Pellicle or mold?

[Metalchef1]

I know this is the 1000000th of these but anyone with experience here I would love to know your opinions before I keg.

Roselare yeast strain..

Did 4 batches and pitched the new onto the old yeast from previous batches (had read the characteristics will change batch to batch as the yeast becomes less prevalent and the bacteria becomes more prevalent).

Yes.... They have been disturbed.... I had to move them to elevate them so I can transfer to the kegs and I do an auto siphon and gravity... So... Need them up high and don't have the space to keep them out like that for the 4? Yrs they have been aging?

I have read a lot into this topic and my takeaway is that those 4 are indeed pellicle... And mold tends to be in patches and not spread across the entire top of the ferment?
I see mostly hideous white and brown and no green (that I can see..) or orange or any other colors.

Also if anyone knows... I posted the pictures in order of the ferments...
1 and 4 have the same type of top and 2 and 3 have the same..
I find that a bit odd?

 

[hottpeper13]

4 years is a long time. I have a 25 gal solara barrel where the primary fermentation is done with an ale yeast,racked into the barrel for 1 year then racked on fruit for 1 year, then bottled. There is always a pelical that looks like yours just less. # 4 looks different,is it thinner and I'm seeing the liquid under it? Sample it,smell it, if it's earthy smelling or tasting I would be leary.

 

[Metalchef1]

4 years is a long time. I have a 25 gal solara barrel where the primary fermentation is done with an ale yeast,racked into the barrel for 1 year then racked on fruit for 1 year, then bottled. There is always a pelical that looks like yours just less. # 4 looks different,is it thinner and I'm seeing the liquid under it? Sample it,smell it, if it's earthy smelling or tasting I would be leary.

While I'm not operating a commercial facility.... Even rodenbach is aged 3 yrs before bottling.
Russian river does or did some of their stuff at I believe 7?

#4 looks almost exactly like #1...... And you are seeing the beer under it.... As all 4 were disturbed when I hoisted them up 4 feet so I would be able to transfer them...


I'm not able to take spectacular pictures... Never seem to get my camera to focus.

They look slightly different in those pictures as they do in the fermenters but..... I will agree that #1 looks less disturbed...

 

[hottpeper13]

Hey Chebornek,what dis? Uh don't know,look like dog s!@#,yeah look like dog S!@#. Taste, uh: Taste! Taste like dog S!@#, yeah taste like dog S!@#. Oh , good thing we don't step in it.
In other words , taste it ,if it tastes like dog S!@# dump it.

 

[Metalchef1]

Right.... Thanks for that..

Except aflatoxins and micotoxins have no taste..... So tasting it is not a good indicator of infection...

 

[hottpeper13]

I've never had moldy beer but all the mold to me has a musty/earthy smell

 

[Metalchef1]

I'll definitely buy that..... But my concern is the strain?
It contains....Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus
So it should be weird and funky...
They recommend minimum aging for 18 months and most of the threads ive seen with people using it say that first batch is boring and the successive batches taste better but years of aging to get there...

I've never had "moldy" beer that I know of either so I guess I'm just looking for odd behind the funk and sour?

 

[hottpeper13]

Mine are 3 years grain to glass,and they do improve with age,no pedio in mine.

 

[Metalchef1]

Mine are 3 years grain to glass,and they do improve with age,no pedio in mine.

Hopefully I'm going to be able to get them in the kegs this week if I get lucky.. see what happens

 

[Metalchef1]

Well... Kegged them last Thursday.

The smells ranged from good and intriguing to... Im not sure I can wait to try this one...

And when I looked at my labels.... I mixed up 3 and 4.

So 1 & 3 had the thin pellicle and 2 & 4 where the thick chunky ones.

I didn't really smell anything bad...

Once it's carbed....ill find out..

 

[Flagman Faigen]

Looks like mold

 

[Metalchef1]

What looks like mold?

And all 4....didnt seem to be any mold...