I've got a bit of mold on top of my wort. My situation is a bit different than what others seem to have encountered... I made the wort about 5 days ago and hadn't gotten around to pitching the yeast.
So my question is, if no known pathogens can survive in beer, does that apply in this case if the fermentation finishes?
Topic pre-fermentation contamination wort homebrew
Category Mac
Sometimes the problem is not with the microorganisms themselves, which will be destroyed by heating, but with the toxins they produce, which won't be; salmonella works this way, for instance. We try to pitch large, healthy populations of yeast so they out compete undesirable microorganisms for the sugars. If it's already moldy, I think you've lost that race. And while "spontaneous fermentation" has been used for thousands of years, mold has never been desirable. :) As well, fermentation isn't going to clean up anything nasty that's already there. I say "toss it".
I don't think you have to worry about being harmed by the beer, but you probably should worry about the flavor. If there's mold on top, I'd toss it.
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