White film like substance

[soldiersbrew]

So I am on my fourth batch of homebrew. It is a Russian Imperial Stout. Every batch I have done so far has come out perfect. However, my stout seems to have grown something on top of it in the glass carboy. It is white and kind of film like. I wanted to take a picture but it didnt come out great. the gravity reading is where it should be according to to the instructions and it smells and looks great besides that filmy stuff. Cant tell if it is mold or what but has me nervous. Has anyone experienced this before?

 

[weirdboy]

It might be nothing, or it could be the beginnings of lactobacillus. I have had a similar white layer on a few beers. What I would do, and have done in the past, is rack out from under that film, leaving that layer as undisturbed as possible. I have had beers in the bottle for a year or more after doing so, with no ill effects. In fact a BJCP Grand Master tried of my 18 month old bottles of such a beer and said it was the best of that style he had ever had.

 

[soldiersbrew]

That is exactly what I did. Racked it to a secondary keeping the layer in the first. It was fine for a few days then returned to the secondary. Im hoping it isnt a big deal because im looking forward to this one but I guess ill just keep an eye on it. Thank you for your input.

 

[TopherM]

Do you clean with Oxyclean? Oxyclean is notorious for creating the type of film you are describing when it's not rinsed properly.

If the beer still smells and tastes like beer, it is probably not an infection, as most infections will sour the beer.

Do you keg or bottle? If you keg, you can curb the chance of infection by getting this one in the keg and chilled as soon as possible after reaching FG.

Sounds like you'll be fine, though! Good luck.

 

[soldiersbrew]

I bottle and at the moment wont be able to for another week or so because ill be out of town. I clean it with a cleaner i get from my local homebrew dealer I cant remember the name. But yes it smells and tastes fine. Thank you

 

[Schumed]

Do you clean with Oxyclean? Oxyclean is notorious for creating the type of film you are describing when it's not rinsed properly.

If the beer still smells and tastes like beer, it is probably not an infection, as most infections will sour the beer.

Do you keg or bottle? If you keg, you can curb the chance of infection by getting this one in the keg and chilled as soon as possible after reaching FG.

Sounds like you'll be fine, though! Good luck.

Oxyclean...never heard that one before but would make sense.



I've had some lacto build up on an Irish Red I did and it actually tasted pretty good

 

[zacster]

I had Lactobacillus grow on an already ruined beer when I let it sit for a few days. It was pretty gross looking, and not just a film.

 

[jasonsbeer]

Look anything like in this post?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/infection-gonna-bottle-anyway-197713/

Final conclusion is that it was not an infection. I actually drank a bottle from that batch just the other day. Found a few bottles in the bottom of a stack of empties.