Worried

[hjblwme]

So I have my peach saison that I am fermenting. I had planned on doing a simulated barrel aging with this batch (oak chips soaked in red wine). Opened it up a short while ago to add the chips and found this.

It was brewed 4 weeks ago, and two weeks ago I added the amoretti peach purée. Just worried that I may have a sickness (other then my addiction to beer). Should I keg it tonight, dump it, or let it go for a while longer?

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

The grey/white patches seems to appear as mold? Difficult to be 100% certain from the photo.

OK, so now you have a lambic or other soured beer.

 

[DuncB]

Gravity and taste test I'd say. Could just be a different yeast in there. But it looks like there's still some activity in there with those bubbles.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Hydro reading will tell if done or not done fermenting.

IMO, white mold is better than white from unrinsed soap or cleaning product.

 

[hotbeer]

If you think it's done, keg it or bottle it. If we don't hear back from you in 3 or 4 weeks we'll speak about what a nice dude you were.

Got a hydrometer to get a couple SG's to tell if it's finished with that other sugar you added a couple weeks ago?

However I don't think it's anything to worry about. As another mentioned, maybe just a nice soured beer. I've got a recipe kit for one, that might be my next brew to try.

 

[day_trippr]

Ok, so time will ultimately decide what's going on here, and thus I could be wrong, but I believe all that exists in this pic are generic yeast rafts, and that the "white" rafts are photographic artifacts. Nothing to worry about...

Cheers! (fingers crossed )

 

[hjblwme]

So gravity on this brew started at 1.066 and dropped to 1.007 after two weeks before I added the peach purée. Now two weeks later it is at 1.006.
I’m thinking that the “yellowish” patches are yeast rafts, but the white is what concerns me. They are actually there and not reflections in the camera.

plus just worried about the possibility of having to deal with a nasty infection that may carry on to the next brew.

 

[day_trippr]

Ok, "They're real, and they're spectacular" (Seinfeld reference )
Still, maybe not pathological: the thing that is not present is any sign of "rays" - lines of infection tying those rafts together.
While the white ones "up close" do look like potential mold they're not all that different from the not-white clumps.

Perhaps pull a cup of beer from under the surface, put some Saran Wrap over it, let it sit at room temp, and see what if anything develops.
If it remains "just a cup of beer" and doesn't grow anything I'd say what you're looking at is benign. Otoh, if the cup o' beer grows a new batch of "rafts" it might just have an issue...

Cheers!

 

[DuncB]

If it tastes rank it might well be not for the tank ( or keg ).

 

[Snark_Wolf_Brewing]

+1 on what everyone said. Good luck.

 

[Jayjay1976]

It looks and sounds freaking delicious. I'd just let it ride for a couple of months then bottle it. And yeah, you need to go nuclear with your cleaning of that bucket after it's all said and done. Might be the best beer you'll ever brew, don't give up on it.

 

[hotbeer]

There are many articles on the subject of beer infection during fermentation.

my beer fermentation is infected

And they include pics that would actually scare me. But almost all say to sample it. If it tastes bad, throw it out. But note that none said you'd die a horrible death after tasting it. They throw it out simply because it tastes bad. Not that it's bad for you.

Scroll down near the bottom and read
I've Determined My Beer is Infected: Now What Do I Do?
https://homebrewsupply.com/learn/is-my-batch-infected.html
Possibly if you didn't bring that peach puree up to sanitizing temps... and then cool it, before adding it. So then maybe you have some other stuff growing too. As well as more types of yeast than what you pitched.

Read up on Pellicles and beer fermentation too. Possibly one is forming.

Just like most of us probably try not to disturb the bottom trub and yeast when racking, try not to disturb the stuff on the top.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

The puree should already be sanitized. If not, then something is wrong.