So I have my first case of a beer infection. I'm going to assume it stems from using my thermowell and stopper from a Brett beer. Obviously it survived the starsan, lesson learned. Anyway should I just let it ride now? Here's some pics.
Bummer. No reason to not let it ride at this point, unless you really need the carboy empty for another beer.
yep, that ain't right. in the future, dissassemble all the parts and thoroughly clean and soak for extended periods - or better yet, never cross your sach streams with your brett streams. whats the base beer? id probably let it ride, as long as you don't mind losing that equipment for - well, forever. but that ship has already sailed anyway.
Treat it like "tears from a new-born panda". I had two infected batches last year, let them both finish and they were great. Obviously I was lucky and had a "good" wild yeast invade my fermentors (different buckets). But I did take care in the finishing/packaging and was rewarded. I've kept one gallon of an infected Belgian Blond for over six months, will bottle soon and see what I have. Plus you get the experience of "breaking the pellicle" when you go to rack . . . badge of honor for homebrewers.
Nice pellicle, looks lovely! What type of beer is it? I'd definitely let it ride, good chance it will turn out good. Here's the pellicle I have right now on one of mine:
Base beer is actually a blackened version of my citra/simcoe pale ale. I wanted to make a cold weather beer but had too many hops leftover so I just tweaked the recipe a bit. I opened the fermenter slightly and didn't notice any odd smell. Hopefully it turns out well. Any suggestions on how long to let it go? Until the pellicle drops or should I let it go even longer than that?
Blackened Brett Citra/Simcoe Pale Ale, let it go a few weeks, DH, then keg and enjoy. Brett does nice things with dark malts, and it should play well with those hops (assuming that the Brett beer you did previously was with Brett B Trois/Drie). Anchorage hits their DIPA with Brett.
Looks like you have a better bottle carboy there, I would dedicate that putty to sours now. I wouldnt bottle until you have seen the SG stabilize. You could keg it as long as you let pressure off from time to time and change the o-rings and lines before you try a clean beer in there... Should be interesting!
Yes, definitely don't bottle until gravity is stable, and even then, I'd make sure that gravity is below 1.010.
