Gunk floating at top of bottle. What is it?

[scottyman1986]

First, if I’m not posting correctly or in the correct place I apologize. I’m a beginner at forums. But I just bottled my IPA 2 Days ago and see this at neck of bottle. 2nd batch brewed extract. First batch didn’t have this but I did completely different.
I primary and secondaried in a conical fermenting bucket. The ss brewtech brew bucket doesn’t have a trub drop, so it all stayed. Dried hopped in a hop bag. Cold crashed at 38-40 degrees and bottled from the same vessel (racking valve on fermenter).

I bottled in 22oz bottles with fermenters best carbonating tabs. Per instructions I used 2 tabs per bottle.

Is this normal? TYIA

View attachment IMG_3789.jpg

 

[springinloose1]

I've got 2 theories. How was your cleaning and sanitary practices with the bottles? I'm thinking it's leftover gunk that was on the bottom of the bottle from the first batch that came loose and floated to the top. It'll be harmless (unless it's mold) but might contribute some off flavors of what could have been. When I bottle, I use 1/8th teaspoon of PBW in each bottle with hot water filled to the top and let sit overnight. Dump, brush out the bottle, rinse, and use star san to sanitize. My second thought is with all that trub and hop material, if you accidentally roused it up and didn't let it settle prior to bottle will cause little floaties. Again, not harmful but might contribute off flavors.
Cheers and good luck!

 

[scottyman1986]

Thanks. Yes I did clean and sanitize. Sanitizer was star-San no rinse. Some bottles were new as well, so maybe the trub. I had to lift the brew bucket out of the chest freezer to bottle, maybe that disturbed some stuff... and I didn’t rack to a bottling bucket. So maybe I picked up trub off the bottom a little too?

Either way I won’t be opening it for another 2 weeks so we will see.

Also could the carb tabs cause it? I’ve heard it could cause floating stuff but I couldn’t find picture examples.

 

[flars]

Looks like hop debris. Will probably settle to the bottom after the beer is fully carbonated and chilled a few days.

Carb tabs can take longer to carbonate a bottle of beer. Try one in two weeks but maybe plan at least another week longer for full carbonation.

 

[scottyman1986]

Thanks. Yes I wanted to give it a good 3 weeks in bottle before trying. 2 at least. We will see how it turns out.

 

[springinloose1]

Yep, I'm thinking it's just fermentation/trub/hop crud. When I pull fermenters out of my chest freezer, I try to let them sit for another hour or so. I'm using glass carboys so you can really see the krausen get pulled off the sides and into the liquid when it's jostled. I've never used the carb tabs so unfortunately I can't comment on that. Maybe next batch use priming sugar and see if you get clearer beer.

 

[scottyman1986]

Yeah I’ll definitely go back to using a bottling bucket. One day I’ll invest in a chronical fermenter with a trub drop... but until then, racking to a bottling bucket.

 

[JohnSand]

Just chill it and tap the neck. It will settle to the bottom. If it doesn't, drink it anyway.

 

[scottyman1986]

Lol thanks