noticing white spots on top of beer

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Mleytevidal

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So I moved my brew from my bucket to the carboy this weekend. Everything looked and smelled perfect. Now, two days later, I'm noticing that there are little white spots forming on top of the beer. Possible that it's mold?? Any reason it would be?? If so, what should I do?

It's at the same temperature that it was during primary fermentation, I sanitized everything that could touch the beer, and I've had the carboy basically wearing a black t-shirt.
 
justin2001fox said:
Probably co2, thats normal

would have to see pictures

Hers the best I could do

image-1218186897.jpg
 
Guys, Co2 doesn't look like anything. It's a gas, remember? It's either mold, or yeast. Since you transferred I'm guessing the first one. Rack and bottle ASAP.
 
It's not a clear photo but it looks like something I get quite a bit and I always considered it normal, as nothing bad has come of it.
 
Its hard to tell. It could be some unsettled trub, some kreusen, yeast or hops. If you saw the inside of my dry hopped Ale, it looks infected- but its not. Have a beer man, and dont worry
 
I get that as well, and usually it's just yeast or chunkiness from the krausen rising, sticking to the carboy, and then drying. I wouldn't be concerned.
 
justin2001fox said:
you can see the white co2 bubbles , so co2 does look like something
Really, are they white? Or just clear. What would make then white in your opinion?
justin2001fox said:
here is a pic
That's a nice pellicle growth there
 
Looks like fermentation as usual to me. Yeast rafts, I think they are called. They will probably be floating around until you bottle/keg.

On the very off chance it is mold, it will grow and you will be able to tell.
 
That doesn't look like pellicle at all. Check the pellicle thread for comparison.

It looks like your carboy got slightly wiggled and the residual CO2 is floating to the top. RDWHAHB.
 
Really, are they white? Or just clear. What would make then white in your opinion?

That's a nice pellicle growth there

I don't see the pellicle (your cell phone lens could use a microcloth), but I do very much agree with Bottle Bomber that it's mold. I think the various "do I have an infection" threads are starting to condition responses around here such that every concern gets dismissed as yeast rafts.

I've seen that mold myself in a couple of beers. I just racked from underneath it and left an undisturbed top layer so as not to get the mold in my keg.
 
If this were a primary I would say it looked like yeast. But it's very unusually to have the yeast drop, transfer to a secondary and then see something like this.

As far a Co2 bubbles, nope you still can't see the Co2. You can see the beer which gas has caused to bubble. Co2 is not visible to human eyes.
 
If this were a primary I would say it looked like yeast. But it's very unusually to have the yeast drop, transfer to a secondary and then see something like this.

As far a Co2 bubbles, nope you still can't see the Co2. You can see the beer which gas has caused to bubble. Co2 is not visible to human eyes.

No, you can't see the CO2, but you can see the bubbles that are created by CO2 being there. That's what people mean when they say it's CO2. And yea, there're probably yeast rafts, too. Either way, relax, looks good.
 
77192d1348668401-noticing-white-spots-top-beer-10-fermentation.jpg


If that circular thing in the middle is a reflection of the stopper/overhead lights/some other optical combination, than I think that beer looks perfectly fine. I missed this picture initially and only saw the fuzzy cell phone camera pic.

However, if that's actually something on the surface of the beer, I'd be concerned.
 
If this were a primary I would say it looked like yeast. But it's very unusually to have the yeast drop, transfer to a secondary and then see something like this.

As far a Co2 bubbles, nope you still can't see the Co2. You can see the beer which gas has caused to bubble. Co2 is not visible to human eyes.

Polar bears have clear fur, what you see is the suns reflection off of the clear hairs. Conclusion = Polar bears are invisible at night.
 
thanks for the help everyone. Consensus is that I should just let it do its thing. I may just get a whiff tonight to make sure it still smells good. I plan on bottling this Sunday - Newbie worries haha
 
If this were a primary I would say it looked like yeast. But it's very unusually to have the yeast drop, transfer to a secondary and then see something like this.

As far a Co2 bubbles, nope you still can't see the Co2. You can see the beer which gas has caused to bubble. Co2 is not visible to human eyes.

Guys, it's yeast rafts. Rising co2 carries yeast from the bottom to the top where it floats. The surface of our beers is rarely ever perfectly clean.

^^THIS

Bottlebomber, if I had to guess, that "pellicle growth" you're referring to is dry yeast. Looks to me like there are residual bubbles from transferring to the carboy with yeast floating in the middle. I think your advice to transfer immediately is a little premature.
 
two_hearted said:
Polar bears have clear fur, what you see is the suns reflection off of the clear hairs. Conclusion = Polar bears are invisible at night.
So basically of a polar bears fur was made from Co2 they would look the same as they do now? ;)!
TheZymurgist said:
^^THIS

Bottlebomber, if I had to guess, that "pellicle growth" you're referring to is dry yeast. Looks to me like there are residual bubbles from transferring to the carboy with yeast floating in the middle. I think your advice to transfer immediately is a little premature.

It looks exactly like a pack of yeast has been sprinkled on the top, but he said he's already fermented and transferred. Unless the beer wasn't done fermenting it seems strange that this feature would appear on the top of the beer, and I do secondaries a lot. It's hard to tell with the pics we've been given though. If it was a pellicle my advice would be to rack the beer out of there and get it in bottles, chilled, and drunk before it gets a chance to establish itself.
 
So basically of a polar bears fur was made from Co2 they would look the same as they do now? ;)!


It looks exactly like a pack of yeast has been sprinkled on the top, but he said he's already fermented and transferred. Unless the beer wasn't done fermenting it seems strange that this feature would appear on the top of the beer, and I do secondaries a lot. It's hard to tell with the pics we've been given though. If it was a pellicle my advice would be to rack the beer out of there and get it in bottles, chilled, and drunk before it gets a chance to establish itself.

I think you're confusing posters. The OP (Mleytevidal) said he had transferred, but it was justin2001fox that posted the pellicle you referred to. I think he posted this picture in an attempt to say that you can see CO2 in the form of white bubbles. I know we're splitting hairs now, but I still hold to the fact that the OP's original picture isn't enough to say there's an immediate need to transfer.
 
mikemet said:
Its hard to tell. It could be some unsettled trub, some kreusen, yeast or hops. If you saw the inside of my dry hopped Ale, it looks infected- but its not. Have a beer man, and dont worry

My dry hopped ale is doing the same. I think yeast is floating up w co2 and making bubbles no big deal
 
TheZymurgist said:
I think you're confusing posters. The OP (Mleytevidal) said he had transferred, but it was justin2001fox that posted the pellicle you referred to. I think he posted this picture in an attempt to say that you can see CO2 in the form of white bubbles. I know we're splitting hairs now, but I still hold to the fact that the OP's original picture isn't enough to say there's an immediate need to transfer.

:drunk: yep :drunk:

That's what happened. I thought both pics were from the same poster somehow
 
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