AHHH Mold!!!

So i clean out a keg. I go to rack my batch of red ale from the secondary to the keg, and what do I see as I am moving it to the kitchen??

Two quarter size boueys of white mold.

My first reaction of course was SON of........

But wait... is this a wild strain of lactobacillus? I wish my camera wasn't broken I would snap a quick shot and link it here. Maybe this will turn into a sour beer?

Should I rack anyhow and give er a try? Maybe test a small sample and see if it kills me :cross: I was extremely upset but now I'm growing curious!

i've never tasted a sour beer so I i'm not spoiled with any standards haha

as long as it isn't completely ruined and either dangerous or repulsive i won't be upset!

cheers!

I think I'm going to leave it until I get some discussion on it

its not MY stomach or tongue...or urethra...so drink it! lol

I have read that nothing that can kill you or make you sick can grow in beer(I believe in "complete joy of homebrewing". Might be worth a sample taste.

Guinness puts sour beer in their stout. It all depends on the variety of the mold you're growing. If you know anyone that works in Microbiology dept at a local hospital or lab, you can take a sample there and they could identify it for you.

mjm76 said:

I have read that nothing that can kill you or make you sick can grow in beer(I believe in "complete joy of homebrewing". Might be worth a sample taste.

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read that too... guess it will do nothing but taste bad.

I was told no known pathogen can live in beer take it for what it is worth.

definitely try it before you pitch it.

JoeRags said:

read that too... guess it will do nothing but taste bad.

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I'd be careful. While I've heard that you can't get ill from anything that grows in beer it is certainly possible for something nasty to grow in an "empty" keg. If the mold was already in the keg and you just racked beer onto it I'd dump it.

nope nothing in the keg. the two white floaters are in the glass carboy of red ale.

i'm gonna taste it. when i finish typing I am going to rack a pint, slightly chill it and give er a test. good thing I have tomorrow off work!! haha

mind you this is a secondary also, so there is a good amount of alcohol in the brew already. worst case it tastes bad i guess right? :cross:

When I first got into brewing I was very verbal about the fact. I met one guy who said his friend was hospitalized becuase he tried open fermentation for his first brew.

Which would tell me... if anything in the air just lands on your wort/beer and takes hold.. it could be good (like the belgians), or it could be bad... like.... Very BAD.

I honestly would let someone out front of the local "Jesus Saves" house to test it first.

Check on them in a week, and if he/she lived, then its good.

okay so I tasted it and it tasted amazing.

nothing off really. so i decided to rack it and say what the hay.

So it is in a keg. I will find out if I get the shlitz. then again, you get the shlitz from schlitz anyhow so is it bad if i actually get the shlitz? heh I left quite a bit and didn't come near to taking the top probably three maybe four inches of the beer. Since mold is aerobic with all hope that will contain all that was there.

This mold couldn't have been there for far too long. I think I would cry if I actually had to pour out the entire batch.

are you alive or did it do you in? lol

nope, still alive and kickin'

still reluctant to have a full pint of it though haha

I really think the problem will end up all in my head, the beer will most likely end up (for the most part) safe. This will probably be a beer i won't offer to friends and family though. I will allow myself to be punished for my own actions, but they shouldn't need to deal with it heh.

Wow, drinking all the beer yourself? Way to take one for the team.

Got a dog? They love beer, and um... well, you would know if he's not feeling well.... my 2 cents...

I briefly read all of the previous posts, and I didn't see this so I'll post it now.

Did anyone think that the white floaties might be yeast and not mold?

Brewsmith said:

I briefly read all of the previous posts, and I didn't see this so I'll post it now.

Did anyone think that the white floaties might be yeast and not mold?

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The OP sounded like the "white stuff" was in the keg and then he racked the beer onto it. I doubt it is yeast hanging out in an empty keg. Most likely inadequately cleaned keg with mold.

