white foam on the top

Hello all, I have a beer in 2ndary right now and it seems to be going well. Yesterday I noticed that a very thin layer of white (foam?) something has appeared in the carboy, right ont he surface of the beer. Any thoughts on what this is or what I shoudl do?

~mix

 

look closely. It is very likely a bunch of tiny tiny bubbles. People often freak out and mistake this for mold, but don't panic yet.

-walker

 

If it is tiny bubbles(which is most likely) they will probably get larger in the next couple day and will be more noticably as bubbles. If mold, and I sure someone will correct if I'm wrong, it shouldn't effect the taste and is still ok to drink. I read this in a book, and I'm accually curious to what the gu-ru's have to say about it.

 

Yup, they're most likely just bubbles. Racking usually causes some of the CO2 in solution and/or trapped in the trub to be released.

Until it turns into something from a bad horror flick, you'll be fine

 

Nope, definitely not bubbles, looks like very thin layer of sediment. I swirled it a bit in the carboy and theres some paste-like residue on the glass. Uh oh. Still smells good though!

 

what's the recipe?

-walker

 

Just an autumn amber ale with 2 oz rasperry 2oz cherry extract added after the boil.

I'll post a pic when i get home

 

Maybe this has something to do with fruit and vegie beers. My pumpkin ale has the same think but with mine the paste stuff is suspended by the tiny bubble the pasty stuff in mine is definitely trub as it looks like what was left on the bottom of my primary. Mine has been in there since Saturday and the bubbles are dispersing and when the pop the pasty residue goes to the bottom.

 

Had this mead for three months now. It was just honey mead but the fermentation started to die off so I decided to add some peaches one to add flavor and two to add more natural sugars and restart fermentation. That part worked a week after fermentation and cold shock I racked it in to this plastic jug( only thing I had available) now a little over two months later it has this nasty film on it. The film showed up pretty much over night. The stuff on the green spoon is some of the white film i scooped out for better inspection.

 

Considering the beer is in a secondary you may have a case of infection which results in the infecting yeast creating 'yeast pellicles'. Google image search that and see if it compares with what you see in your secondary.

Also, what yeast did you use? Some yeast strains contain a mixture of Sacch and Brett where the Brett comes alive in the secondary and will create Brett yeast pellicles.

Also, was the fruit additions sterilized? If not, it's a good chance they contained some bugs which are still working on the sugars that your main yeast didn't eat.

If it is indeed yeast pellicles you may want to let it ride for a while and chalk it up as your 'first sour brew'...sometimes a random infection can turn out to be quite tasty.:fro:

 

If he still is letting it ride out, it would be well over 11 years old by now