Broke my IPA

[Spelt]

I'm heartbroken. Developed a new IPA recipe using BeerAlchemy. Ordered the expensive hop bill. Took the time to grow up a starter as Mr. Malty preaches. Pitched yeast on Aug 7th...last bubbles going through the airlock today. Logically, I KNOW there is a wild yeast in that fermenter and I can even see the sanitation lapse that allowed it to get there.

My question is...Would anyone go to the trouble of bottling just in case? or is it better to dump now and cut my time losses?

[dminnery]

Logically, I KNOW there is a wild yeast in that fermenter and I can even see the sanitation lapse that allowed it to get there.

How did you reach this conclusion?
Have you tasted it and taken a gravity reading?
What are the signs of an infection that you spotted and what was your sanitation lapse?

[Spelt]

OG was 1.054. I had a good initial pitch, just can't imagine it should take 19 days to ferment out. Haven't broke the seal on the fermenter yet but I will taste and check gravity when I do (probably will be 1.002 or something like this.) Had a very vigorous fermentation by 12-18 hours but it has just never stopped. I would expect visible signs of fermentation to be done at between 5 and 10 days.

My sin was to unclog a stuck strainer when transferring from the brew kettle to the fermenter. I used a hand with a rubber glove but did dip the glove in star san first.

[dminnery]

RDWHAHB!!!
Your airlock will still be active even at three weeks, just a lot slower.
Take a reading to settle your nerves, did you ferment at an appropriate temp for your yeast?

[Spelt]

Pretty much right on...68 deg straight through for Wyeast Northwest ale.

I'll take that advice. I usually don't like to stick a thief down into the beer to get an FG sample until the beer visually looks done fermenting...just never had to wait this long except on an underaerated wee heavy that had an OG of 1.098

[dags]

sounds like your over worrying and thinking this one. Next time it worries you have a beer, then if you are still worried have another and so on till you dont worry any more.

take a sample, chech the gravity and taste it then figure out if you need to be worried, fingers crossed you'll be ok

[Stinkfist]

why you scared to stick a thief in there before its done? I do it all the time..sometimes I get anxious..lol but as long as you sanitize everything you have nothing to worry about..

just check the gravity and give it a taste no sense wondering if something is wrong when you can easily just check it and know...

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

Agreeing with everyone else. Wait until it's finished and taste it. You'll have plenty of time to dump it.