Fermenting Fridge Mould - How To Prevent

[mika]

Alright, I've seen mention of it, but that's about it.
Cleaned my fermenting fridge when I first got it, ran fine for a couple of months and then the mold started appearing, then in the move I had to shut the fridge off and have only just got back to cleaning it up..YUK ! It's gone nuts in there.

So how do you prevent mold in your fermenting fridge ?

Edit: and I stuffed the spelling on the post title...yay for me

 

[Hogan]

So how do you prevent mold in your fermenting fridge ?

Edit: and I stuffed the spelling on the post title...yay for me

Don't leave the door closed when it is turned off.

Cheers, Hoges.

 

[mika]

Cheers Hoges, but the mold was starting to appear even when it was running.

Once I had the door closed and shut it off it really took off, but hopefully not doing that again anytime soon.

 

[frogman]

When I bought my fermenting fridge it was pretty skankey.
Cleaned with high pressure water cleaner then washed out with bleach.
Left open till smell was gone.

When mould re-appeared I wiped out with a water/vinegar mix approx50/50.

Has never come back.

Cheers Frogman

 

[quigley]

Give it a quick rub down with bleach solution on a cloth before each new ferment goes into it.

 

[wraith]

Hi mika, because fermentation fridges run at a higher temp and humidity, mould growing is inevidable as far as I know, I would just say buy a mould killer and use it if you see any growing.

Wraith

 

[mobrien]

I have a spray bottle of Idophor sitting in each of my fridges. Any time I see mould, or when I feel like it, I give it all a spray....

Seems to work for me!

M

 

[frogman]

Give it a quick rub down with bleach solution on a cloth before each new ferment goes into it.

Hi mika, because fermentation fridges run at a higher temp and humidity, mould growing is inevidable as far as I know, I would just say buy a mould killer and use it if you see any growing.

Wraith

I would be a little concerned about some of the scents/smells making their way into my beer.
My vinegar/water treatment has elimanted the mould for nearly a year now.
Runs at 18c for 9 days then 1c for two days before the next batches go in.

 

[Corny]

Vinegar is great anti mould/mould inhibitor. Be sure not to use an unpasteurised vinegar otherwise acetobacter could be a problem. I keep a 4:1 of water and unscented bleach in a spray bottle for a spray and wipe for my fridge and brewery surfaces.

 

[Tony]

Mine went all mouldy. I was lazy and left it like that for ages and never had a problem.

Till recently when i lifted out a firmenter and forgot to remove the airlock. It sucked the airlock water into the firmenter.

When i got the firmenter out mould had started to grow on the firmenter itsself. It was a lager and sit in there for 2 or 3 weeks.

I rancked it and within a weel it went sour and just got worse and worse.

50 liters of pilsner down the drain.

I made a wash up with warm water and disinfectant and cleaned it out completly.

Its all good now,

cheers

 

[Zierschy]

I wipe mine out after each brew with some vanilla fidge spray and wipe I get at woolies and then leave the door open.

I think it's an alchohol based cleaner. So will sanitise the inside of your fridge for you.

Has the added bonus that you smell nice for the rest of the day after using it!

 

[mika]

The off the shelf Vanilla fridge spray is sounding like the go. If it's good enough for food, it's good enough for my beer.

The Vinegar solution dows have the advantage of being simple though.

Cheers for all the top reply's.

 

[Batz]

Give it a quick rub down with bleach solution on a cloth before each new ferment goes into it.

Spot on quigley,really strong beach wash out,I'll be using a spray bottle and spraying till there was plenty of run-off.Door seals will need a scrub with an old toothbrush,lots of bleach.
This will stop your problem for months,then if you see some mold,quick spray

Batz

 

[Tyred]

For my parents old food fridge, we would use bleach on a cloth and wipe it out completely. Then wipe it out with another wet cloth and then wipe it out with vanilla essence. That appeared to keep it clean for about a year or so. But then a food fridge is opened a lot more than a fermenting fridge.

 

[nifty]

I have about a half dozen of those large bags of water absorbing crystals that come with electrical equipment, servers, printers etc in my fermenting fridge and I never get any mould.

nifty

 

[Jase]

I've have a pilsner, my first, that has been fermenting away in the fridge on 12 degrees for 3 weeks. I raised the temp on Sunday to 16 degrees for diacetyl rest for a few days. I checked the fridge this morning and noticed mould starting to grow on the walls of the fridge. I checked the fermenter and noticed some mould has started to grow near the lid, and some on top of the lid, so I cleaned every thing. I plan on kegging this tomorrow for a 3 month lager in the keg. Do you think it'll be ok??

After reading Tony's comments, I not sure whether the brew will be ok???? Here's hoping! :huh:

Cheers,
Jase

 

[lucas]

jase, it'll probably be fine. I've had mold grow on the side of my fermenter a few time when leaving it along time in the fridge and it hasnt caused a problem. i've been meaning to pick up some of that damprid stuff and see if that stops the problem