Attention All Who Use Or Have Used A Tooheys Home Brew Fermenter

[lukemarsh]

I got this 25L Tooheys Home Brew Fermenter from a mate who never used it and it's doing weird shit to my beers. Every beer I have made in it has somehow developed weird white flakey stuff on the surface of the beer when bottled. I use another 30L Brewcraft fermenter and have never had this issue when using that fermenter. I noticed it when I made a Heineken style lager in the Tooheys fermenter, once bottled and conditioned there was sediment in the bottom of the bottle, as usual, but also strange white flakes floating on the top... if I shook the bottles and chilled them, they would still float.
I then made a non-alcoholic ginger beer in this fermenter. Even though the brew was only in the fermenter for a couple of hours, this white flakey stuff still appeared in the bottles.
Just today I bottled a porter that I made in the Tooheys fermenter and after I'd finished bottling I took a look inside the fermenter and running down the walls of the fermenter was the same white flakey stuff, but in bigger chunks. I'm willing to bet it will appear in the bottles later on.

What is this and why is it happening in this fermenter? Is there something dodgy about the plastic or something?

Cheers!

 

[bum]

Does it effect the taste of the beer? Not meaning to suggest that it is only an issue if you can taste it but it might give someone a good idea of what the problem might be.

Another good thing to point out is how you've been cleaning it.

 

[lukemarsh]

I clean both fermenters the same... hot water rinse out, then hose to clean off stuck scum, then hot rinse, pink stain and leave for a couple hours, hot rinse a couple of times until pink stain sliminess is gone then sanitise and rinse. I try to clean them as best as I can and generally put the most effort into cleaning than anything else, cos the last thing I want is to spend time and money on making a good beer and find it infected!

It doesn't appear to have affected the taste of anything... the lager turned out ok, but is still young. The ginger beer turned out great but for some reason has an intense head (don't ask why, I have no bleedin idea) and lots of sediment... tastes good though.

 

[DangerousDave]

dont know if its the cause of your problem but i recently got a tooheys fermenter and the design is stupid it has a step in at about 3 inches from the bottom so when your trub settles it settles on this step so when you bottle and the beer reaches the step level all the trub starts sliding off the step mixing into the beer and blocking the tap.

biggest piece of crap ever as soon as i can afford another fermenter im drop kicking this tooheys shyte to the tip.



edit: found a quick google pick with this doosh trying to flog his crappy stepped wears

 

[DU99]

thought of contacting "tooheys"you might score a new one..

 

[Screwtop]

Thought of sanitising it before use?

Screwy

 

[Noxious]

then sanitise and rinse.

Thought of sanitising it before use?

Screwy

I would contact Tooheys or the supplier, informing them your fermenter has dandruff and how you will be buying a coopers or a cheaper alternative next time!
Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[warra48]

Why bother sanitising if you rinse it afterwards?

In that situation, how can it be any more sanitary than the rinsing water used?

I prefer to use a no rinse sanitiser after cleaning, and again before use. I just drain it. No need to rinse, and the little which remains is not a problem.

 

[Nick JD]

Why bother sanitising if you rinse it afterwards?

Tap water is sanitised.

 

[yardy]

Tap water is sanitised.

with starsan or iodophor ?

 

[reviled]

Tap water is sanitised.

Not allways the case mate

 

[bum]

Regardless, he uses the same process on both fermenters and the problem only exists in one. Having said that, Marshy, Warra is correct (as per) and no rinse sanitisers are a much safer idea.

I'd be asking your mate what he did with it after its life as a fermenter.

 

[kenlock]

Turf it and get a new one! Dandruff can't be good.

 

[lukemarsh]

Regardless, he uses the same process on both fermenters and the problem only exists in one. Having said that, Marshy, Warra is correct (as per) and no rinse sanitisers are a much safer idea.

I'd be asking your mate what he did with it after its life as a fermenter.

Well, he only used it once and gave up... made a Tooheys brew (I think) and left it for about a month, found it smelt rank and poured it out. He then rinsed it and gave it to me. It smelt pretty disgusting at that time, but a few pink stains soon fixed that.
I've only made a couple of beers in this fermenter so far, and each one has produced this flakiness... it makes the beers look pretty disgusting cos theres sediment at the bottom (which is fine) and then all this shit at the top too, which you can avoid drinking when you pour it!

Might just put myself out of this misery and have the thing put down, go out and spend next weeks pay on a 30L brewcraft one. The Coopers fermenters are shit too apparently, cos the lid bows and stops being able to seal (this happened to my mate's fermenter and his girlfriend's). No point really in even persisting with this fermenter, cos it's 25L anyway which means I can't make any Coopers brews in it (they froth over every single time).

 

[flano]

yeah give it the flick .

I only wash mine out with really hot water and wipe out . Then I use the pink stain remover and give the rim a spray with diluted Idophior ( or whatecer it's called ).
no worries.

 

[Hatchy]

Don't chuck it. You could use it as a bottling bucket, a grain bin, a pot for hop plants, a rainwater tank, etc. I've currently got several old fermenters that get used for various things other than fermenting. I wouldn't use it as a fermenter any more. $15 at bunnings will get you a new fermenter or $70 should get you a 60L fermenter.

 

[DU99]

Shame you not in melbourne i can get for about $12..
http://www.crownconcepts.com.au/general.html

 

[///]

Yee have oxidised beer in them there hills!

Scotty

 

[RetsamHsam]

Sounds like an infection to me.. Have you got any pictures?

 

[jakub76]

Yeah I remember your previous thread about these white floaties. Do you still wash your bottles in the dishwasher? I still think that might have something to do with it, could be wrong.

Maybe retire your tooheys fermenter for a month or two and pump out a few consistent brews using whatever process you've been rocking, then if there's no more floaties after 3 or 4 batches from the other fermenter you can be fairly certain it's the culprit.