white film

So its not the first time the white film forms on top of my secondary but its there again.
Has anyone figured out what this is? Should I make an effort not to include this in my bottles? I'm all but convinced its not an infection.
thanks

You shouldn't have any white film at all. I suspect you have too much headspace and have a bit of an infection.

I've had this in Primary before: it usually shows up around the 3 week mark. There seems to be mixed opinions on here as to what exactly causes it. Many people claim it's harmless and say they've never had any problems; others say it's an infection and should be bottled and drank quickly. My opinion is that it's not normal: something is amidst and it shouldn't be there.

In either case, I would rack from underneath it and leave it all behind. Personally, I've encountered this a couple times and had it go both ways. I've had an infection after bottling with overcarbonated and sour beers. But another time, the beers turned out perfectly fine and actually stood up to the test of time (several months down the road, no signs of infection or off flavors at all.)

You'll get a mix of responses but I think everyone agrees you should rack from below and leave it behind.

I've noticed that Star San leaves a thin film behind after racking to secondary. (on the surface of the must, once the foam is gone) Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it hangs out for a while.

Is the film there from the beginning or does it form over time (or get thicker)? A white film that develops over time doesn't seem 100% normal to me.

Mine develops over time and just hangs out on the surface. It never grows beyond a film and never turns colors. It doesn't get thick and does not smell. I've had it before and my ciders taste delicious, so I really don't believe its an infection.