Sounds like it didn't harm the beer though. I'd drink it up before and spores that did stay in the beer start multiplying too much.

drouillp said:

nope nothing in the keg. the two white floaters are in the glass carboy of red ale.

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No the floaties are in the carboy. I still say it's yeast.

dantodd said:

The OP sounded like the "white stuff" was in the keg and then he racked the beer onto it.

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Again no the mold was on the top of the beer in the secondary.

Brewsmith said:

Did anyone think that the white floaties might be yeast and not mold?

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This was not yeast. Two nicly formed slightly hair like quarter dollar size mold discs. If that was what I wanted to culture, I would have been proud. hah

It could have been from air or an inadequately sanitized carboy.

drouillp said:

This was not yeast. Two nicly formed slightly hair like quarter dollar size mold discs.

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It was hairy? Well, then you have something there.

drouillp said:

nope nothing in the keg. the two white floaters are in the glass carboy of red ale.

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Sorry missed that response the first time. I'd not worry about it at all then. If it tastes good drink it and share it with no concerns. I'll be in Brighton on the 1st of January and I'm willing to put my mouth where my mouth is...

Brewsmith said:

It was hairy? Well, then you have something there.

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yep, this was definitely mold. not just some active yeast floaters.

dantodd said:

I'll be in Brighton on the 1st of January and I'm willing to put my mouth where my mouth is...

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well i'll be north that day (mio). you'll be over by 23 but if your headed down I-275 that week let me know and stop @ ann arbor rd exit. i am literally right there (i am watching the traffic down 275 right now) and beer is something i am more than willing to share! hah

what the h*** are you coming to a cold place like this for? My friends head your way or florida this time of year haha! matter of fact it is mild here again (30s by night, 40s by day). Actually been mild overall less the 1-2 week of bitter cold and minor snow so far. last week it rained for a few days straight and was in the 50s! such is michigan. don't like the weather? wait 5 minutes. it will change. and that's not entirely a joke!:cross:

My family is all in Brighton. In fact, I am wearing a Champ's Pub sweat shirt right now. SWMBO and I are expecting our second child in June and we only found out a few weeks ago. I would not be forgiven if we didn't make it back.

I am already bringing HB for the family and I'm not sure I'll have enough to re-pay the kindness after they get their share. Hopefully everything I bring with me will be replaced with beer that doesn't make it out here on its own.

drouillp said:

don't like the weather? wait 5 minutes. it will change. and that's not entirely a joke!:cross:

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I know. It's a well quoted verse here also.

I haven't had an infection or mold or anything other than just good ol beer in my fermenters and if I do see one, down the drain it goes. I don't think I could handle drinking something that had something other than the yeast it was brewed with, growing on it.
Just me.

mjm76 said:

I have read that nothing that can kill you or make you sick can grow in beer(I believe in "complete joy of homebrewing". Might be worth a sample taste.

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second edition pg.363 under moldy beer.:rockin:

sweet. now i need to buy and read the bible.

still kickin? Heh heh... a little mold wont kill ya! Time to up the dosage of one step though...lol!

I had two 3.3lb plastic containers full of dark LME in my basement beer cubbard for appx 3 months and when I went to use them I found that the whole top of both were covered with small dimesized grey hairy discs - Mold!!! I was so sickened by it that out of spite I brewed with them anyway (scraping off the top layer of mold). I brewed an awesome (I mean AWESOME) Mocha Stout called Musconectcong Magic. I posted a question regarding the mold back in June after I brewed it and someone said to change the name to Musconectcong Moldy Magic. I have to admit as it aged it got better and better and better. Thanksgiving was when it was kicked and when it did everyone who drank it was disappointed.

They still ask if I am making any more of that kind. I wonder if I will ever be able to clone it - I have to think that it might taste differently without the mold.

- WW

Yeah, it could be like certain cheeses, the mold is part of the flavor.

Mate, Lactobacillus are a bacteria, and you probably have a mould. If there are any spores in the brew it will continue to grow. It may be harmless, but many moulds produce toxins.