RJ Spagnols 911, I think?

[Paulc]

I started my RJS Brunello kit Tuesday afternoon. This kit came with two oak tea bags plus the oak dust/slivers. Well today is the first day that I have opened the primary just to see how things were doing. It occurred to me that maybe I should have been stirring it each day to keep the tea bags wet if they were wanting to float on the surface...

There is very clearly grey mold on the tea bags!! Is that a bad thing? I am betting it is. I think I might take the tea bags out as I can add more oak later if I need to.

So did I screw up?? Am I just making vinegar now? HELP!!!

paulc (in a slight panic at the moment)

 

[Tom]

U R fine. Just follow the directions. What you see is fermentation.

 

[Wade E]

Its not mold, its just yeast and yes it can look very similiar to mold. Just dunk it and keep dunking it.

 

[Paulc]

Well I am glad Tom and Wade were able to keep their heads about them as I was not I was convinced I was making vinegar.

As a precaution I pulled the tea bags out (right after I posted) which it seems was unnecessary but I guess I can always add some more oak later. I called the local brew shop and he said I should not assume I was making vinegar and just ride it out. I was having visions of having to push 6 gallons of high end red wine vinegar on friends and family!

So what is the correct course of action when you find mold on the must? Can the batch be saved? My beer brewing buddy says he has boiled his problems in the past but that does not help the taste any. I was thinking of blasting it with a strong dose of k-meta to kill everything and then trying to restart the fermentation. Would the k-meta gas out?

Are there any pictures of what mold vs yeast looks like on this site? Thanks for the reassurance Tom and Wade. I will follow this batch closely and add back more oak when I bulk age it.

Paulc

 

[Tom]

Get the mold word out of you vocabulary.
As your beer buddy would say RDWHAHB !
the "foam" you see is the yeasties doing their thing just like beer making. And yes to some it has a bad odor. To othere its a great smeel. (me)

 

[EngineJoe]

I always like to tell people new to fermentation: yeast is fungi! So yes, it will kinda remind you of mold (mold and fungus of course being different things -- but they're similar to the layman).

 

[Paulc]

Does yeast make a gray stalk with a round capsule on top? I am beginning to feel less confident I am dealing with yeast and more likely mold but I would love to be reassured it is just yeast!

Thanks, paulc

 

[homer]

I never use the M word in polite company. bk

 

[davewaz]

Paul I'm new to wine making myself and have had a few freak outs. These experienced guys gave me good advice and told me to relax. It was hard to swallow, but alas all is well in my carboys and bottles. Relax, have a glass of wine or 2, I'm learning listening to knowlegable people and patience are everything in wine making.

 

[Paulc]

You are probably right. I talked with a friend who used to be a chemist for Newcastle Brewery. He said yeast definitely does not grow stalks with capsules on top but that there was nothing I could do about it. Either the yeast that is present has made enough alcohol to kill anything else growing and the wine will be fine or it has not and I can have 6 gallons of high end vinegar.