Is this mold?

[William Wallace]

Hello everyone,

Hoping to get some help with this one. I've been scouring threads but cannot quite find anything like this.

I started a traditional batch of mead about a week ago. 3lbs of Great Lakes honey, spring water, D47 yeast and some yeast nutrients. About half of the honey was crystallized but the bottles were sealed.

Fermentation was normal, if not a bit more quiet than normal but still actively fermenting. About 6 days in I noticed these white patches forming on the glass in the headspace.

Everything was sanitized with a no-rinse sanitizer and was not exposed to air except to add nutrients on day 2 and 5. I've swirled the mead about once a day to degas for the first week. I'm hoping it's not mold but I'm not sure what else it could be. Any help would be great.

 

[MightyMosin]

i can't tell from the images, but if it is, you will see it grow larger and probably get fuzzy.

 

[Elk479]

Those could very well be yeast spots, as you did swirl the demijohn after everything was incorporated. I have similar spots on my glass as well, probably nothing to worry about unless it grows hairs.

 

[IslandLizard]

That's most definitely not mold!
Mold are typically fuzzy little (or big) blobs, floating on top, and they're not transparent.

The less processed (purified, filtered) the honey was, the more impurities it contains. There can be all sorts of little and cloudy things floating around in there.
In picture 1 and 3 it looks like there's a very thin layer floating on top. That could be beeswax.

Was this honey heated or boiled?

 

[William Wallace]

That's most definitely not mold!
Mold are typically fuzzy little (or big) blobs, floating on top, and they're not transparent.

The less processed (purified, filtered) the honey was, the more impurities it contains. There can be all sorts of little and cloudy things floating around in there.
In picture 1 and 3 it looks like there's a very thin layer floating on top. That could be beeswax.

Was this honey heated or boiled?

That's interesting, I didn't think about that. It wasn't heated unless it happened before it was bottled but the honey is raw and unfiltered and had a lot of crystallized honey in a couple of the bottles.

 

[IslandLizard]

[...] the honey is raw and unfiltered

That's probably what you're seeing floating in there, and completely harmless to your fermentation or final Cider.

Except for a possible ultra-thin layer (microns) of wax floating on top, everything else should precipitate out, once fermentation has completed, and letting it rest.

 

[William Wallace]

Those could very well be yeast spots, as you did swirl the demijohn after everything was incorporated. I have similar spots on my glass as well, probably nothing to worry about unless it grows hairs.

Thank you for the response! I was thinking that's the case to but the way it splotches kinda scare me. I'll keep an eye on it, I plan on adding some peaches and mangos this weekend. I'll keep yall posted

 

[IslandLizard]

I'll keep an eye on it, I plan on adding some peaches and mangos this weekend. I'll keep yall posted

Alright!

 

[whoaru99]

Some of the spots on the glass look bluish-green and maybe a little fuzzy to me. But, sometimes it's hard to tell on the pictures so hoping is not the case.

 

[IslandLizard]

Some of the spots on the glass look bluish-green

Don't forget, the OP's jug looks to be made of green(ish) glass.

 

[MightyMosin]

I'm leaning toward yeast though the 2nd picture is the one that gives my a slight pause.
If it is mold, it will become apparent on its own... but until you are sure, I would certainly advise against taking a close whiff.

You don't want that in your lungs, if it is mold.

 

[whoaru99]

Don't forget, the OP's jug looks to be made of green(ish) glass.

Yes, it does have a greenish tinge at some angles.

That said, it's some of the spots like this that caught my eye as having a greenish tinge and looking like they have a fuzzy growth appearance.

It's a case where I'd be glad to be wrong but that's how it looks to me

 

[MightyMosin]

So, is it sprouting hair and fuzz?

 

[William Wallace]

So, is it sprouting hair and fuzz?

That's a negative. I left it in the same carboy for a while to see if there was anything growing and theres no change yet. I'm feeling good about it.

I'm going to keep it on the lees for 2 more weeks and if there's no change I'll move forward racking it

 

[skunkape]

If it doesn't start swimming around or climbing the glass, I'd call it good to go.