Is this mold? What to do about it?

[MplsUgly]

This is the first irregular fermentation I’ve had. This APA is the second carboy of a 10 gallon batch and has been sitting at 45 degrees in secondary for well over a month, maybe 2 and a half. By some reading I’ve done I think this is mold but would like others to confirm.

The splotches are raised above the surface, they look a little fuzzy and some have a tint of blue or green to the center of them.

I took a sample off the bottom and it tasted ok, gravity is about 1.010 so it hasn’t dried out more than it was originally.

So if this is mold I hear some people just rack off the bottom and call it good. That would be easy enough as the carboy has a tap on the bottom. If I do that and keg it am I risking getting mold into the rest of my system? Kegs, taps, fittings and all that? When I lifted the carboy out of the freezer it knocked a bunch of material off the top and It sank to the bottom so I’m not sure that the mold is only on top at this point.

Last question. How do I need to clean this carboy? Bleach? I usually use icy free. Maybe that isn’t enough??

What’s the move to make here boys? It’s not much love lost if I need to ditch it. I would rather do that than cause not problems down the line.

 

[Yooper]

It's infected. You can taste it and if it doesn't taste bad, drink it quickly before it does taste bad.

I'd likely bleach bomb anything that touched this batch, except for any plastic (which I'd throw away).

 

[Brooothru]

It's infected. You can taste it and if it doesn't taste bad, drink it quickly before it does taste bad.

I'd likely bleach bomb anything that touched this batch, except for any plastic (which I'd throw away).

Um, YEAH! +1 with everything Yooper said, except "drink it quickly." You don't need a degree in microbiology to see that there's some bad Ju-Ju going on in that juice. Don't know what it is. Don't care to know either.

The Great Karnac sees a major purchase of stainless steel and an associated ridding of all things plastic in your future brewing life.

Brooo Brother

 

[thehaze]

Yes, that's mold and it looks like it had its time with that beer. But I read the beer has been sitting for well over a month. Have you forgotten about it or how does such things happen? I ask out of pure curiosity, as I sniff and check my fermenters every day and would never have any beers fermenting or otherwise, while I am away or getting ready for holiday, etc.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Mold is something I wouldn't mess around with. Milk the Funk has covered it a good bit since its more common in barrels and fruit sours, and short of sending it to a lab to verify it's not a toxic mold, the ability of mold to produce toxins or cause allergic reactions suggests it's safest to just dump it. MTF says any tinted molds (you mention blue or green) are more likely to be dangerous (but that alone isn't strong enough evidence).

That also suggests you've got a significantly oxidized beer as well.

 

[Coffeeturnal]

Don't mess with mold. Dump it and try again.

 

[MplsUgly]

Thanks for the info. I’ll ditch it. No love lost.

It was sitting around because I make 10 gallon batches but I’ll wait to dry hop the second half until the first half is going low. Consumption has been down because we just had a baby 4 weeks ago.

Im ready to ditch the few plastic things I have anyway. This carboy was a plastic big mouth bubbler and although I like the easy access for dry hopping in a sack, I never liked the plastic.