Mold

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(In progress)

Mold or mould are multicellular fungi that grow in the form of filaments called hyphae that appear like long branch-like structures under a microscope. Although not a taxonomic designation, there are thousands of species of molds that live in a wide variety of environments. In general they cause biodegredation of foods and other natural materials (such as wood in buildings), which has a wide role of effects depending on the species of mold. For example, some species of mold can be the cause of food spoilage, and other species play an important role in food production such as in cheese and soy sauce production [1]. Certain species of mold are thought to contribute precursors that effect flavor production in the toasting of oak barrels [2] Molds have also been used in the pharmaceutical industry to produce antibiotics and other medicines. Certain molds can cause allergic reactions as well as diseases from mold growth within the body or from mycotoxin production in exposed foods or from breathing spores from mold growth in buildings [1].

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning/basics/causes/con-20031705 ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/files/26438.pdf https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/12103892.pdf http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodScienceResearch/LaboratoryMethods/ucm071435.htm

Identifying Mold

Mold vs Pellicle Examples

The following table shows examples of mold or pellicles from the Milk The Funk Facebook group, and the consensus on whether mold is likely present or not based on the image.

Mold or Pellicle? Determination
  Pellicle or yeast fermentation activity, not mold.
  Undetermined, but the brewer shook the carboy and the mass went away, so probably not mold.
  Undetermined; the small green area in the middle of the pellicle might be mold.
  Occurred in a clean dubbel after adding prunes; pellicle, not mold.
  Mold growth during kettle souring (Lactobacillus was the only thing added to the wort).
  Mold growth on top of blackberries.
  Small amount of pellicle, not mold.
  Green and fuzzy mold.
  Mold growth on an oak barrel bung. Beer is ok if the mold is scrubbed and removed; recommended to use rubber or silicon for the bung instead.
  Pellicle on top of green grapes, not mold.
  Mold growth on fruit that is floating above the surface of the beer.
  Partial pellicle on a kettle sour; probably a wild yeast contamination from the added fruits. Not mold.
  Mold growth from under-pitching with only one bottle of commercial beer dregs.
  Brettanomyces activity, not mold.
  Probably mold or another potentially unwanted microorganism from an attempt at collecting wild yeast from dried camomile.
  Partial pellicle, not mold.
  Pellicle, not mold.
  Image of mold through a hand lens; photo taken with an iPhone by Mark Trent.
  Identified in a lab to be Penicillium (considered a mold).
  Mold in a barrel that made the beer taste like soy sauce; potentially Aspergillus (some can be carcinogenic).
  Mold growth from swabbing persimmon in an attempt to catch wild yeast; probably not a dangerous mold.

See Also

References