It was suggested this might be an acetobacter infection and after popping the airlock cap off to give it a sniff, I got a face full of vinegar-y smell... not being super happy about the prospect of losing a batch, I ran some errands, came home and sniffed it again... zero vinegar-y smell. In fact, it smells pretty darn good.
This floating, almost pulsating, mass started out looking like a big ol' dumpling sitting in my carboy. Slowly, it has been breaking apart and sinking.
This is my first time brewing in a carboy. I normally brew, bucket, then test gravity after a couple weeks. I've never actually watched a "live" fermentation process before. None of my google searching has provided me with pictures that look even remotely like this, except for "kombucha".
This is a "light ale" recipe kit from MoreBeer.com. 8lbs 2-row, 8oz of Crystal 15L. Cascade hops and California Ale yeast. Brewed this yesterday.
This massive dumpling alien thing formed almost immediately, sitting at the top. Since this morning (especially tonight, since I've been moving the carboy around), the alien mass has started breaking up and sinking.
Like I said.. this is my first time brewing in a carboy. If this is even remotely normal-ish, a little reassurance would be nice.
But since it smells normal-ish, I'm going to let it ride and see what happens. I thought it would be nice to share some pictures in case other newbies run into the same thing.
Cheers!
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