What is this?

[NotBrewMasterYet]

So this is a picture of whatever is sharing the fermenter with my Belgium Wit. Or is it just yeast?

This is day 18 of a 10 gallon batch still in the primary. The heavy foam fell on day 13 or 14 and FG is steady at 1.015. I was going to bottle this weekend. Or should I rack it off into a couple of secondaries sooner?

 

[NotBrewMasterYet]

So this is a picture of whatever is sharing the fermenter with my Belgium Wit. Or is it just yeast?

This is day 18 of a 10 gallon batch still in the primary. The heavy foam fell on day 13 or 14 and FG is steady at 1.015. I was going to bottle this weekend. Or should I rack it off into a couple of secondaries sooner? View attachment 568473

I forgot to mention it has been fermenting at 68F for the whole time.

 

[V-Fib]

whatever its is its interesting. The area where it seems to be inhibiting the yeast is definitely odd

 

[V-Fib]

If thats all that has grown I'd think you'd be fine waiting but if it spreads more I'd just bottle sooner if your time allows.

 

[passedpawn]

Don't do secondary - just more exposure and risk.

I've seen a lot of weird stuff on top of my fermentors, and that thing you have there raises no alarms to me. I'd say itis nothing. I have clear fermentors, and after 2 weeks (ish), just before I cold crash, I always give each one of them a shake to get the stuff on top to fall to the bottom. Bad actors will stay on the top. You could try that if you're worried. But again, I don't think it's anything and I'd suggest just moving forward with your plans.

 

[day_trippr]

Looks frankly normal from here, hop debris mixed with yeast mixed with trub all suspended by evolving CO2, bubbles of which are clearly evident.

Cold-crash that fermentor and it'll all hit the bottom...

Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

I forgot to mention it has been fermenting at 68F for the whole time.

It looks a bit like it is still fermenting. I'd raise the temperature to mid 70's to see if that makes it finish.

 

[homebrewer_99]

If you're worried about it then sanitize a spoon and take it out.

 

[kristiismean]

I don't think there is anything to worry about.

What I think there is to worry about it why (and not just you) people feel it necessary to keep opening up their fermenters to check on how things are going. Every time you open a fermenter, you run a valid risk of infecting your Non-infected yet beer. Could be something as simple as a fly dropping in, or a hair falling off your shirt, etc. Leave it alone.

Monitor the temps, let it sit. When the time has passed and you are getting ready for bottling, kegging, and want to verify fermentation has stopped, that's the first time it should be open in my opinion, otherwise it's just asking for trouble.

Opening your fermenter to check on your beer is like leaving your car unlocked at the grocery store, sure, you did it a few times, or 100's of times, and your car was never "broken" into, but the risk is still a lot greater...

 

[baldm79]

I don't think there is anything to worry about.

What I think there is to worry about it why (and not just you) people feel it necessary to keep opening up their fermenters to check on how things are going. Every time you open a fermenter, you run a valid risk of infecting your Non-infected yet beer. Could be something as simple as a fly dropping in, or a hair falling off your shirt, etc. Leave it alone.

Monitor the temps, let it sit. When the time has passed and you are getting ready for bottling, kegging, and want to verify fermentation has stopped, that's the first time it should be open in my opinion, otherwise it's just asking for trouble.

Opening your fermenter to check on your beer is like leaving your car unlocked at the grocery store, sure, you did it a few times, or 100's of times, and your car was never "broken" into, but the risk is still a lot greater...

I get your point, but I don’t really think it’s that crazy to be opening a fermenter on day 18.

 

[passedpawn]

What I think there is to worry about it why (and not just you) people feel it necessary to keep opening up their fermenters to check on how things are going. Every time you open a fermenter, you run a valid risk of infecting your Non-infected yet beer. Could be something as simple as a fly dropping in, or a hair falling off your shirt, etc. Leave it alone.

^^ I agree with this...

I get your point, but I don’t really think it’s that crazy to be opening a fermenter on day 18.

... and also this! I don't even look at my fermentors until it's time to keg.

 

[ncbrewer]

I open the fermenter two days before bottling day to get a gravity sample - just a safety precaution. I think that's a valid reason for opening it, but I wouldn't even do that if I was kegging.