Cool mold, bad beer? Good pic

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bbells

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Is my beer bad? I've searched the net and found differing viewpoints on mold floating in beer. But, this isn't just a little bit, this is large bubbles of mold across the entire top of the beer in the carboy. No way I can scoop it off when inside the carboy. Details: 65 degrees, primary ferment 1 week, secondary 2 weeks, mold grew rather quickly. I am usually very good at sanitizing, obviously not this time.
Anyone know if this is good or bad mold? I have a carboy right next to it that is fine.
mold.jpg
 
Interesting. Probably right about the lacto/pedio infection, I searched the web using those terms and it sounds very close to what I have. First time I had anything like this. Is it worth tasting the beer? Or, do you think I should just toss it? Seems to be a toss up of opinions on the web, but this seems to be a pretty big infection.
 
I would so drink that still !!! seriously if you like sour beers or lambics, etc i would try it and see how funked out it is pedio and lactic act similiar to brewers yeast in regards to once all fermentable and unfermentable sugars are used it stops so expect a extremly low FG. Who knows you may have just made your best beer yet. Let us know.
 
From my experience here in HBT, Most would say that wild sour infections usually never turn out good. Besides that, sours take a really long time to get sour. Some people may also tell you to rack from under it, bottle/keg, and drink it quickly before it starts to taste really bad. On the other hand, I don't have any personal experience with these types of infections or Sour beers. I dont know if I'd toss it, or keep it, thats up to you.
 
Ok, after taking a taste I will keg it from under the floating crazies and let my buddies try it first. The worse that will happen is I will need to dump it out of the keg.
It is Old Castle, a New Castle clone.
Thanks for your help everyone. I will update with the results.
 
jperry said:
From my experience here in HBT, Most would say that wild sour infections usually never turn out good. Besides that, sours take a really long time to get sour. Some people may also tell you to rack from under it, bottle/keg, and drink it quickly before it starts to taste really bad.
Click to expand...

I had 10 gallons of this infection and I just tossed it and rebrewed. You can try to salvage by racking and cooling ASAP to slow the infection but it wan't worth it to me -- especially after factoring in all of the equipment that would have been exposed to the bugs (racking equip, kegging equip, hoses, taps, etc.) and the time to clean.
 
Have you ever had this infection before? Make sure all equipment is extremely clean after, so that nothing lingers in the next batches.
 
Yep, never had this before. I transferred it to a keg and it smells and tastes fine. A little flat, ha ha. Soaking the carboy in IO Star Sanitizer right now - Including hose etc. I will probably rinse with bleach after this. I guess it will be a few weeks before I test it again. Good thing I have several kegs. Thanks!
 
I'd replace all cold side hoses after this, along with the siphon/autosiphon, and keep them for future sour beers.

Just as an aside, do you crush your grain in the same room you ferment in ? Grain has lacto crawling all over it and it can get in the beer, even if you are careful.
 
jfr1111 said:
I'd replace all cold side hoses after this, along with the siphon/autosiphon, and keep them for future sour beers.

Just as an aside, do you crush your grain in the same room you ferment in ? Grain has lacto crawling all over it and it can get in the beer, even if you are careful.
Click to expand...

This isn't necessarily needed. I brewed a berliner (turned out terribly). It's the only sour I've brewed but it touched my autosiphon and all the hoses with that, my thief, my keg, my airlock, my carboy. I didn't replace any of it. However I'm an absolute nazi when it comes to sanitation. Everything got a good long soak in PBC first, then a hot water rinse, then a good long soak in starsan. I've brewed two beers since without any infection.
 
LoneWolfPR said:
This isn't necessarily needed. I brewed a berliner (turned out terribly). It's the only sour I've brewed but it touched my autosiphon and all the hoses with that, my thief, my keg, my airlock, my carboy. I didn't replace any of it. However I'm an absolute nazi when it comes to sanitation. Everything got a good long soak in PBC first, then a hot water rinse, then a good long soak in starsan. I've brewed two beers since without any infection.
Click to expand...

The reason I say to trash plastic is that if it has scratches because of wear and tear, lacto can get in there and stay in there, even with a rigorous cleaning and sanitation regimen. I reason that an 8$ siphon along with 2-3$ of hose are not worth losing another batch of beer over.
 
rhamilton said:
I had 10 gallons of this infection and I just tossed it and rebrewed. You can try to salvage by racking and cooling ASAP to slow the infection but it wan't worth it to me -- especially after factoring in all of the equipment that would have been exposed to the bugs (racking equip, kegging equip, hoses, taps, etc.) and the time to clean.
Click to expand...


100%

Not worth it. I would call it a day and move on.
 
Just an update. The beer has now been in the cornelius keg for about a month. I opened the keg and checked it. The beer was nice and clear and nothing growing on the top. I guess siphoning all but the top 2 inches actually did the trick. Will be tasting it in another couple weeks. Thanks for your help!
 
bbells said:
Just an update. The beer has now been in the cornelius keg for about a month. I opened the keg and checked it. The beer was nice and clear and nothing growing on the top. I guess siphoning all but the top 2 inches actually did the trick. Will be tasting it in another couple weeks. Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

Great! Ive had similar results,although mine didnt look as brutal as yours, I had no problem ageing mine that I was suspicious of.Some cleared well. I think oxygen has something to do with it,maybe some bacterial infections cant live without oxygen.That is just my observation,and Ive never dumped a batch and have had quite a few questional batches,key is to be consistent with keeping an eye on these batches. I would suggest you clean and sanitize well or even replace some of your cheaper equipement though just to be safe in future batches.Probably cant go wrong with some PBW and starsan. Even better is to immediatley rinse and clean after using your equipment so nasties cant live.
 
jonmohno said:
Great! Ive had similar results,although mine didnt look as brutal as yours, I had no problem ageing mine that I was suspicious of.Some cleared well. I think oxygen has something to do with it,maybe some bacterial infections cant live without oxygen.That is just my observation,and Ive never dumped a batch and have had quite a few questional batches,key is to be consistent with keeping an eye on these batches. I would suggest you clean and sanitize well or even replace some of your cheaper equipement though just to be safe in future batches.Probably cant go wrong with some PBW and starsan. Even better is to immediatley rinse and clean after using your equipment so nasties cant live.
Click to expand...

Lactobacillus is an anerobic bacteria, in fact, by depriving your fermentation of oxygen you are giving it an advantage over aerobic bugs. Like any other bug that can ferment our wort, once the sugar is depleted it is out of food. Ideally, you would wait until the bacteria is dead to drink it, but it won't hurt to consume it. Kimchee and sauerkraut also offer the same great probiotic benefit.
 
i
edds5p0 said:
Lactobacillus is an anerobic bacteria, in fact, by depriving your fermentation of oxygen you are giving it an advantage over aerobic bugs. Like any other bug that can ferment our wort, once the sugar is depleted it is out of food. Ideally, you would wait until the bacteria is dead to drink it, but it won't hurt to consume it. Kimchee and sauerkraut also offer the same great probiotic benefit.
Click to expand...

According to you,sounds like mine was not lacto infection. Because I still have some of the same batches well over a year not overcarbing or blowing up. I check on them randomly and they only taste better really. And according to some of my higher finish gravities,then they would probubibbubbilbly be eating up those extra sugars and blowing up my beers left and right.
 

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