Help: Mouldy or infected beer? Or is this normal?

[Moshmasher]

Hey everyone!
I'm a first time beer brewer and there's a weird sludge on my bottle and the surface of the beer. Can you tell me if this is normal or if it's infected/mouldy?

Thanks!

 

[MashBag]

From very limited info I will say mould.

C'mon you gotta give us some clues

Kit or all grain?
How old?
What stage is it at?
How did you make it?
Same beer in both pic?
Why the big air gap?

 

[JockyBrewer]

That’s just yeast. You are all good.

 

[MashBag]

That's confident

Big air gap and a ring. Made me go Oooo.

Pre, during or post fermentation?

But it could go either at the mo..

 

[Deadhead]

Normal
Taste it, is it foosty?

 

[MashBag]

@Moshmasher
Whatever it is, Don't bin it.

 

[MashBag]

Normal
Taste it, is it foosty?

.. And Smell it.

Changed my mind, will a newbie know. Taste and smell come after a few normal brews.

 

[JockyBrewer]

That's confident

Big air gap and a ring. Made me go Oooo.

Pre, during or post fermentation?

But it could go either at the mo..

View attachment 95772

I'll admit I didn't see the ring there, although if that is mould I'd expect multiple rings, and for it to be blue/green/black fuzzy.

The crud smeared on the inside of the fermenter is just krausen, which means this has fermented, and that's nearly an impossible environment for mould to grow in.

 

[Sadfield]

Mould can grow on beer, but generally requires oxygen to do so.

https://suigenerisbrewing.com/index...-can-pathogens-survive-in-beer-mould-edition/

@Moshmasher Is there a time gap between the two photos?

Looking at where the recycling triangle is in each photo, it's looking like the artifact circled by @MashBag is a later development. Not promising.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I was going to say yeast, only one way to find out taste test

 

[MashBag]

Mold is typically a surface issue. So most likely won't taste (or smell). Those signs need to be 'normal' and can the beer can be fixed.

 

[MashBag]

@Moshmasher Is there a time gap between the two photos?

Looking at where the recycling triangle is in each photo, it's looking like the artifact circled by @MashBag is a later development. Not promising.

That's a good spot. We need more info, but if that is time-lapse then beer is much darker too. Also not promising.

 

[Moshmasher]

From very limited info I will say mould.

C'mon you gotta give us some clues

Kit or all grain?
How old?
What stage is it at?
How did you make it?
Same beer in both pic?
Why the big air gap?

Wow, everyone has been super helpful - thanks for everyone's responses!

This is my first ever brew so I'll try my best to answer:

First off, this was from a kit about 7 days after set-up (with pre-made wort, warm water, yeast). I'm living in Mauritius so there's no access to homebrew equipment so this is a large water jug and the "ring" is just the pop cap seal from the jug, and some of the weird gunk has collected on it.

There's no time gap between photos, just one with flash and one without.

And I left the big air gap because this is in my cupboard and I read a lot of horror stories about beer bombs/overflowing.

There are no rings and after reading these comments, I'm leaning towards it being yeast or Krausen, but I'll have to wait and see (especially because we're at a consistent 30°C here which really prompts mould growth)

Thanks!

 

[JockyBrewer]

A 30C fermentation is going to produce some interesting flavours.

I’d recommend getting some dried kviek yeast if you want to ferment in those temperatures without cooling.

 

[Frisp]

this is a large water jug and the "ring" is just the pop cap seal from the jug, and some of the weird gunk has collected on it.

What did you do to samitise inside the water bottle before adding the wort and yeast?

 

[MashBag]

Wow, everyone has been super helpful - thanks for everyone's responses!

This is my first ever brew so I'll try my best to answer:

First off, this was from a kit about 7 days after set-up (with pre-made wort, warm water, yeast). I'm living in Mauritius so there's no access to homebrew equipment so this is a large water jug and the "ring" is just the pop cap seal from the jug, and some of the weird gunk has collected on it.

There's no time gap between photos, just one with flash and one without.

And I left the big air gap because this is in my cupboard and I read a lot of horror stories about beer bombs/overflowing.

There are no rings and after reading these comments, I'm leaning towards it being yeast or Krausen, but I'll have to wait and see (especially because we're at a consistent 30°C here which really prompts mould growth)

Thanks!

Excellent news. Now is the time to taste. It looks & sounds like the initial fermentation is complete.

Taste it, should be fresh, but flat beer.

Get it bottled or kegged ASAP to protect it. If you do nothing else, get rid of the air gap or to buy time you can add another couple of spoons of table sugar. This won't affect the beer, but the yeast will produce a little more co2 and this lays on the surface and protects it a bit.

Don't slosh/pour/stir until you are ready to bottle or keg.

Looks like your are well on your way to sucessfully brewing your first

 

[Moshmasher]

A 30C fermentation is going to produce some interesting flavours.

I’d recommend getting some dried kviek yeast if you want to ferment in those temperatures without cooling.

Definitely sound advice, but alas Mauritius doesn't sell anything like that. I had to bring everything over from the UK. Thoughts on whether it's yeast, mould or Krausen after my comment above?

The same stuff has collected inside the liquid on any of the flat, level surfaces.
Cheers!

 

[JockyBrewer]

Definitely sound advice, but alas Mauritius doesn't sell anything like that. I had to bring everything over from the UK

Hopefully you can get hold of a few packs of dried kveik (or maybe a member here can send you some?).

It's very easy and forgiving to reuse once you've got it, so a few packs can last a lifetime.

 

[Sadfield]

I'll hand deliver some if you cover the cost.

 

[MashBag]

Definitely sound advice, but alas Mauritius doesn't sell anything like that. I had to bring everything over from the UK. Thoughts on whether it's yeast, mould or Krausen after my comment above?

The same stuff has collected inside the liquid on any of the flat, level surfaces.
Cheers!

That is dead yeast. Normal.
Get it bottled.