Beginner here on my 3rd batch. It is a Single Hop IPA kit from Craft A Brew. My OG was 1.063 and FG=1.010. Fermented 2 weeks at 68°F in a plastic Nortbern Brewer bucket w/ airlock. I never opened lid until kegging day.
A. Is this a pellicle?
B. I will not be brewing any sour beers, so do I need to replace all my plastic equipment?
C. I kegged it. Tasted a small sample and it tastes fine. It's safe to drink right?
D. Does anyone see mold?
It's hard to say from the photos, but it could be just yeast rafts. Either way, get it out of contact with air: bottle/keg it or, if it's still fermenting, syphon it into another fermenter with little or no headspace.
Does it smell ok?
Thanks for the quick help!
It smells good. I even tasted some from when I was taking my FG, and it tasted really good too.
I popped the lid, snagged a quick picture and immediately siphoned it to the keg.
A. No, that is just "yeast rafts" where the bubbles of CO2 have carried some yeast and trub to the surface.
B. Yes, you will need to replace the plastic components of your brewing equipment but probably not for 3 to 10 years.
C. It is as safe as any alcoholic beverage to drink. Nothing that can harm you will survive in beer. It is alcoholic and acidic which prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. It is possible to get it infected with acetobacter but that just turns your beer into malt vinegar.
D. No, mold has a completely different look and it won't survive in the closed fermenter.
Even if it is infected, it might turn out to be a good tasting beer. Just one you'll never replicate.
If you were to toss it out because it was infected, then you'll never know what it might have been.
And keep the lid on. It might get a infection just checking up on it and breathing into it.
Post time 2022-9-26 01:46:47