Fuzzy fruit in the mead

[Allbrotnar]

Hi everyone,

New guy here. Making my first serious mead here (Had a previous attempt that failed miserably) and I've seen something a bit worrying now that fermentation has started to pick up.

I made this mead with pumpkin, apple and juniper, which may have been a little bit adventurous for a first time brew and I messed up pretty badly with the proportion of honey to water, but I was happy to see fermentation really get going today.
The issue I have at the moment, though, is this fuzz that's appeared on some of the fruit slices. I've tried looking this up, and I can only find references to mold growing on the surface of the mead, but nothing growing inside it.
Does anyone know what it might be and how much should I worry about it?

Here's a photo (You can see it on the apple slice in the middle). It's also on a few more slices of things, but there is less of it everywhere else.

*EDIT: sorry, forgot to post recipe

- 2000g raw multifloral honey
- Roughly 3 L spring water
- A small tin of roast pumpkin, sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg
- 2 dark red Gala apples
- 1 pack of Wine yeast

 

[fatbloke]

Take a small taste of the liquid. If it tastes/smells ok likely just yeast....

 

[Allbrotnar]

So, good news: It tastes absolutely delicious. It's day..4 or 5 of fermentation and it's gotten really vigorous. Tastes sweet as hell, but it's getting a boozy taste, so I assume it's going well? No bad taste, but I have noticed a few tiny pieces of the bung have fallen into the mix. Is that going to be problematic?

I haven't been able to see the fuzz again after giving it a little stir and adding a bit more water to submerge the fruit better, but I'll keep an eye on it just in case. Cheers, fatbloke!

 

[Chevette Girl]

My first thought when I saw the picture was that it was just yeast... typically if you're getting real fuzz (mould) it'll be on the parts of the fruit that stick out of the must. I agree wtih Fatbloke, just yeast Probably falls off if you swirl the carboy.

 

[pokerfacepablo]

My first thought when I saw the picture was that it was just yeast... typically if you're getting real fuzz (mould) it'll be on the parts of the fruit that stick out of the must. I agree wtih Fatbloke, just yeast Probably falls off if you swirl the carboy.

And usually black in color... right? Never had it happen to me yet.

 

[Chevette Girl]

I've had black spots start on my fruit bag with pears and maybe also crabapples and white with ... a lot of things including pears and pumpkins. The black was just starting as I was waiting for my yeast to kick in and didn't seem to mar the flavours, it's what happens when I don't either heat or sulphite my pears while the pectinase is doing its thing. Lesson learned.

The white has been when I've left a fruit bag unattended for WAY too long (like, months, or in the case of the pumpkin, a year). Serious neglect. With proper cap management (ie, poke your fruit bag under the surface every day or three) and not forgetting to take the fruit bag out for months, you shouldn't have problems.

I've also had a vinegar batch go funny on me and it got dark green mould after all the alcohol and acetic acid had gone away (again, neglect, I make vinegar with an open bucket with a towel tied on to keep out the fruit flies and left it too long) but I've never had green fuzz on anything that was still alcoholic.

 

[Allbrotnar]

Awesome, thanks!