Attack of the mold

Well I just got back from vacation yesterday and couldn't wait to check on my fermenting beans! I carefully took the jar down from its resting shelf and with great excitement pulled back the cloth over the top. And the results were......moldy :(
I was so upset, especially since my first batch was so easy and turned out relatively well. I think the problem was that, I may not have had the beans completely submerged in the brine, and that could have caused the mold. Also, when my family and I left for vacation we completely closed the house up. My family's house is a bit on the "moist" side to begin with (always fighting mold on the corner walls), and we had some big storms roll through while we were alway, so the atmosphere in the house may not have been conducive to a successful fermentation either.
So it looks like the salty beans will be the winner, but I would like to keep fermenting different things even after the class is done.
I've included a picture on the moldy beans for your viewing pleasure :)