Mold, but can I still save the pot?

[gonnamakemistakes]

Hi, this is my first time brewing, I was using a goose gone wild brewing kit and it said throw in Lactobacillus (didn't get to the step to add yeast) and let it ferment for 4 days. I think my batch went bad. If I sanitize the pot, can I still use it for cooking normal food?

 

[DBhomebrew]

That's not mold. That's a pellicle formed by the lacto. Hope you didn't dump it yet.

 

[gonnamakemistakes]

That's not mold. That's a pellicle formed by the lacto. Hope you didn't dump it yet.

Thanks for the reply. Is it still good? When I look it up, I read several different websites saying the batch got infected and to just throw it out.

 

[gonnamakemistakes]

Thanks for the reply. Is it still good? When I look it up, I read several different websites saying the batch got infected and to just throw it out.

If I can still use it, the next steps are to bring it to a boil. Should I skim it off?

 

[worlddivides]

Does it smell fine? If it does, try tasting it. If it tastes fine too, then I'd boil it to kill off the lacto (and anything else that might be in there), cool it down to pitching temps (68F, for example), put it in the fermenter, then pitch the yeast.

Lactobacillus, like other bacteria, creates a pellicle when exposed to oxygen, so there's nothing unusual about that.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for the reply. Is it still good?

It can very well still be good.
By pitching Lactobacillus you created a "sour ale," they're supposed to be sour and somewhat funky smelling/tasting.
However, Lactobacillus does NOT commonly create a pellicle. It may very well be caused by other microbes that entered.

What was the Lactobacillus culture you pitched, and where did you get it?

I read several different websites saying the batch got infected

In your case you pitched a Lactobacillus culture, so that was intentional, and would thus not be considered an infection.

Now "infection" is a relative term.
It's usually used to describe unintentional microorganisms that entered, and show their "character."

IOW, other microorganisms may have entered, intentionally or unintentionally.
Although those could be considered "infections." in wild brewing there's much more leeway, and those "infections" can actually enhance your sour beers by a multitude.

 

[IslandLizard]

If I can still use it, the next steps are to bring it to a boil. Should I skim it off?

I would not boil it, that would certainly ruin your sour beer!
Don't skim the pellicle off either. It's a protective "skin" that prevents other (potentially really nasty) intruders from entering.

If you have one of those (skinny) plastic sample pipets (with the integrated "squeeze bulb" on top), I'd stick that down through the pellicle/foam, and take a sample of your beer underneath. Then squeeze it out into a shot glass or so and smell and taste it.

Still, use good sanitation practices* though, you don't want to ruin that beer with a real nasty bug.
* Starsan or Iodophor are fine.

 

[IslandLizard]

If I sanitize the pot, can I still use it for cooking normal food?

Sure, after you've transferred the beer into another vessel/fermenter to complete the fermentation, and add a regular (clean) yeast to that, give the pot a good rinse-out, followed by a good wash/scrub with hot soapy water and a dish brush or scour pad.

Pot looks like stainless steel so it can be scrubbed well.

BTW, are you following a recipe for making a kettle sour beer?
If so, can you post the recipe?

 

[IslandLizard]

I would not boil it, that would certainly ruin your sour beer!

Let me rephrase that:
If you're making a "kettle sour" then yes you can briefly boil it to kill the lactobacillus and stop the souring process, then cool it down and pitch your clean yeast to finish it.

You can also save some of your sour beer (such as a pint in a mason jar) to inoculate another batch, and so on. You can refrigerate that pint until next use.

 

[Bobby_M]

Making a sour beer, whether kettle sour or otherwise, as your "first time brewing" is pretty nuts. That's all I'm going to say about that.

 

[gonnamakemistakes]

It can very well still be good.
By pitching Lactobacillus you created a "sour ale," they're supposed to be sour and somewhat funky smelling/tasting.
However, Lactobacillus does NOT commonly create a pellicle. It may very well be caused by other microbes that entered.

What was the Lactobacillus culture you pitched, and where did you get it?


In your case you pitched a Lactobacillus culture, so that was intentional, and would thus not be considered an infection.

Now "infection" is a relative term.
It's usually used to describe unintentional microorganisms that entered, and show their "character."

IOW, other microorganisms may have entered, intentionally or unintentionally.
Although those could be considered "infections." in wild brewing there's much more leeway, and those "infections" can actually enhance your sour beers by a multitude.

I got it from the fb market market place lol. The kit was from Brookyln Brew shop.

Thank you and everyone else for all your help! I learned alot. Unfortunately ants got into the pot . I only saw them after moving the pellicle, but it's okay. I still have the equipment, so I gonna try again.

 

[IslandLizard]

Unfortunately ants got into the pot .

So???
Scoop 'em off with the pellicle and boil the (sour) wort for 5-10 minutes. Then proceed by moving the beer to a fermenter that can be well closed, wait until it's chilled enough, and pitch your clean yeast to finish your kettle sour.

 

[redrocker652002]

Man I bet those are some happy ants. LOL

 

[worlddivides]

So this seems to be what you have:
https://brooklynbrewshop.com/produc...5uYmlC98p6EJxhC_1KhiuKWDEhXdax4l8WXoV3rxdvw3g