weird red wine vinegar mother

[justineaton]

I just bottles my first batch of red wine vinegar. I did about four gallons in a five gallon bucket and when I bottled it the vinegar mother was nearly two inches thick and more jelly like than I have ever gotten with Apple cider vinegar. It was heavy but I could pick it up with only a little ripping so it wasn't completely jelly like, and I pulled some stands of the leathery slimy normal looking vinegar mother out of it for the next batch. The vinegar tastes a bit different but I think it just needs to be diluted a bit. I have done some more reading and see that it needs to be diluted down to about 8% abv when you start it or bad bacteria can get in, I didn't do this and that's what I am worried about now. Is it ok? It's it bad? If so can I distill it to make it safe? Thanks.