I brewed 15 gallons of beer in late June and then got my butt kicked by summer. Both beers required a long conditioning so I just let them go in the primary in the fermentation chamber. Last night I went to dry hop them and found mold spores on the neck of the carboys and bungs and what I think is mold on the inside of the carboy as well. When I opened the temperataure controlled fermentation chamber it smelled gross - rancid for lack of a better word. I do have dehumidifier in the chamber and there was not excessive moisture.
I have brewed over 50 batches of beer and never had a problem with infection or mold. I use StarSan and have what I thought were thorough sanitation procedures. I have searched the forums but can't seem to find a thread that seems directly comparable. I have attached pictures for reference.
My questions:
1. Can the beer be saved? If so, how?
2. I have not tasted the beer because of concerns of contaminating more of my equipment. Is this a risk?
3. Can equipment that has been contaminated be cleaned so it can be reused? Is PBW soak, scrub, rinse, and StarSan sufficient?
4. Any thoughts on what lead to the mold?
Thanks in advance for your help.
I have brewed over 50 batches of beer and never had a problem with infection or mold. I use StarSan and have what I thought were thorough sanitation procedures. I have searched the forums but can't seem to find a thread that seems directly comparable. I have attached pictures for reference.
My questions:
1. Can the beer be saved? If so, how?
2. I have not tasted the beer because of concerns of contaminating more of my equipment. Is this a risk?
3. Can equipment that has been contaminated be cleaned so it can be reused? Is PBW soak, scrub, rinse, and StarSan sufficient?
4. Any thoughts on what lead to the mold?
Thanks in advance for your help.