Can feed be too fermented? White stuff on top?

[Sunnymommy]

Can ff sit too long / get too fermented? Also is the white stuff on top bad or do I just stir it in?

 

[SueT]

I think yes, it can get too fermented. It gets too "sharp" and my chickens don't like it. Maybe other ff veterans will disagree, but I've thrown away batches that went too far.
I make enough to last a limited time and in the summer it's a shorter time than the winter.
I also ferment my own kombucha drink, and I don't like it too aged....for that I taste it often, for the chickens' ff I use the smell test, it has a pleasant smell when it's okay.

 

[Kusanar]

The white is just your SCOBY and is fine to stir in. Technically, it can't ferment too much, but, if you aren't feeding the ferment, the good guys can run out of food and starve, which will let the bad guys take over. I don't believe you are at that point yet, but, as someone else commented, the taste changes the longer it ferments and your hens may or may not eat it that fermented due to personal preference.

I was fermenting for my horse for a while and I had a good ferment going in the winter, it stayed warm on it's own and was still rolling along, but when it got hot (80+ degrees) it was fermenting too fast and fermenting deeper in 24 hours than he liked so he stopped eating it.

 

[SueT]

X2 ...kusanar describes it much better than I did.