Forum favorite: Infected?

[tkone]

Went to keg my christmas ale. Been in secondary for three weeks on top of some fresh grated nutmeg and cinnamon. Probably should have mixed those spices in with some vodka or something. But I didn't.

Anyway, opened the fermenter and saw the following pics. Smell was extremely medicinal/solventy. Sort of like a mix of rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and acetone. This is batch number 16, so it's not the water, the batch I made after this (on the same yeast cake in fact) is totally fine (kegged that tonight as well; tastes great). Racked after 2 weeks, and the temp has been consistently below 75

I can still taste the smell in the back of my throat. It was heavily nasty. Left this one in the fermenter so I wouldn't throw away all the work cleaning and sanitizing the new keg or possibly infect my auto-siphon, etc.

 

[ElPresidente77]

Im no expert but to me that looks bad.

 

[tgrier]

Hell yeah that is infected. No question.

 

[tkone]

So didn't want that to be the answer! But yeah. That stuff is six ways from digusting. It tasted so good when I racked it onto the spices!

The smell is still with me. I just zested a lime to try to get it out of my nose.

 

[Revvy]

Those pics, plus the smell you describe, I think you have a dumper. Now you have to look into what caused it. I bet you are right....Most folks add spices to the boil, which kills off the nasties....and you were probably right to have soaked the spices in spirits before adding them.

 

[bendavanza]

wow nasty. Is there a goldfish swimming in there?

 

[Munsoned]

Congratulations--I think you are now in a select group of HBTers that actually have an (unintentionally) infected batch. My condolences.

 

[bob1852]

Those pics, plus the smell you describe, I think you have a dumper.

Quick! Call the EPA! If Revvy said dump it, it must be REALLY bad

 

[Revvy]

I think the dead goldfish floating in it is a good indicator of it's toxicality.

 

[mordantly]

mother of god! that is definately a sad science project. its funny that when you throw sanitation to the wind, all turns out fine. then when you make an honest mistake, the fruits are moldified. its not fair.