected batch ever. I wonder if I got a bad yeast slant from White Labs? Ferment was pretty durn slow and when I tried some of the 'beer' on top of the slant (perhaps you're not supposed to do that?) it tasted FOUL. I assumed it was yeast nutrients and other things, but I think that should have been a warning sign.

What's the best way to make sure this doesn't happen again? Dump, soak in bleach then soak in pbw then star san? I think it might be time to autocalve my Erlenmeyer as well...

[jeffy]

I hope you are not declaring it infected just from what you can see.  What I see in the pictures indicates a vigorous fermentation, that's all.  Have you tasted it yet?

[phillamb168]

I hope you are not declaring it infected just from what you can see.  What I see in the pictures indicates a vigorous fermentation, that's all.  Have you tasted it yet?

Not yet... But I'm concerned at 'vigorous fermentation' because the OG on this one was 1035.

[jeffy]

I hope you are not declaring it infected just from what you can see.  What I see in the pictures indicates a vigorous fermentation, that's all.  Have you tasted it yet?

Not yet... But I'm concerned at 'vigorous fermentation' because the OG on this one was 1035.

That's what I would normally expect with low gravity and a lot of yeast - a very strong and fast ferment.

[majorvices]

FWIW aluminum foil, plastic bags, paper towels are sanitary from the roll/box.

I don't chance it. Sanitizing is EASY. It's BEER for gosh sakes!    Closing in on 400 batches in 12 yrs. with one contamination(batch #2).

ETA; I posted awhile back on how I thought I had a bad batch. It turned out fine, just didn't taste worth a s**t green...

I usually dump my paper towels in sanitizer, foil I do occasionally but don't sweat it if the foil is not dipped in sanitizer. For instance, if I am sanitizing a container to harvest yeast froma  fermenter I dunk the container and foil in sanitizer. But if I am just covering a bottom dump valve to keep it sanitary I just grab foil off the roll and cover it up. Paper towels I usually dunk but in a hurry I have been known to pull one off and use it as a sanitary surface. Convenience sometimes outweighs paranoia. 

[bo]

If you have ever seen a plant where they blow film for bags or roll out aluminum, you'd realize that it's anything but sanitary. I always sanitize anything that comes in contact with my beer, even is it's right off the roll.

[denny]

I usually dump my paper towels in sanitizer, foil I do occasionally but don't sweat it if the foil is not dipped in sanitizer. For instance, if I am sanitizing a container to harvest yeast froma  fermenter I dunk the container and foil in sanitizer. But if I am just covering a bottom dump valve to keep it sanitary I just grab foil off the roll and cover it up. Paper towels I usually dunk but in a hurry I have been known to pull one off and use it as a sanitary surface. Convenience sometimes outweighs paranoia. 

Agreed.  I use paper towels, plastic wrap and foil right off the roll without sanitizing.  Never had a problem related to it.

[Kit B]

Oh no, this is definitely infected. Both of them, I think.


Really bad


Closeup of the top of the betterbottle of the bad one...


The other fermenter, less milky but still there.

Dahmn. This is my first infected batch ever. I wonder if I got a bad yeast slant from White Labs? Ferment was pretty durn slow and when I tried some of the 'beer' on top of the slant (perhaps you're not supposed to do that?) it tasted FOUL. I assumed it was yeast nutrients and other things, but I think that should have been a warning sign.

What's the best way to make sure this doesn't happen again? Dump, soak in bleach then soak in pbw then star san? I think it might be time to autocalve my Erlenmeyer as well...

I really don't see anything abnornal, there.
Maybe it's the resolution, but it's just looking like a very active fermentation, to me.
If you smell strong vinegar, then I'd suggest being worried.

[dak0415]

What yeast were you using and what were the temps of each fermenter?

[phillamb168]

What yeast were you using and what were the temps of each fermenter?

White Labs WLP023 (Burton), 21 C/70 F

[phillamb168]

The thing about the 'bad' one is that I've never seen krausen or whatever it is that thick and sticky before. That and the fact that the two beers are filled from the same batch with the same yeast.

[jeffy]

The thing about the 'bad' one is that I've never seen krausen or whatever it is that thick and sticky before. That and the fact that the two beers are filled from the same batch with the same yeast.

Mine look like that all the time.

[Mark G]

I don't know about infected. It's hard to tell based on pictures, but it looks like it could be normal krausen, just lots of it. Keep in mind that the liquid stored in the yeast vial, just like the "beer" made in a starter, is generally not going to smell or taste very good. Have you pulled any samples for tasting yet?