Is This Mold?

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JLep

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I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, so I figured I'll try on the sanitation section. Now, I will get a pic up, but my camera died after I took a picture of the suspect. I recently acquired a conical fermenter and racked a beer into it on the 19th of January. This morning at about 5 am I decided to bottle it. So, I prepared for the task, I drained some trub out the fermenter and all looked ok. I bottled as planned, using 3 ounces of honey for 4 gallons of beer, I should end up with 2.2 volumes. Sorry, just trying to give all the info I can. Anyway, my OG was 1.053 and my FG was 1.013 on brewing day. I took a reading on the 19th and it was 1.018, today it was 1.016, a little off from my target. I got the whole process finished, all bottled and cleaned up. Went to clean the fermenter, opened her up and voila, there was like 4 or 5 circular, what appear to be, mold spots. About 1.5" in diameter, white around the outside, and a tint of green in the middle. On the back side is of these spots were remnants of the krausen, they peeled easily from the sides of the fermenter. Now, I have tasted the beer several times and it seems to be good, aside from it being flat. I'm not sure if this is mold, or what it is, if the beer is infected I'd sure like to know so that I don't get bottle bombs. Any thoughts?
 
1. Taste your beer. If it tastes normal, It's not mold. I don't think it's mold anyways though based on your description -- it sounds like you just had some serious krausen. If you had that serious of a mold issue, I wouldn't have expected your gravity to drop that much (assuming the mold killed off the yeast).

2. My understanding of bottle bombs is that they are created from putting too much sugar and/or heating the bottles too much during the first few weeks. Mold shouldn't cause the bottles to explode.
 
Thanks for your input.

The beer tasted pretty good last I had it, of course there was no carbonation.

The bottles are in the basement where it's 50ºF, they shouldn't blow down there.
 
Thanks for your input.

The beer tasted pretty good last I had it, of course there was no carbonation.

The bottles are in the basement where it's 50ºF, they shouldn't blow down there.


50 is too cold, it will take weeks/months to carbonate, bring them upstairs
 
50 is too cold, it will take weeks/months to carbonate, bring them upstairs

Yes. 100% agree. In fact, at 50 degrees your yeast may die off before it can consume the sugars...long chance, but possible.

Anywhere in the 60's or lower 70's will be plenty safe.
 
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