What are these things in the bottom of my bottles?

[richardj]

Hi there, I've found this forum to be very helpful in my brewing adventures but I now have a question to ask. What are these small dark things in the sediment at the bottom of some of my bottles? This is my third batch of beer and the first time I've noticed anything like this. The beer tastes normal so I'm quite sure it's not an infection, but when one came out into my glass I did panic a little, thinking it was mold.
Sorry for the quality of the pictures, the only camera I have is on my smartphone and it's difficult taking a photo down to the bottom of a bottle...
http://imageshack.us/a/img716/4340/ywwi.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img834/9339/or0s.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img46/3692/wrlf.jpg

 

[LovesIPA]

Any chance you can get them out of the bottle and take a clear, well-lit picture?

As far as I know the only thing you should have in your bottles is beer and a little yeast sediment.

 

[indianajns]

Are these new bottles or used that you have cleaned? I have noticed this moldy stuff at the bottom of my bottles when I have not soaked them thoroughly in PBW and rinsed.

 

[richardj]

I managed to fish them out and get a better picture. These are bottles that I've used previously and cleaned (I used a bottle brush and soapy water and then soaked them in Miltons fluid to sterilise, but I guess maybe I didn't do a good enough job?)
http://imageshack.us/a/img96/5930/6ues.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img5/8287/q5my.jpg

 

[indianajns]

Hard to tell what exactly is going on there. When I finish a bottle of beer I immediatley rinse it with water then put it in a pile with others to be soaked in PBW. I'm sure there are tons of brewers who use the bottle brush and soapy water method with success but I really can't see you getting all of the gunk 100% of the time with that method. If you soak them in PBW then rinse then sanitize you really improve your chances of having a sparkling clean and sanitized bottle to house your hard work. Just my 2 cents.

 

[indianajns]

Or it may be this??? https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/sediment-bottom-bottles-249608/

 

[bacchusmj]

in your first picture there is a large object that looks like a bug's wing. Im gonna guess that is a hop leaf that rehydrated and got sucked up (I get those a lot because I syphon fast with two young kids roaming my house). unfortunately the rest look like mold.

I actually had a mold issue a couple years ago and the beers they were in were all fine. It was a double IPA and the high alcohol probably stopped the mold growth.

 

[beergolf]

If it was an extract batch there is a possibility it is bits of scorched extract.

 

[richardj]

Thanks for your replies, everybody. It is an extract brew, so it could be that (I didn't use a straining bag to catch large sediment like I have before). It could just as easily be that I wasn't perfect in washing my bottles, too - from now on I'll be sure to inspect them all closely!
Re: the 'bug wing', that's just the shape of the sediment in the bottom of the bottle. I'm used to the thin white sediment and have only just learned the benefits of adding it to the beer rather than pouring it as clear as possible!

The beer tastes fine and I'm able to inspect the sediment for these things using a torch from beneath, so I'll just do so before giving any bottles away, and drink the funny-lookin' ones myself.

 

[brew_ny]

The beer tastes fine

that's a good thing

S_M