white stuff in secondary

[he-brew28]

Hello, I brewed a wheat beer about two weeks ago. I put lemon zest and honey in the wort at flameout. OG was 1.049. After 1 week in primary it was 1.010. I racked to secondary last Thursday (both primary in secondary in glass carboys). This Tuesday I noticed white bubbles. Yesterday there were many more so I paid closer attention. Its foamy looking, and I can see very tiny bubbles. I have not yet seen any stringy spider web looking strands in the column of beer.

About half the posts I read say its mold, and others say it is yeast or CO2. Anybody have this experience and how did you deal with it/ how did it turn out? Will post pic.

THANKS!

 

[he-brew28]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1429817756.524869.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1429817778.881810.jpg

 

[Nerosync]

I have seen this in my secondaries numerous times only to clear up after a few days and be gone before bottling. As long as it looks like little bubbles I would think it is just normal yeast activity completing the fermentation process. All of the beers I have seen this on personally like I said cleared up after a couple days and then turned out great after being bottled so I wouldn't sweat it. If it continues to build up and take on a much different appearance other than tiny bubbles then I would be concerned about an infection.

 

[ricshayne]

Looks like CO2 or Yeast to me.
RDWHAHB

also, there is no need for you to do a secondary unless you're putting it in fruit, aging it for a very extended (2+ months) time, or in some cases, dry hopping, although most dry hop in primary just fine.

 

[IslandLizard]

+1 ^

Secondaries are not needed for most homebrews.

If and when you do, they need to be filled to the top, at least pretty much. You've got a huge headspace in that secondary, which is air (21% oxygen) that will slowly oxidize your beer. Together with potential germs from transfer, it can cause infections to fester faster.

As soon as your gravity is stable, I would bottle that pretty soon now.

 

[ricshayne]

If and when you do, they need to be filled to the top, at least pretty much.

Cant you just purge the headspace with CO2?

 

[IslandLizard]

Cant you just purge the headspace with CO2?

If you have that capability, sure. Now it takes a few times with short bursts, since you can't vacuum it. Don't bubble into the beer or put ANY pressure in the carboy. One of those double outlet carboy caps would be good.