Nubie question on mold...

[atxf4i]

I racked a batch on Saturday, by Sunday, I noticed several little white circles, floating in my carboy...

My question is what should I do now?
Should I dump this batch, and start a new one, or is it still safe to drink? Will this affect the taste?

Thanks for your help!

Dale

[Fast_Eddy]

Let your nose and tastebuds decide if it's contaminated. Pull a sample and smell and taste it. Unless it's just plain obvious...stringy gook in the beer, etc

[Moboy]

Pitch it. It sound like a typical infection. I had the exact same thing happen a couple of months back when I was brewing an imperial. It will just get worse if you let it set. Probably a lactobacillus infection

[atxf4i]

Thanks for the help.
The book said mold was ok, but it still kind of freaks me out...

[Tom C]

I would defintly go woth the nose and taste test every so often. If it smells sand tastes fine, its fine. It could also be more yeast krausening.

Tom C

[sallad]

i've definitely seen some white stuff floating in my beer after racking to secondary. i do believe its just some yeast that was stirred up during the syphoning process and became active again! ultimately, its tastes or smells foul, stay away from it. 99% sure you're fine!

[fuji6100]

I usually notice little white floating patches in my secondary, and I usually attribute it to top fermenting yeast colonies. I agree with the folks that say "smell it/taste it" If it's contaminated, you will know soon enough. Keep in mind that beer in a secondary fermenter already has a few % of alcohol and a lot of the fermentables have been used up. The beer is a little less vulnerable than when the wort is fresh. Let it be for a while longer and keep sniffing/tasting.

Good luck!

[Nacho]

I've noticed little bubble-like circles in my red ale since I put it in secondary. I tasted it, and it tasted fine, actually pretty good. Since being in secondary, they haven't multiplied at all. Wouldn't an infection become worse over time? Oh well. I should know by Friday when I put it in a keg.

Nacho

[atxf4i]

Well, last night, I found an Arragant Bastard (man, that's good stuff) locally in Austin. I took that as a sign the beer gods were smiling upon me. I went home tried to smell the airlock - nothing. The Bastard told me to not to rush into conclusions..so I figured I would wait until the weekend to smell and taste, just to be sure. When I woke up this morning, I looked in the carboy, and the floating spots were gone! That makes me think it was yeast, instead of mold. I'll let you know how it smells and tastes next week...

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by atxf4i
Well, last night, I found an Arragant Bastard (man, that's good stuff) locally in Austin. I took that as a sign the beer gods were smiling upon me. I went home tried to smell the airlock - nothing. The Bastard told me to not to rush into conclusions..so I figured I would wait until the weekend to smell and taste, just to be sure. When I woke up this morning, I looked in the carboy, and the floating spots were gone! That makes me think it was yeast, instead of mold. I'll let you know how it smells and tastes next week...

atfx4i I'm in Austin, too. You can always(at least I always have) been able to find Arrogant Bastard at Grapevine(Anderson Lane) and at HEB( @620 and O'Conner - Round Rock). Grapevine also had their IPA.

[atxf4i]

Thanks Fast_Eddy! I found AB and their IPA at Central Market on Lamar and 45?

I haven't made it to Grapevine yet, but it looks interesting...

I'm still getting used to the fact you can buy beer at grocery stores - much different from Denver.

[Richard English]

I haven't experienced it in beer but in wine this could be the infection known as "flowers of wine". It is an aerobic yeast-like organism that turns alcohol into carbon dioxide and water.

If the infection is slight, filtration and a vigourous stirring to help fermentation (while excluding air) will do the trick. Otherwise the brew is lost. It won't taste especially bad, it will just have little flavour and alcohol.

Maybe you could sell it to Bud drinkers...!

[Fast_Eddy]

How is this turning out? No infection, right?

[atxf4i]

Well, last night I popped the airlock and took a deep breath; it smelled like beer. So I shiponed a bit out - tastes like beer too! Flat and warm, but that's exactly how it was supose to taste. So I bottled.

Thanks to all of you for your help and advice.