Belgium wit, long fermentation

[kbolling8]

I have had my Belgium Wit fermenting for about four months. It wasn't the original plan but I haven't had an opportunity to bottle it. I am going to bottle this weekend and when I opened the secondary fermenter the beer has a thin solid white layer on top. It no longer looks like a froth but almost a mold. Beer still smells good and I don't smell any mold. Is it safe to bottle at this point? Anyone know what the white stuff is?

Thanks
Kirk

 

[brewru]

The white layer on top is called a pellicle. Your beer is now undergoing a process of souring. At 4 months I'm sure the brew will taste terrible, but if you wait another few months, all the complex sugars will have been fermented and the beer will have a varying degree of soureness. Since you have a wheat beer, it will taste something like a saison.
It Sounds like your beer was probably contaminated by brettanomyices.