Mould fungus on top of beer

[mark123]

Hi- I am new here. I made a muntons bitter and put it in the FV. When racking off and drinking it was fine but i have noticed white 'powdery' film on the top of the beer in the FV when i went to clean it out. . Perhaps some sort of airborne fungus? I attach a photo. does anyone have any information about it? What it is, is it bad, what to do?

Note that i have also seen this on the surface of the water in my coffee machine when i left it for about two weeks... Thanks for your help!

 

[An Ankoù]

You must have left the dregs in the FV for some time? It possibly smells a bit vinegary, too. Rinse well and then clean thoroughly with a chlorine-based sanitiser (dilute bleach is good) and then rinse thoroughly again with a weak solution of sodium or potassium metabisulphite to denature any residual chlorine. Firmly resolve to clean your FVs the same day they're emptied. I keep telling myself to do this, too.

 

[The Baron]

A sure way to get a infection in your next brew is to not clean the FV straight away as it is a breeding ground for bacteria.
Do as AA said and dilute bleach it and make sure you rinse really well or your next post may be a off taste in your beer caused by chlorine not being rinsed properly

 

[mark123]

Many thanks - Yes I have used the bleach. But does anyone know what the white stuff might be??? It was on the top of the water in my coffee machine too....!

 

[An Ankoù]

More info needed.
Was this stuff on top of the beer you were drinking or did it develop on the dregs left in the FV after a number of days.
You say you had white stuff after two weeks on your coffee machine. They're probably completely unrelated except they're both white.
In any case they're probably harmless.
Can't tell much from your photo: if it's a picture taken immediately after you drew off the beer then it's possibly yeast rafts. If it's been hanging around a while it's likely bacterial- acetobacter would be not uncommon.
Nothing to worry about as long as your beer tastes good.
Get a grip and stop leaving things to go mouldy, Two weeks before cleaning your coffee machine means you've got to clean the whole thing through and then run a blind batch through it. If you treat your beer equipment in the same way, your beer is going to be a bit hit and miss to say the least.

 

[foxbat]

Many thanks - Yes I have used the bleach. But does anyone know what the white stuff might be??? It was on the top of the water in my coffee machine too....!

Hard to say from the photos but those ghostly white rings that are forming look like the beginnings of a pellicle.

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

With the swirls, it definitely looks like aceobacter (which isn't a fungus). A better photo might help with ID. When you say 'powdery', do you mean it lools powdery or is powdery to the touch or if you blow at it?