Popcorn jar. Contamination?

My popcorn jar sat in a spot with some mild sunlight (nothing too extreme) for a few days. I think the kernels dried out a bit because of it, which seems to have drastically slowed down the mycelium progress. Since the top section is noticeably drier, the healthy mycelium hasn't really colonized it normally. Instead, a dry, matte white-looking patch has formed over the top kernels.

Does this look like contamination to you, or is it just dried-out, stressed mycelium?

I'm thinking about shaking the jar. Should I go ahead and do a break-and-shake right now, or should I give it some more time?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Hello! Do you see tiny grayish beads here?

When I zoom in I see tiny gray powdery beads on a stem

It looks like early pin mold to me. See more examples here: Black Pin Mold

Let's give this jar 2-3 more days and check it again to make sure it's this type of mold. Don't shake it!

Also your corn looks too dry. How long did you simmer it before sterilization?

Thanks for the input! I'll hold off on the B&S and post an update in a few days. To answer your question: I simmered the corn for 30 mins and PC'd at 8 psi for 3 hours (including venting). I've had successful harvests with this exact same tek before, and the other 6 jars from this batch are doing fine. Note that all the jars caught some mild sunlight for a few days. I think that caused moisture loss, especially at the top. The mycelium colonized the bottom fine but stalled up top because it's too dry. Btw, we are on Day 49 with zero B&S. Do you think there's any chance this is just dried-out, stressed mycelium rather than mold? Here is how the other jars from the same batch are looking: