Infected IPA

Have you tasted it after the skin formed?

 

Does it taste off? I would refridgerate it right away to slow down the infection if it is actually infected. I wouldnt add any rum, I think that would ruin an IPA. If it tastes off maybe you could add some fruit extract or add some more dry hops in the keg to mask the off flavors. If it doesnt taste bad and you get it refridgerated it shouldnt get too bad in three weeks.

 

If you dont have access to a fridge you could probably use potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfate to stop the yeast and wild organisms from growing. Another option would be to rebrew. I have knocked out IPAs in three weeks. You can force carb in a matter of minutes using the shake method.

 

I would add a fresh yeast starter when you carb it, it won't need much. Try to increase the odds that the a good yeast will carb the beer over the 'wild' one.

I would try to find a cold fridge to store it in though after carbonation. Do you know anyone nearby who can store it for you? Or bottle it, you must have a fridge you can store bottles in right?

 

I believe you need a combo of the sorbate and metabisulfate for it to be effective. If you add it you will need to force carb. If you carb in the bottle (sans sorbate/metabisulfate) you may end up with gushers/bottle bombs.

 

It is hard for a hoppy beer to get infected. i wouldn't worry about it. Cold crash it and bottle it.

 

you can brew a beer that will be ready in three weeks if you start now. get to it, sanitize well, and good luck! oh, and congratulations.

 

Not really..

I've got an IPA that is really hoppy, and even has a higher abv, around 7.5%. It was fine until I dry hopped it with 2 oz and seemed to get those odd lacto bubbles on top. No white film or anything. Then it started bubbling in the airlock again. I added MORE hops to it, and then it seemed to start churning like it was fermenting again in the secondary carboy. It's thrown up all the hops in the bottom and sent them to the top. I have a sewage like slud of around 1 inch of nothing but hops sitting on the top of my secondary.

Gravity was stable earlier in the week. I just had to buy a new hydro ( 2nd in 2 weeks!!! arg.) so I'm gonna check it tomorrow again before I keg it. It tasted fine, or as fine as flat beer taste.

Like the OP. This is for a wedding at the end of the month. I have an IPA in kegs now that I can bottle if need be, but would like to keep it for my personal consumption.. I have another IPA in primary that is a week ago, and I think it's done.. 1.071-1.013.. I could PROBABLY get that dry hopped in the keg and let it sit in a week and bottle off the keg to move it by the 27th when I leave town.

OP, I'd suggest chilling it if possible. Or bottle. If it's a film, it's probably lacto. It'll sour eventually. You can bottle and then chill them and you should be fine.. Unless it's rapidly taking over, in which case.. They'll be sour soon.

 

Your beer doesn't sound too crazy. Sounds like you created nucleation sites for the CO2... I never secondary, nor dry hop in the primary, though so I can't recall what it "looks" like any longer.

 

Thats what I kept telling myself. It had around 3-4oz in there when I racked it today.

Gravity I think has dropped lower than it should have, since I last checked.. It's been over a month since I brewed it. It's down to 1.008.. But I think it's close because I had to buy a new hydro, so I know they might have a slight variance in there..

I tasted it today when I kegged it, and it smelled and tasted like an absolute hop bomb with the sweetness to back it up. I've done this recipe before, but made this one a bigger beer. It's not sour, and it's still got it's body, so I dunno. Other than the throw up on the top in secondary, the odd lacto bubbles, and the fact the gravity had moved, I don't know. It's going to be consumed by the end of the month anyways, so I'm not worried.

 

You may have an infection, but with something as hoppy as an IPA, lacto doesn't have a good time. Isomerized alpha acids inhibit the growth of lacto. It is more likely that you have a "wild" yeast strain (brett probably). Dry hopping may help mask some of the off flavors, and cool temperatures should help slow them down.