Is this mold?

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SkiBoarder8

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Hey guys. Brewing an Oktoberfest beer for the first time. Sanitized all equipment as best as I could. Can you tell me if this is mold or krausen? I'm thinking mold. Here is the picture link:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_J8pi3ocEFso/TKpv6yxfJkI/AAAAAAAABP8/piseUKS_TOs/s720/photo.JPG

If it's mold, I read from other posts that I could possibly just rack it from below the mold. Is that what you would recommend? Would adding any sort of chemical help while still maintaining the integrity of the beer?
 
Little hard to see. The hazy bubble look makes it seem like lacto, but it could also just be normal yeast colonies and bubbles with the glass making them look hazy in the pic.
 
Lacto is a strain of bacteria that is used to make sour beers (Lactobacillus). It doesn't look like mold, but it is a bit hard to tell in the pics. Looks like it is a sheen across the top of the wort. Is that how it is?
 
Ok, well since all three of you seem to think it is not mold, I'm hoping I'm safe. I'll just use a sanitized spoon to scoop it off when i bottle it and then rack it from the center of the carboy. Thanks for your help
 
How does it smell? If it smells alright how does it taste? If it tastes fine and it's at FG I'd bottle or keg in right now before it gets worse. It could be acetobacter. If it is you will have some vinegar floating on top of it.
 
Just rack from under it. No reason to take it off the top. If its yeast, then most of it will fall or cling to the sides anyway.
 
I live in the tropics and once in a rare while I get that on a beer in the primary. Especially when I leave the carboy hood on instead on switching to a stopper. It is some wild yeast or bacteria or mold. Rack it off now and things should be OK. I have found if I get to it and then chill the beer it is ok. If its sits too long, some other process starts and makes sour beer. Not in a good way. Good luck and def chill and taste the beer before you toss it.
 
Bottled the beer tonight and tasted it. It had no funky smell or flavor, and didn't taste or smell like vinegar. I took a taste and it tasted like flat room temperature beer haha, but very flavorful of malts with a less intense hoppy flavor. So I added the priming sugar, bottled it, and I'm hoping that in two weeks I have some drinkable beer. Thanks for all of your help and advice!
 
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