Is this mold in my pellicle?!

[Zeitgeistler]

Have a mixed ferm ECY bug county that has been going for a year - I've sampled it twice, tastes nice, tart, not too much funk though. Over the last 3 weeks or so, I've noticed the pellicle change from just a white skin (no bubbles or anything), to white with green 'patches'. Was thinking of getting it into the bottle pretty soon, but is it contaminated?

Please help!

 

[RPh_Guy]

Can you get a magnifying glass and see if it looks fuzzy or hairy?

The growth pattern doesn't look like mold to me.

 

[xico]

Mold will require oxygen to survive. Is this in a carboy? What kind of air lock are you using?

I doubt you would have mold growing on the pellicle. I've had non-white formations of pellicles too. The fact it has been going a year makes me wonder why it changed recently. My experience says that the projects I handle and mess with the most tend to be the ones that have problems. Have you been popping off the airlock with more regularity lately?

There is no way to know without genetic analysis but assuming you have a good seal on your airlock and you have not opened the lid more than a couple times then my bet would be it is not mold.

I ask because pellicles only stick around due to the presence of oxygen. It is a strategy for Brett to gain exclusive access to oxygen. This can be due to removing the top to exchange gas, your airlock runs dry, or you don't have a good seal.

 

[Zeitgeistler]

Can you get a magnifying glass and see if it looks fuzzy or hairy?

The growth pattern doesn't look like mold to me.

It doesnt look fuzzy or hairy. I was thinking that too, as mold is usually pretty demarcated and easy to identify. The pellicle itself hasn't changed 'consistency' ie still chalky, and uniform 'texture', these greenish patches have just shown up recently. Weird.

I am going to rack it into a new, sanitized fermenter and probably bottle it this week or next.

 

[Zeitgeistler]

Mold will require oxygen to survive. Is this in a carboy? What kind of air lock are you using?

I doubt you would have mold growing on the pellicle. I've had non-white formations of pellicles too. The fact it has been going a year makes me wonder why it changed recently. My experience says that the projects I handle and mess with the most tend to be the ones that have problems. Have you been popping off the airlock with more regularity lately?

There is no way to know without genetic analysis but assuming you have a good seal on your airlock and you have not opened the lid more than a couple times then my bet would be it is not mold.

I ask because pellicles only stick around due to the presence of oxygen. It is a strategy for Brett to gain exclusive access to oxygen. This can be due to removing the top to exchange gas, your airlock runs dry, or you don't have a good seal.

It is a carboy, fitted with a rubber bung and S-type airlock with star san.

I've only taken off the airlock 3 times in the last 12 months - at 6 mos, 9, and 12 to taste.

It smells and tastes fine - for what its worth...

 

[nrjones89]

Looks like a pellicle trying to keep oxygen out

 

[secondbase]

That does not look like mold, just a normal pellicle.

 

[hotwatermusic]

No way. You're golden...
Don't get nervous until you vomit blood. At least in my experience.
Don't bottle early because of that for sure though. If you don't f with it* it won't get any worse, only better.
* meaning introduce a bunch of air or let it change temps wildly.