What is film yeast?

[BadgerBrigade]

I was looking on a Google cider forum and a guy said to another guy "it will be okay if you don't have film yeast starting"...?
Can someone tell me what filmic yeast is?

 

[Maverick22]

I believe it means yeast that is near the top of the must/whatever
I think he means is it okay if I don't see any active yeast starting because active yeast stays close to the top
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor

 

[gregbathurst]

Film yeast is yeast that grows on the surface of cider. It isn't like normal yeast because it needs oxygen, that's why it stays on the surface. It is the floating whitish stuff. Small amounts aren't really a problem except they look terrible. If you have a floating film of yeast or bacteria on your cider it means air is getting in, so you are probably doing something wrong like a bad seal. If you use a carboy filled near the top there isn't much space for a film. If you bottle still cider and air gets in you may get a bit of film yeast, makes the cider unsaleable but if it is just homebrew it is more of an embarrassment than anything else.
If you do things right film yeast is just something you read about on forums.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Film yeast is yeast that grows on the surface of cider. It isn't like normal yeast because it needs oxygen, that's why it stays on the surface. It is the floating whitish stuff. Small amounts aren't really a problem except they look terrible. If you have a floating film of yeast or bacteria on your cider it means air is getting in, so you are probably doing something wrong like a bad seal. If you use a carboy filled near the top there isn't much space for a film. If you bottle still cider and air gets in you may get a bit of film yeast, makes the cider unsaleable but if it is just homebrew it is more of an embarrassment than anything else.
If you do things right film yeast is just something you read about on forums.

On every batch that I have done I have about a quarter to half inch of bubbling foam on the surface of the juice in my carboy? I'm going to assume this is different from film yeast? Is that correct? It almost looks like a foam head on a beer....

 

[WilliamSlayer]

On every batch that I have done I have about a quarter to half inch of bubbling foam on the surface of the juice in my carboy? I'm going to assume this is different from film yeast? Is that correct? It almost looks like a foam head on a beer....

That just looks like normal fermentation to me Badger. You're good to go!

 

[gregbathurst]

You don't get film yeast in the first few days of fermentation when the cider is producing lots of co2. Mainly film yeast occurs after fermentation, during ageing. It is a very thin film (at first). Using campden tablets (SO2) helps protect against film yeast if added after primary has finished, but you still need to keep air out.

 

[ssuchem]

so i just bottled today and after i opened my aging cider it had a thin layer of what i think was film yeast. it was white and very thin. i simply skimed it off. i then added ajc to bump up enough to carbonate. will my cider be ruined? or will it be ok since i removed it?
i was thinking i could pasteurize after it carbed up even tho it will carb to dry. good idea?

 

[ssuchem]

i should also add it tasted fine, no sourness or anything. will the co2 from carbing inhibit its growth?

 

[hroth521]

I had some film yeast a couple of years ago because I had too much head space on the carboy after primary. I racked it out from underneath the film, gently sulfited, and bottled normally. It tasted great. Here is the thread with pictures...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/not-sure-what-but-220336/

BTW, have not had it since because I fill the carboys to the neck to keep the Oxygen out when aging.

 

[lazarwolf]

I realize this thread is ancient. Im posting just to help out in the future. I had a bad seal. Got a film yeast. they are relatively harmless. Sanitize a racking cane. Attach a sanitized disposable hop bag onto the cane. carefully skim out the yeast. transfer to a clean sanitized carboy, affix air lock. If the film yeast redevelops it isn't a film yeast... it's bacterial. At that point let it ride for 6 months. It could be a wonderful sour. Alternatively poor it out. If it is a bacterial infection you'll see it growing down into the beer.

 

[DaMonkey]

I realize this thread is ancient. Im posting just to help out in the future. I had a bad seal. Got a film yeast. they are relatively harmless. Sanitize a racking cane. Attach a sanitized disposable hop bag onto the cane. carefully skim out the yeast. transfer to a clean sanitized carboy, affix air lock. If the film yeast redevelops it isn't a film yeast... it's bacterial. At that point let it ride for 6 months. It could be a wonderful sour. Alternatively poor it out. If it is a bacterial infection you'll see it growing down into the beer.

Dude that is not film yeast, that is mold.

This is film yeast:

Also your advice isn't that good. The first part is (about racking) but you then need to use sulfites to eliminate the reforming not just let it ride out.

 

[lazarwolf]

appreciate your input. Both mold and yeast are forms of fungus. Mold is multi cellular, and produces Hyphae. It almost always looks fuzzy because of this. Yeast is a single cell fungus that may form a network of individual cells. Film yeasts come in literally hundreds of varieties, each may look a little different. They also look very different on ciders and beers, mold is fungal, and presents generally as spots around the edges of the fermenter.
here are some additional pictures of film yeast and one of mold
http://i42.tinypic.com/x3swae.jpg