So I checked my primary and I noticed mold along the bucket. Im making a porter. I haven't checked it in 3 days and I'm assuming the wet towel made it moldy. I plan to rack into secondary on some cocao nibs, vanilla and oak but want to make sure it's not ruined. The beer looks fine even though I didn't taste it. Thoughts? Also, can I sanitize my secondary with a spray bottle with sanitizer instead of having to fill it all up with water and sanitize? Any help would be appreciated!!
Thanks @VikeMan! There wasn't any old on the inside or anything so I think I should be good. Still a novice brewer so I'm still learning the ropes.
Ideally (and maybe you did this) you cleaned the mold off the outside before opening the fermenter. Some filamentous fungi can actually launch spores, and the spores of many are light enough to be moved around by gentle air currents. Regardless, I have read of cases where someone had mold on top of their beer but they racked carefully from underneath the mold and everything was fine. The low oxygen environment below the surface helps protect the beer from mold. To be on the safe side, once you package this beer, I recommend getting it cold fast (e.g., upon kegging if you keg; after giving the bottles a couple weeks to prime if you bottle).
Yes thanks. I wiped it doen with a napkin soaked in sanitizer and then sprayed sanitizer all along the rim and sides of the bucket. Left it for a few minutes then checked it. Thanks for the info.
I've had this problem a couple times and the beer was always fine. I now always wipe down the outside of the bucket with a disinfecting wipe after I've closed the lid.
Sanitizing your secondary with a spray bottle should be fine as long as the sanitizer comes in contact with everything.
I just went ahead and filled it up with the solution and left it there for enough time. one other question, I put the nibs, oak chips and vanilla bean in a sanitized muslin bag but like a dummy, I forgot that the nibs float so now the bag is floating on top. I didn't want to take the bag out so would it still be ok with it floating? Do I need to move it around with a sanitized fork or something every now and then throughout the day?
I would take the bag out, weight it, and return it. You don't want to be repeatedly stirring the beer.
I didn't want to hear that lol, but I guess I'll have to do that. I'll sanitize some glass marbles and throw it back in. would I have to re-sanitize the bag and contents if I am taking it out just to throw in the marbles?
If it were me I would let it be. You will still get some flavor even if it is floating. You have plenty of batches ahead of you to dial in your process. Each time you open the container and have to move stuff around you increase the chance of oxygenation and possibly contamination. However if you take the bag out with sanitized equipment and are sanitary when opening the bag and adding the marbles I dont think you need to resanitize everything.
I sanitized the tongs used to take out, I sanitized my hands and the marbles, and the bowl I put it in. I opened it up and then closed real quick. I guess I'll know in a day or 2 if there is any contamination. Thanks for the posts guys! I'm still learning and hope to learn more and more with each batch!
