Is this mold?

[FlyinDevil52]

I've brewed a few batches, and this is my first time with a pumpkin beer. We are getting ready to bottle today, and I noticed something floating that I haven't noticed in my last few batches. I'm worried for the worst and was hoping I could get the expert advice from the forums. Should I be worried? Can anyone identify this? Thanks in advance!

 

[Edcculus]

Its hard to tell. The mold I've seen usually forms a layer over the top of the beer.

Does the beer smell and taste OK? Did you use gelatin? It could be a congealed gelatin ball.

 

[carnevoodoo]

It looks like a mouse.

 

[Ballistic]

It looks like a mouse.

If it is a mouse, swimming in there has to be one of the nicer ways to die. :cross:

 

[FlyinDevil52]

Haha, it's definitely not a mouse. But I agree, there would be worse ways to die. I haven't had a change to open up the carboy yet to smell it. I will tonight when I start the bottling conditioning. I did not use any gelatin, but I did use unpreserved canned pumpkin and a few spice packets that were included in the kit.

If it is a mold (heaven forbid), would that lead to a strong odor? Is it something I simply need to avoid when I transfer to bottles?

I really can't thank you guys enough for your advice!!!!

 

[Edcculus]

Did the canned pumpkin go into the fermenter? It could just be a chunk that floated to the top.

If its moldy, it probably won't smell bad. On my batch, I racked out from under it when bottling. A strong bad smell would be an indication of something you probably dont want to drink. I'd just leave it behind when transferring to a bottling bucket. I'm sure you are fine.

 

[FlyinDevil52]

Thanks Edcculus, the smell seems to be fine (great actually!). So I'm going to try just racking from underneath and leaving it behind. I'll be sure to come back and post when I've had a taste. When we added the pumpkin, we did it during the boil (half way through if I remember correctly). Any ideas what might have lead to the floating fuzz ball? As a 25 year old bachelor, I've had some experiments growing in my fridge that resembled this floating "mouse".

 

[bjones]

I am sure you will be fine if you do as you said and rack below it and leave it behind. One question though as I have a pumpkin ale in primary right now. How long have you had it in your secondary?

Thanks,

Brent

 

[FlyinDevil52]

I had it in the primary for a 7 days, and it's been in the carboy for 8 days now. Tonight, we bottle. We had hit out FG exactly after 7 days. Good luck with yours!!!

 

[flyangler18]

I had it in the primary for a 7 days, and it's been in the carboy for 8 days now. Tonight, we bottle. We had hit out FG exactly after 7 days. Good luck with yours!!!

Your beer will thank you if you leave it in secondary for a while (like another week) longer....

 

[malkore]

Not mold. looks like a normal floater to me...a combination of live yeast, dying yeast, trub and sediment.

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Your beer will thank you if you leave it in secondary for a while (like another week) longer....

^^^what he said

 

[FlyinDevil52]

Not mold. looks like a normal floater to me...a combination of live yeast, dying yeast, trub and sediment.

So you think I'll be ok to leave it conditioning in the carboy with the floater? Don't want to rush perfection, so I just might have to take all the advice.

On a side note, is there any good resources on making beer labels with photoshop? I know my way around the program, but could use some specific pointers.

You guys all rock, by the way!

 

[scinerd3000]

if your that worried about it you can always sanatize something and stick it in and remove it but any time you open it or stick anything in you risk infection. I would leave it because if it is mold it will deffinitly grow as the days go by and you will notice it. Since this is secondary and theres alcohol present(hopefully), it makes things harder to grow and establish infections. If it increases in size- then become worried but for now i would just let it sit. Relax and open a cold one.

 

[FlyinDevil52]

if your that worried about it you can always sanatize something and stick it in and remove it but any time you open it or stick anything in you risk infection. I would leave it because if it is mold it will deffinitly grow as the days go by and you will notice it. Since this is secondary and theres alcohol present(hopefully), it makes things harder to grow and establish infections. If it increases in size- then become worried but for now i would just let it sit. Relax and open a cold one.

Thanks... I will definitly take that into account while I watch it over the next week. Is it at all possible it could grow (with the yeast) over the next week while I watch it? What I'm trying to say is, if it grows at all, should I be worried nonetheless? Thanks for your input...

 

[scinerd3000]

if it grows you should be more worried more than you are now but your probably still fine. Alot of gunk forms in beer for everyone especially yours when you used pumpkin but at this point if it grows then its time to open it up and have an actual look and possibly even fish it out. Whats your gravity down to? And how long has it been sitting?

 

[Big10Seaner]

It just looks like a clump of sediment/yeast to me. I've had the exact same looking kind of thing in a few batches. Leave it alone and it should settle out to the bottom.

 

[BigStone777]

What would happen if he shook it up and got the lump to break up and dissolve...? I'm asking this because i had a similar looking goo ball thing floating on top/ down the side, so i swirled the bottle til it went away. It didn't come back. After that day, the whole thing seems to have continued as normal... if you do that without taking the airlock off, then no air gets in, right? Is there something bad about the way i solved this?

 

[scinerd3000]

What would happen if he shook it up and got the lump to break up and dissolve...? I'm asking this because i had a similar looking goo ball thing floating on top/ down the side, so i swirled the bottle til it went away. It didn't come back. After that day, the whole thing seems to have continued as normal... if you do that without taking the airlock off, then no air gets in, right? Is there something bad about the way i solved this?

assuming theres co2 filling the entier headspace- nothing...however odds are theres still a little o2 there. Using enough force to break up the clump would surly cause bubbles which is no bueno. Just let it sit- eventually it will sink out or you can leave it behind when you rack again. I leave all my beers sit no matter what odd floaters are there and i have never had oxidation problems or contaminiation.

 

[FlyinDevil52]

assuming theres co2 filling the entier headspace- nothing...however odds are theres still a little o2 there. Using enough force to break up the clump would surly cause bubbles which is no bueno. Just let it sit- eventually it will sink out or you can leave it behind when you rack again. I leave all my beers sit no matter what odd floaters are there and i have never had oxidation problems or contaminiation.

Thanks, appreciate it. I'm actually letting it sit another week cause I'm out of town. So it will be a 1-3-3 by the time it's all done. The floating mouse hasn't grown or disappeared since my original post. I'm guessing I'll just have to bottle around it. Thanks for the q's and advice...