This is my first brew and I have no idea if what I’m seeing is normal. Today I woke up and looked in the fermentor and I saw what looked like mold floating at the top of my beer. This would the fourth day in the fermentor and the temp sticker says it’s 70 degrees F.
I just need to know if my first batch is contaminated and I should dump it or is this normal?
Don’t dump. Looks like yeast rafts which have not dropped into the trub layer yet. Sometimes these yeast rafts never completely drop. I just rack as normal to the bottling bucket when this happens. Usually the rafts stay on the surface and never go through the racking cane or auto siphon.
1 Like
That is a relief. Thanks for the quick answer. I’m a combination of excited and nervous with the whole experience because I can’t wait to try my beer but since it’s my first time brewing I have no idea what to look for so I can’t help but look at it every morning and wonder if it’s right.
Instead of opening the fermentor just sniff the air lock. Less chance of infection. I’ll usually wait until about day 10 to 14 after active fermentation had begun to take my first hydrometer reading for specific gravity. A second reading a few days later with most yeasts to determine if final gravity has been reached. FG is usually confirmed with nearly three weeks in the primary.
Looks like the last part of yeast. Before it drops down
I find that these yeast rafts make their way to the side and stick to the fermenter as you’re racking the beer out of the fermenter. By the time you get to the bottom, the beer surface is pretty much clear.
1 Like
Yup, just some yeasties, not wanting to sink. My last batch did that. It’s fine.
