SCOBY from Jolly Pumpkin Dregs?

So this maybe belongs in the photo collection thread but it's really strange. I bought a bottle of Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bier and dumped probably the last full ounce into a sterile starter (was pressure cooked) and I expected to see a normal pellicle...

Instead I have something that looks like it belongs in a Kombachu brew:

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It's not like a pellicle at all, it has actual mass and is sitting well above the top of the waterline...

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Maybe they have a gluconacetobacter bacteria in their bug profile - it's a total guess of course. I believe that it is what forms most of the gelatinous mass in most kombucha ferments. Did/Does that starter have oxygen/air available when forming the mass on top? (as that would have been necessary for gluconaceto)

 

Yes, I just put a mason jar lid/ring on it lose, so if any pressure where to build up it would vent but also that will allow it to bleed in a bit of O2.

 

It'll be interesting to see what it finally ends up doing/creating after some time. If it changes, please post another picture.

 

Well, it lived in that jar until this weekend, smelled great really fruity when I pitched it. I didn't taste the starter though first, wanted as much in the batch as possible. Pitched it and a starter of WLP-510 into a 10 gallon batch of a Bam Biere inspired wort based on the 'Can You Brew It' podcast recipe.

I'm using a food grade barrel for fermentation and I have the lid opening covered with a cloth to allow 'open' fermentation for primary. I've seen a few fruit flies around so it needs a cap of some kind. But Bam Biere gets open fermentation in primary which is supposed to boost ester formation so I'm giving it a try with the cloth cover.

Today it was happy and fermenting away this morning. Below is this morning, the cloth cover rigged up and the JP Starter just before it went in. You can see the jolly pumpkin 'scoby' floating on the krausen in the first photo.

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Update: I sealed it under an airlock for aging after a week of open fermentation. Checked on it today to pull a sample. Nice tartness, no off flavors but an awesome pellicle that looks like flour/cornmeal was poured across the surface.

The original scoby like growth can still be see floating off to the side covered in the small pellicle.

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Tastes great, probably will get it into kegs soon.

 

Very cool!