mjm76

Recipes 

brewed a hefeweizen on Friday 12/15. No real yeast activity that I can tell yet. I have seen a couple of bubbles randomly in the airlock but nothing to speak of. It also has developed some white floaties on the surface. I have been told these could be yeast colonies but they have not grown much in two days since they appeared. Maybe I am being overly worried but they appear moldlike to me. The yeast (wyeast weinstephan was pitched around 80F and the temperature is around 68F......should I toss it or repitch yeast or just keep waiting.

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I would still wait, as I said before. I've seen this in the past. If it would make you feel better about the issue, you could re-pitch with the same yeast---it certainly wouldn't hurt anything. Again, this is why I make a starter for these things.

If you don't see hyphae, or fruiting bodies, I doubt it's mold, although without a picture, I can't make an ultimate decision.

As long as your sanitizing practices were ok, I doubt you have anything to worry about, even at this stage.

--Matt

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On Draft: Old, Stale, Oxidized beer


Holding tanks:Sold
Conical #1:Sold
Bottles: Nichts
On Deck:

mjm76

Recipes 

what the hyphae look like on a potential mold?

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Secondary #1 Nichts

Secondary #2 Mezza Luna Red wine (kit)

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Secondary #4 English Barleywine

Bottled: Traditional Dry Mead, Dry Cider, Honey Koelsch, Doppelbock, Barolo Wine

On the Horizon: Scotch ale, Rauchbier

Biermann

Recipes 

Well, hyphae look like. .. .hyphae. . .they look like thread-like extensions of the colonies. Yeast will "clump" together whereas mold will look "fuzzy."

__________________
--------------------------------------------------------
On Draft: Old, Stale, Oxidized beer


Holding tanks:Sold
Conical #1:Sold
Bottles: Nichts
On Deck:

Biermann

Recipes 

That said, I've NEVER encountered mold. . .

EVER.

Think how long it takes for bread to grow mold.

Usually longer than 3 days, right??

The same species will invade beer, and at the same rate.

I think you are just in the log phase of yeast growth.
As I said before, I had a fermentation that took almost a week to start.


I doubt I'm wrong, although its possible. (no guarantees here)

__________________
--------------------------------------------------------
On Draft: Old, Stale, Oxidized beer


Holding tanks:Sold
Conical #1:Sold
Bottles: Nichts
On Deck:

mjm76

Recipes 

We shall see.....I can say it is a pretty unnerving experience. I think I will be going with starters from here on out.

__________________
Primary #1 Munich Helles

Primary #2 Nichts

Secondary #1 Nichts

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Secondary #4 English Barleywine

Bottled: Traditional Dry Mead, Dry Cider, Honey Koelsch, Doppelbock, Barolo Wine

On the Horizon: Scotch ale, Rauchbier

mjm76

Recipes 

They don't realy have hyphae as I am familiar with. I would be looking for little tentacle like growth hanging down into the liquid. Like I said it is very unnerving....all these gnarly little islands and very few bubbles.

__________________
Primary #1 Munich Helles

Primary #2 Nichts

Secondary #1 Nichts

Secondary #2 Mezza Luna Red wine (kit)

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Secondary #4 English Barleywine

Bottled: Traditional Dry Mead, Dry Cider, Honey Koelsch, Doppelbock, Barolo Wine

On the Horizon: Scotch ale, Rauchbier

Biermann

Recipes 

I still think you are seeing early early kraesen.

Mold looks like mold.


Your experience is the exact reason I do starters now.

__________________
--------------------------------------------------------
On Draft: Old, Stale, Oxidized beer


Holding tanks:Sold
Conical #1:Sold
Bottles: Nichts
On Deck:

JacktheKnife

Recipes 

mjm76,

Whats the temperature in your brew room?


Knife

mjm76

Recipes 

it fluctuates between 63-68F

__________________
Primary #1 Munich Helles

Primary #2 Nichts

Secondary #1 Nichts

Secondary #2 Mezza Luna Red wine (kit)

Secondary #3 Maerzen

Secondary #4 English Barleywine

Bottled: Traditional Dry Mead, Dry Cider, Honey Koelsch, Doppelbock, Barolo Wine

On the Horizon: Scotch ale, Rauchbier