What are the weird blobs in vinegar?

Author: Shirley Spinka Sr.  |  Last update: Wednesday, December 3, 2025

When pasteurization is incomplete or the vinegar is re-inoculated with vinegar bacteria from the air after opening, a slimy, amorphous blob or substance will form and float near the bottom. This is a vinegar mother and is just bacteria that feeds on alcoholic liquids.

Why is there a blob in my vinegar?

When pasteurization is incomplete or the vinegar is re-inoculated with vinegar bacteria from the air after opening, a slimy, amorphous blob or substance will form and float near the bottom. This is a vinegar mother and is just bacteria that feeds on alcoholic liquids.

What is the chunky stuff in my vinegar?

Mother of vinegar can also form in store-bought vinegar if there is some residual sugar, leftover yeast and bacteria and/or alcohol contained in the vinegar. This is more common in unpasteurized vinegar, since the pasteurization might not stabilize the process completely.

Why are there chunks in my vinegar?

“It's a little bit of sediment from the apples themselves, and it's also vinegar mother,” which is a natural by-product of the fermentation process. “The vinegar mother grows over time, and that's usually the swirly stuff that people see at the bottom of the bottle.”

What is the stuff floating in my vinegar?

The “floaties” you see are “mother,” a harmless natural bacteria that may develop after vinegar is opened.

Health Benefits of Balsamic Vinegar

Why is there jelly in my vinegar?

Vinegar usually is pasteurized, which stops bacteria from forming an unsightly, yet safe glob. However, some imported or homemade vinegars may not be pasteurized and just might develop that glob. You can remove the mass by straining the vinegar through a coffee filter or mesh colander.

What is the sediment floating in my vinegar?

Once opened and exposed to air, however, harmless “vinegar bacteria” may start to grow. This bacteria causes the formation of a cloudy sediment that is nothing more than harmless cellulose, a complex carbohydrate that does not affect the quality of the vinegar or its flavor.

How do you know when vinegar goes bad?

According to The Vinegar Institute, white distilled vinegar will remain virtually unchanged over an extended time. And, while other types of vinegar may experience changes in color or the development of a haze or sediment, these are only aesthetic changes that won't negatively impact usage.

Can bacteria grow in vinegar?

Some species produce pigments on solid growth medium and can produce different types of polysaccharides. These bacteria are found in substrates containing sugar and/or ethanol, such as fruit juices, wine, cider, beer, and vinegar.

What are the floating chunks in my apple cider vinegar?

That is what is known as “The Mother.” All raw apple cider vinegar has it, and it is incredibly healthy. This is what is formed during the fermentation period, and basically has probiotics which help your digestion. Think healthy bacteria.

What is the slime growing in my vinegar?

The mother of vinegar might look like a grape mistake, but it's the real yeast of your worries. So go ahead, embrace the blob – it's brew-tifully natural!

What are the chunky bits in balsamic vinegar?

If its a live culture vinegar, then that may be the mother. But it could also simply be sediment from the vinegar, especially if its not a live culture. Many vinegars that are sold in supermarkets are pasturized, so wouldn't be live, and shouldn't have a mother.

Can I drink apple cider vinegar every day to lose weight?

Apple cider vinegar isn't likely to be effective for weight loss. Proponents of apple cider vinegar claim that it has numerous health benefits and that drinking a small amount or taking a supplement before meals helps curb appetite and burn fat. However, there's little scientific support for these claims.

Can fungus grow in vinegar?

It would be very unusual for molds to grow in vinegar, since vinegar is one of the agents used to control molds.

What is a vinegar scoby?

In the presence of oxygen, acetic acid bacteria present in the environment convert the alcohol into acetic acid, creating a film, known as the mother of vinegar, or vinegar scoby. Gradually, the liquid turns into vinegar (sour wine).

Should vinegar be refrigerated?

To preserve a consistent flavor profile, it's not a bad idea to store your vinegar in a cool, dark place, such as the aforementioned cabinet, but it's not necessary to put it in the fridge. Save that room for condiments that actually say “refrigerate after opening”, and I will reluctantly start following my own advice.

What is the stuff that grows in vinegar?

A vinegar mother is a gelatinous disc that looks like a slice of wobbly raw liver. It's composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria (mycoderma aceti) that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, and turns alcohol into acetic acid with a little help from some oxygen in the air.

Is Acetobacter harmful?

Acetobacter aceti is not known to be a human pathogen and is generally regarded as safe to handle in industrial settings. Human skin does not provide the bacteria with the optimal conditions for it to grow, reducing the risk of infection or adverse effects from direct contact. The optimum growth of A.

Why does my vinegar have stuff floating in it?

When you find a bit of stringy sediment, large or small, in a bottle of vinegar don't fret. In fact — congratulations — you have a mother. A mother of vinegar, that is. Yes, it looks rather grungy and scary, floating on the top of the vinegar like that, but this spongy mass of bacteria is completely harmless.

What does bad vinegar look like?

If you're noticing a general cloudiness in your vinegar, that's your signal to buy a new bottle. “When the vinegar starts getting cloudy, or the flavor is off, then oxidation has significantly changed the quality of the product,” explains Regusci. “But I wouldn't say spoiled, I would say low-quality.”

When should you throw out vinegar?

Though there's no expiration, there is a sort of "sweet spot" for vinegar storage, and it varies by the type. For wine vinegars, balsamic, and rice vinegar it's about 2-3 years, whereas apple cider vinegar is 5 years; and distilled white is, well, whenever the apocalypse is.

Why does my vinegar have bubbles?

Vinegar forms bubbles when it is poured onto the calcium deposits on a faucet, and some of the calcium dissolves.

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