grey scum on top of beer in fermenter

[mrjones]

Hello,
I have had a brew go bad it was just a kit beer with some orange zest and coriander, I let it ferment out on a heat pad at about 24 degrees celcius, once done I added clearing to it and turned the heat off,

a day after I turned the heat pad off a grey film appeared on the surface of the brew, I have had this happen once before and I threw away the fermenter,

I wash my fermenters in boiling water with a sterilizing agent and re sterilize before putting a new brew down, does anyone know what could cause this or is it bad luck and time to throw out another fermenter?

I have been brewing on and off for 15 years and only just got back into it a year ago and had never struck this but now twice in 6 months it is starting to make me wonder if I am stuffing something up,

Any thoughts would be most welcome.

Cheers

Hamish

 

[Hoppin_Mad]

Do an image search for pellicle on beer. If it looks like that it might be trouble. Otherwise it is probably just bubbles/ yeast. It is most likely fine. Got a pic?

 

[Nateo]

Welcome Hamish.

You're definitely fermenting too hot, but that's probably not related to your "gray scum" problem. Pretty much every ale should be fermented around 60*F (Or 15-16*C for the metrically inclined).

What type of sterilizing agent are you using? Boiling water is a poor sanitizer. Some sanitizers actually work better at room temp than high temp, so if you're heating your sterilizing agent, that may be part of your problem.

Mold isn't really a problem in beer, if sanitation was good to begin with. If it's just mold you could probably skim it off the top and be fine, assuming a vigorous and complete fermentation, and good sanitation at every other stage of the process.

 

[mrjones]

I am using a chlorinated cleaner with boiling water and to sterilise I am using sodium metabisulphate,

the picture I have added is about 5 days after clearing.

thanks

 

[mrjones]

 

[mrjones]

How do I upload an image?

 

[Bensiff]

I'd not concern yourself with boiling water, just go with a common cleaning and sanitizing routine such as using oxy-clean to clean and then hit with Star San to sterilize. It is good to tear down all your equipment and thoroughly clean and sanitize, this means taking apart valves and parts that are fitted together to get the gunk out.

 

[mrjones]

I am pretty careful after it happened to me last time as I had to throw 40 litres of beer out as it just got more and more bitter,

I tried to recover the fermenter on the first failure last time but the infection remained, it is looking like Pellicle from images I have since searched so my guess is I need to head to the beer fridge to say farewell to another brew,

is it safe to try and clean fermenter or am I better to throw it out and start a fresh?

cheers

 

[Bensiff]

What type of fermenter is it, plastic, metal, glass? Figure out how to post pics and post that there if I can't ID it someone here will.

 

[mrjones]

the fermenter is plastic, it has only has about 6 brews through it, I am thinking about stealing my wifes glass wine carboy though

 

[northernlad]

I am using a chlorinated cleaner with boiling water and to sterilise I am using sodium metabisulphate,

the picture I have added is about 5 days after clearing.

thanks

The sanitizing properties of chlorine are lost over 100F.
Get Iodophor or StarSan.

 

[Bensiff]

Unless you are scrubbing with a metal pad a plastic fermenter should do much more than 6 brews. I would break the thing down (if it has a spigot) and give it a good PBW/oxy wash and then hit it with starsan as a precaution.

 

[mrjones]

I will give the fermenter a hit and a good sanitize with the items you have suggested, I love beer too much to give up,

Thanks for all your help

cheers

Hamish