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Whats on my beer???

Steampunk

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Made a california common.

2 weeks primary moved to secondary, about three weeks in there are these flecks of white forming on the top of the beer.  Noticed a couple a few days ago, looked today and they are all over.

I am guessing it is either yeast or fungus, but they are pure white so can't figure it out.

Not sure if it makes a difference but I used a california common yeast, its been sitting at about 18 degrees celsius temp has dropped about 3 degrees in last few days (store it in a cold storage room).

Anyway if anyone has experienced or has an idea as to whats going on some guidance would be appreciated.
 
It could be tiny CO2 bubbles, they sometimes look white.  Look carefully at the side of your carboy, if you don't see any stringy things that look like the tentacles of a man-o-war hanging from the surface then you probably have nothing to worry about.  You can always take a sample and see what it tastes like - at 3 weeks into the secondary youre about ready to keg or bottle anyway.
 
Smell it...if it's infected you should be able to smell a foul odor.
 
It could be bubbles, it could be top fermenting yeast, it could be mold.

For some odd reason bubbles, a natural byproduct of fermentation, tend to form into little white round groups.  Totally normal.

Clumps of white stuff are usually yeast (krausen), especially if you're making ale (which you are), and they'll settle when fermentation is complete.

In my experience with mold (which luckily is not much) it tends to form spiderweb like tendrils or some geometric type pattern as it forms a powdery looking cap on the brew, and it does not settle.   

Since you're in secondary my swag is mold.
 
Definetly not bubbles looks more solid but doesn't look like chunks of yeast.

looks like a culture of some kind.  Weird description I know.
 
So weird development.

Checked out the white stuff this morning and bubbles are forming in the patches of white stuff.

Does that mean its yeast floating to the top?
 
OK so originally I thought these white bits were bubbling, turns out that isn't the case, there is just a good bit of co2 bubbling from the bottom and it seems it is getting caught in the white bits.

AARRRRRGH
 
Unfortunately I have had a few learning experiences related to improper or insufficient cleaning and/or sanitizing and it sounds to me like you have a batch of beer that has been infected.  Fortunately for beer drinkers and brewers most beer spoilage organisms will not hurt you.  They might give you a loose gut but they won't send you to the hospital wishing you were dead.

If you are using a glass carboy for your secondary fermenter it should be easy to check the column of beer to see if there are any signs of stringy, spider web looking bacterial growth.  If not then you have to go to the next best thing and I suggest you take a whiff of the gas in the carboy head space and see if you detect any foul odors.  If you do not detect foul odors take a sample for a taste test.  If the taste test reveals no foul odors and/or flavors then you can filter and rack it to bottles or kegs and be happy you get to drink a beer that sounds like it has been infected.  If you detect signs of stringy, spider web looking bacterial life or you smell or taste bad things don't go there.  Toss it if you live in America or if you don't live in America have a friend help you set up a pot still and salvage the ETOH.
 
Thar ye be
 

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Keep in mind too the top of the beer was crystal clear up till a few days ago.
 
Its hard to tell from the pics. At first glance it looks like bubbles grouped together. On the other hand it does look like there is some swirly white stuff in there but could just be yeast in suspension. If that spreads and forms like a cap on top and grows spiderweb/jellyfish looking arms dump it. At this point Id let it go and bottle/keg based on how it looks.

Also take a sample check the gravity and taste it. This should tell you if everything is normal or not.
 
The activity in the airlock has started again.  Nothing crazy but every couple of seconds a bubble.  Last week there was no activity.
 
After looking at the pic it looks totally normal to me.  Looks like you may have racked it early.  No big.  That stuff is nothing more than yeast and bubbles that would have preferred to do their business in the primary. It's been a week since the pics were taken.  Should be settled down by now with the exception of a couple little coin sized pockets of tiny bubbles, right? That's the smoke signals from the last of the live yeast.

Time to keg/bottle.

RDWHAHB

-John
 
Agreed, racked too early. Very normal looking for a still fermenting wort. Normally this action happens under closed plastic lids and we never see it, unless you primary in glass. Take a gravity reading and bottle/keg if needed.
 
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