LAB mold on surface
Hi everyone,
I've recently made a batch of LAB and have it stored in a 100L water tank with equal parts LAB to unsulphured molasses (roughly 2L each of LAB/molasses). It's been a few weeks now and i've noticed some mold growth on the surface? Can anyone please help explain why this is occurring and if it's still okay? Thank you!
Links to images
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The answer
LAB should be super saturated with brown sugar for storage just the whey and sugar ....it looks as if you have added the lab and molasses to water by doing this you are activating the solution for its ready to use state and it does not last long before other microbes like yeast n molds move in feeding on the sugar and water ....it can still be used theres not a bunch of molds you can either skim off the mold or mix it in the LAB should overpower anything you mix into the liquid but use it up before it does go really bad on you.... for long term storage the best way is to super saturate it by adding the dry sugar we lock up all the water and put the microbes into a type of hibernation then when we add the solution to water it brings the microbes back to action ...check out this vid from drake on how to super saturate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcji0fNt5f0
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
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Sep 2026
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3 sources
Drake's office hours give two reasons for mold on top of a LAB ferment: too much airspace, and not enough sugar. (Office Hours Ep. 49, 16:27)
Check the sugar first. The Basic Course recipe says the wooden spoon should float when there is enough sugar. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17) The UH–CTAHR fact sheet says to store LAB at room temperature with an equal amount of brown sugar, by weight. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15)
Then smell it. The fact sheet says LAB should smell sweet. If it turns rotten, discard it and make a new batch. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15)
The library does not cover molasses as the storage sugar, a 100 L tank, or how to judge the mold in your photos.
Sources
- 16:27 Office Hours Ep. 49 (Sep 2022) — Wood Chips for Mulch, LAB Ferments, and Fish Amino Acid · “Too much airspace in the jar, and probably not supersaturated enough — no sugar ring at the bottom.”
- p. 17 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Wooden spoon should float when there is enough sugar”
- p. 15 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “add an equal amount (by weight) of brown sugar to the LAB culture”
