Is this mold?

So i just brewed an all grain batch of beer a couple weeks ago. I left it in primary fermentation for a little longer than normal cause i was lazy, maybe almost 3 weeks. i went ahead and racked it into some secondary fermenters just out of habit, and about 3-4 days in i noticed some mold like business growing on the surface of my beer. now, what i wanna know is, is it mold? and can i still drink the stuff or will it hurt me and my friends?





p.s. this is my first post! thanks in advance for any advice i may recieve!

That's an infection, I'd let it ride and see what happens personally. Kind of looks like it got hit with a Roselare blend. No it won't hurt you but it won't taste like the beer you expected. I'd repost this over in the Lambic and Wild Brewing area if you want to keep this going as a wild beer and you will get a lot of "experts" who will see this and then we can walk you through how to handle a wild beer.

I second that... looks like an infection. Most likely your sanitation and not your extended primary. I almost always primary for 3-4 weeks without issues. I looks like a run-in with acebactor (sp?) that I had a few years back. It was an oktoberfest, but I let it ride to see how it would turn out. It wasn't good, but that doesn't mean you'll see the same issues.

I agree with Bensiff, you should post this in the lambic section.

I don't know what an acetobacter infection looks like; however, if it smells and tastes like vinegar then it is acetobacter and you can go ahead and toss it unless you want some funky malt vinegar.

i usually leave in primary for a a month or two. I wouldn't be so quick to assume an infection. I get lots of funky looking stuff floating around on top and so far nothing has pointed to an infection. If it smells good, rack from underneath it and try drinking it... it will probably be good. The only time I knew for sure something was infected is when I left a quart of wort open for a few days on the counter. No yeast but it developed krausen on top and one whiff was all I needed to know there wasnt anyway I was tasting it.

dobeluvr said:

i usually leave in primary for a a month or two. I wouldn't be so quick to assume an infection. I get lots of funky looking stuff floating around on top and so far nothing has pointed to an infection. If it smells good, rack from underneath it and try drinking it... it will probably be good. The only time I knew for sure something was infected is when I left a quart of wort open for a few days on the counter. No yeast but it developed krausen on top and one whiff was all I needed to know there wasnt anyway I was tasting it.

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LOTS of infections can go unnoticed when it comes to smell. Acetobactor is one of them while it's in the beginning stages. I'm not saying that's what this is, but that's what it looks like. And...I can tell you without a doubt that this IS an infection. Beer doesn't form a film on top of it during normal fermentation unless it's done on purpose.

If this looks normal to you, I don't think I'd want to try your beers.

Suthrncomfrt1884 said:

LOTS of infections can go unnoticed when it comes to smell. Acetobactor is one of them while it's in the beginning stages. I'm not saying that's what this is, but that's what it looks like. And...I can tell you without a doubt that this IS an infection. Beer doesn't form a film on top of it during normal fermentation unless it's done on purpose.

If this looks normal to you, I don't think I'd want to try your beers.

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THE pictures above look alot like the pictures from the thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/my-beer-infected-274981/
everyone there says it is normal

as for not trying my beer, couldn't care less....means more for me, the wife even like them../ drat less for me can't seem to win.

dobeluvr said:

THE pictures above look alot like the pictures from the thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/my-beer-infected-274981/
everyone there says it is normal

as for not trying my beer, couldn't care less....means more for me, the wife even like them../ drat less for me can't seem to win.

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The pictures in that thread are clearly co2 bubbles. The pictures in this thread are film and bubbles formed by a wild bacteria. The white film gives it away.

when I do a search for oil slick or hop oils I come up with lots of results in this forum that aren't from infections.

ps not trying to argue, just trying to learn, so please feel free to explain differences, because my point back would be he just racked to secondary which stirred and woke up some yeast causing co2 bubble, the white stuff is yeast rafts and the oil is from hops (all stuff I have learned on this website)

again please explain the difference so I know what to look for and thank you in advance

dobeluvr said:

when I do a search for oil slick or hop oils I come up with lots of results in this forum that aren't from infections.

ps not trying to argue, just trying to learn, so please feel free to explain differences, because my point back would be he just racked to secondary which stirred and woke up some yeast causing co2 bubble, the white stuff is yeast rafts and the oil is from hops (all stuff I have learned on this website)

again please explain the difference so I know what to look for and thank you in advance

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I agree with SoCo, this looks like an infection of some sorts. Nothing makes me think hop oils. The large white bubbles are what really says infection to me as I have never seen yeast rafts with those types of bubbles.

I just kegged a red ale that looked nearly identical to this on Sunday. My first thought when I saw the white film and big soapy bubbles was infection. I've had that keg on CO2 since Sunday and pulled a sample last night. Tasted excellent, albeit undercarbonated. No sourness or funkiness, just hops and malt.

I had a similar experience a year ago. I brewed an APA using locally grown Cascade hops that I had picked off their bines. I dry hopped the batch and about a week later the beer had a white film with soapy looking bubbles. I racked out from under the film and that beer was great. I took that keg off tap several times and ended up drinking it off/on for about 3 months with no ill effects. The last pint was still nice and hoppy.

If you keg, rack out from underneath the film, get it cold and get it on CO2. The cold should slow down any effects from bacteria and your beer will likely taste normal for weeks or even months. If it is a bacterial infection it won't hurt you, it will just alter the flavor if it's given the right time and environment to grow.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/infection-i-hate-having-post-273411/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/have-you-seen-your-fermenter-160360/

Read up on these two threads. I haven't done follow up yet, but it was definitely mold. Beer tastes slightly more fruity. No bottle bombs. All bottles have a small film of mold growing on top of beer though and clarity suffers a little.