novice dunder(er) - green mold?

[dunluce]

I ran my first run a few weeks back, and the dunder was set aside in a new bucket. I checked it last week, no issues, still looked the same.

Today, there is green mold growing on top. Not an expert, but certainly looks like penicillan to me.

And I have no sense of smell, so I can't check that. Is this a toss away?

[SaltyStaves]

Nothing of any value will grow in a closed container. Never sniff anything with dry mold spores on it. Throw this out.

The desirable Pellicles that form need oxygen, so don't stifle them in an environment that has a lot of condensation.

[dunluce]

Nothing of any value will grow in a closed container.

The lid is, quite honestly, just laid on the top. As for nothing of any value gwoing in a closed container....how in the hell would anything ever ferment? Or is this a different process?

Never sniff anything with dry mold spores on it.

No worries there, I can't smell anyway.

Throw this out.

The desirable Pellicles that form need oxygen, so don't stifle them in an environment that has a lot of condensation.

So nothing in here is useable, can't skim the top and try it again? I have to go do another rum wash and start from scratch? Asking because I really have no idea, thanks.

[LWTCS]

Nothing of any value will grow in a closed container. Never sniff anything with dry mold spores on it. Throw this out.

The desirable Pellicles that form need oxygen, so don't stifle them in an environment that has a lot of condensation.

Must disagree.
Aeriate once cooled and can lock it down just fine.

[SaltyStaves]

The lid is, quite honestly, just laid on the top. As for nothing of any value gwoing in a closed container....how in the hell would anything ever ferment? Or is this a different process?

Its a different process. Putrefactive bacteria eat non-fermentables in the dunder and create acids that contribute to later chemical reactions that create flavours. Not the same environment as a fermentation.

So nothing in here is useable, can't skim the top and try it again? I have to go do another rum wash and start from scratch? Asking because I really have no idea, thanks.

Its up to you. There needs to be dead yeast that were boiled when you ran the rum. That is the primary food for putrefactive bacteria. Without that, your dunder will go through very little development.
Don't worry, you'll make far more dunder than you'll ever use.

[SaltyStaves]

Must disagree.
Aeriate once cooled and can lock it down just fine.

Resulting in what outcome?

[dunluce]

So you simply put the leftovers from the wash in a bucket and leave it?

[LWTCS]

Must disagree.
Aeriate once cooled and can lock it down just fine.

Resulting in what outcome?

Sturdy mold structure with floral notes from the liquid.
Takes a couple weeks to bloom with 90 degree (+ or -) day time temps.
Here in the sub tropics if you don't lock it down on a batch this small, the competitive environment will overwhelm.
Plenty enough batches invaded with fly orgies turned my sweet dunder into fowl smelling sewage bath for the maggots.

[LWTCS]

Here's the thing.
I only ever shoot for this structure.
Doing so renders a sparkling clear liquid that smells very floral.
I have seen other (different) examples on the forum and when ever mine looked like that,,,,they smelled like the dump. Similar to a rotting pile of leaves mixed with a restaurant dumpster.
I can only speak to what I do. And locking it down after aeration is not counterproductive.

[dunluce]

And locking it down after aeration is not counterproductive.

So what do you consider "locking it down"?

[LWTCS]

And locking it down after aeration is not counterproductive.

So what do you consider "locking it down"?

Snap a lid ( with a seal) on tight.

I tried just laying the lid on and tying a peice of fabric over the bucket "so it could breath". But the flies still got in and laid eggs.

Once aeriated, the environment doesn't need much oxygen to get the mold to bloom.
However I will say that I have only had excellent success in the summer months when the temps are the highest.
Winter time temps are not as fruitful.
But again, it does seem like the mold that I grow is different than so many others posted. I am just a skip and a jump from the cane fields btw.

[dunluce]

But again, it does seem like the mold that I grow is different than so many others posted. I am just a skip and a jump from the cane fields btw.

And I from the igloos.

Yeah, you're probably getting something good from down there that I will have issues getting up here. I'm sure it is just trial and error, but maybe I'm a little worried that I am just going to grow some more penicillin again.

[SaltyStaves]

Here's the thing.
I only ever shoot for this structure.
Doing so renders a sparkling clear liquid that smells very floral.
I have seen other (different) examples on the forum and when ever mine looked like that,,,,they smelled like the dump. Similar to a rotting pile of leaves mixed with a restaurant dumpster.
I can only speak to what I do. And locking it down after aeration is not counterproductive.

I've not been able to qualify pleasant smelling dunder with having a better outcome in the finished rum. The restaurant dumpster smelling stuff can (if all things go well), but it can certainly go too far though.

[dunluce]

Well, I ended up chucking it just to be safe. I guess I will try it again after my next run.

If anyone else wants to chime in on how they got theirs started, or why mine started growing green mold, please feel free to do so.

[dunluce]

Just to raise this topic again, I do have a new dunder pit going,...locked down airtight as suggested. And......

two weeks, nothing is growing in there.

However, I do have a mason jar underneath the tap on my kegerator in order to catch any drops of beer from the tap....forgot to clean it out this week, and I found this today:

That looks more of what I was hoping I might get from my dunder pit. Would it be a good idea to let that fester and then toss it into the new dunder pit to infect it?

[Tummydoc]

Looks like a lacto infection

[dunluce]

Looks like a lacto infection

That's good, right?

[dunluce]

Welp, I tossed it into the dunder birther.....hope it works!