Gel like oily substance in fermenter spigot tap

[K.O.brew]

Good evening,

while cleaning my plastic bucket fermenter after bottling i noticed a greenish, transparent blob of an unknown,oily to the touch substance inside the spigot tap. Did not think much of it, cleaned it off. Now i wonder if any one with more brewing experience than me knows what that substance could be.

Any ideas?

 

[Minbari]

Good evening,

while cleaning my plastic bucket fermenter after bottling i noticed a greenish, transparent blob of an unknown,oily to the touch substance inside the spigot tap. Did not think much of it, cleaned it off. Now i wonder if any one with more brewing experience than me knows what that substance could be.

Any ideas?

Most likely mold or algae. Definitely want to thoroughly clean and sanitize it

 

[K.O.brew]

The fermenter was cleaned and sanitized before use, but due to a stuck fermentation the beer stayed in it for sixteen days, is there a possibility that something like that developed inside the bucket during fermentation?

 

[Minbari]

The fermenter was cleaned and sanitized before use, but due to a stuck fermentation the beer stayed in it for sixteen days, is there a possibility that something like that developed inside the bucket during fermentation?

did you sample the beer durring fermentation through the spigot? if so, it could have developed durring the 16 days. sugar, time and heat will grow stuff really fast.

also, is the spigot plastic or metal?

 

[K.O.brew]

The spigot is plastic, and i sampled for gravity readings. The substance in question was on the part of the spigot that is inside the fermenter, if that helps with the identification.

 

[Minbari]

The spigot is plastic, and i sampled for gravity readings. The substance in question was on the part of the spigot that is inside the fermenter, if that helps with the identification.

ahhh, ok.

unless you see all your bottles going sour or exploding my guess would just trub. could be protien, hop waste, yeast. definately clean it really well. but I bet it is nothing to worry about.

 

[K.O.brew]

Nothing exploded yet, will try the beer this weekend.

Thank you for your time.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Since the unknown substance was on the inside of the fermenter, if is an infection, you'll know it when you taste it. Another sign is if your bottles are super-carbonated gushers or worst of all, bottle bombs. If you suspect an infection, make sure all bottles are enclosed in a fridge, boxes, or are covered by a heavy blanket. Long ago I had one uncontained bottle bomb. Thankfully, it was the middle of the night and no one was in the basement. Two years later, I was still finding small glass shards in the nooks and crannies of the basement.

If it turns out to be an infection, I'd replace the spigot rather than trying to clean it.

 

[Zambi]

I figure it's trub.
But better be safe than sorry, so take precautions.