This is from an APA that was dry hopped with pellets using a dry hop bag last saturday. Woke up to some unwelcome visitors and I am trying to figure out what they are and the best course of action. I had planned on bottling this Saturday. Some people are saying it's mold at my LHBS, others are saying it's yeast rafts or hops on line. Looking for a few more opinions I guess. I have never had hop pellets look like this before, and I'm not positive but I don't think the bag had any tear in it since it was brand new.
My first guess is hop matter, mostly because of the color and shape. Also it looks like the particles are partially under the surface of the beer. I've never seen mold grow under liquid. But I'm just taking a shot in the dark. Sanitize a racking cane and try to fish one out.
I was going to ask if you use full hop leafs or pellets, until I re-read that you use pellets. I've never had my pellets look like that, however, it doesn't look like mold either... Personally, I think it still looks good if that white thing in the middle is your hop-bag My suggestion, let it ride... Don't Worry, Have A Homebrew! No Fuzz... No Fuss
this was the first batch I used a wort chiller, could that have something to do with it? Seems odd because it didn't surface until almost 4 weeks of fermenting. I figured it had more to do with the dry hopping because of the timing.
3 weeks of fermenting +1 week additional dry hopping... Sounds like it's ready for bottling... Let us know how the final product tastes in a month from now.
So I dry hopped my last ipa with pellets, no bag, as I usually do. It works for me. This last time the hops really broke up and a lot of the material surfaced with the off gassing of co2. It formed much larger "rafts" than what you have going on there. Through the condensation on the car boy it really looked like moldy nastiness, but when I racked to my bottling bucket I was able to see it was hop material. Long story short, f#%& it, get a little sample of the beer if you're worried and give her a taste. Chances are its just protien and hops.
When I dry hopped my chinook IPA a couple weeks ago, the pellets went in and within time, they formed a green top, and after a week, 95% dropped down the bottom.
did you pour everything that was chilled or did you rack it? i mean, it could very well be protein....
That would be a lot of microbial growth in a hostile medium over a relatively short time. I think you stirred up some trub or possibly are leaking out some hop matter from your bags. I recommend using a plastic bucket so you can't see what is going on in there. Maybe you'll sleep better.
I have seen similar things when I have done dry hopping. I am no expert (20 batches under my belt), but I don't think you have anything to worry about.
