Expert: Matt Dick - 4/8/2008

Question
How early can you tell if a batch is infected?  I'm a new homebrewer and on my 3rd batch... so naturally I'm acting like an overprotective parent.

Answer
That's a good question.  I'm unsure how early you could tell, but you're probably fine.  How early are you right now?  Your yeast should get pretty active in just 24 hours usually, so tell me how long ago you pitched the yeast and how long it took to start getting active.  What type of beer are you making?

The answer is that you're probably fine.  One thing I can pretty confidently tell you is not to worry so much, it'll all be fine.  Answer my questions above and we'll talk it through.

Matt