Good Beer Gone Bad

[pb unleaded]

Hi all.

I had a really good drop on tap, drank about half of it then removed it from fridge to make room for a CC fermenter.
The keg was out of the fridge for about a week at temps between 25-40. When I chilled it again the beer was slightly infected,
not bad but enough to make it unpleasent.
I've done this before and usualy the beer improved. Could it be the high temps that caused the infection?

The brew was an all grain ale, no chill, one week ferment, one week CC in same fermenter, kegged gassed and drank half.

Anyone else had the same problem, any comments?

thanks

arthur

 

[sah]

Hi Arthur,

If it was an infection the bacteria or fungus had to have already been in the keg. The cold temperature could have been keeping it's growth in check. The warmth probably helped it grow. The alcohol, cold and CO2 makes life hard for lots of bugs.

regards,
Scott

 

[pint of lager]

Warm temperatures do not cause infections. Spores, bacteria and wild yeast cause infections.

Like SAH said, the extra time spent out of the fridge was enough for the infection in your keg to become noticeable.

People who are lucky enough to have a large temp controlled freezer for keg storage can get away with less sanitation effort than those that store their excess kegs and bottles in the warmth.

Time to pull everything apart and tighten up your sanitation and yeast work.

 

[pb unleaded]

Thanks for the quick replies, I was afraid that was the case (infection already in keg).
I read somewhere to treat your beer like milk.

 

[sah]

Also give your beer and gas lines and fittings a good clean and sanitise. It's common for bacteria to establish in beer lines and they can move into your kegs. This should be done fairly regularly.

Good luck.
Scott

 

[peas_and_corn]

what's the best way of doing this? I have an infected keg myself

 

[sah]

what's the best way of doing this? I have an infected keg myself

Everytime I sanitise a keg I run some sanitiser solution through my beer lines and leave it there for a while.

Every few weeks I mix up some sodium percarbonate solution and run them through my lines.

Very very occassionally I soak my gas and beer lines and all fittings in sodium percarbonate and then sanitise.

The problem with bacteria in your beer lines is that you tend to develop a bit of immunity to the slight flavours the infection imparts. The good old house mouth syndrome. If there is one way to get me paranoid it is to tell me that all of my beers have a similar background flavour.

regards,
Scott

EDIT: don't forget your taps / gun too.

 

[axl]

Also give your beer and gas lines and fittings a good clean and sanitise. It's common for bacteria to establish in beer lines and they can move into your kegs. This should be done fairly regularly.

Good luck.
Scott

I have heared this quite often but my question is this:

If your beer gas lines are always under a 100% co2 pressure/environment, (even when your co2 bottle tap is shut off). How and what kind of infectious bacteria can survive under these conditions??

I thought that all living organisms need oxygen to survive??

 

[peas_and_corn]

Everytime I sanitise a keg I run some sanitiser solution through my beer lines and leave it there for a while.

Every few weeks I mix up some sodium percarbonate solution and run them through my lines.

Sio do you put some in the keg and pump it through the lines like you would a beer?

 

[Inge]

I have heared this quite often but my question is this:

If your beer gas lines are always under a 100% co2 pressure/environment, (even when your co2 bottle tap is shut off). How and what kind of infectious bacteria can survive under these conditions??

I thought that all living organisms need oxygen to survive??

Nope, there's a whole world of anaerobic organisms that flourish in the absence of O₂. For instance, Botulism :lol:

 

[sah]

Axl, many bacteria don't require oxygen. However, they do all need some nutrient. So if you have an accidental back flow it's time to clean and sanitise.

P&C. Yes, mix up the cleaning or sanitising solution in a keg and use CO2 to push it through.

Scott

EDIT: P&C it also ensures that the inside of your keg dip tube has contact with sanitiser.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Awesome. I'll make sure that it gets done! cheers!

 

[axl]

Nope, there's a whole world of anaerobic organisms that flourish in the absence of O₂. For instance, Botulism :lol:

Yes that's fine but, what kind of microrganisms can survive & flourish in a 100% co2 environment??? i.e no other gasses?

 

[Darren]

Axl,

Wild yeast for one! Lactobacillus species are also common beer spoilage organisms.

cheers

Darren

 

[Kingy]

I agree with the accidental back flow up the gas lines giving a slightly off taste to the beers. And as SAH pointed out (i think) every beer will have a slightly off taste and youll become immune to it. It happened to me over the xmas period.
All the kegs are dry now so its time for a big cleaning day.

Its also amazing how the beer tastes just that little bit better from dismantling and cleaning the taps alone. Dunno if really does, or it might justbe a mind thing :lol:

Psilocybe Species is a fungi that with give your beer a good run for its money.

 

[domonsura]

One word. CAUSTIC. Show me a bug that can survive that

 

[Lukes]

Show me a bug that that can survive a good sterilisation process!

Did anyone see this show on SBS last week?
One claim was that bacteria from space crashed to earth, survived and lead to life on this planet?

20:30 Science: We Are The Aliens
A thought provoking look into the idea of extraterrestrial micro organisms that may have showered our planet and other areas of the universe. This process, known as Panspermia, is a solid theory on how life may have spread throughout the universe and how life may have possibly originated here on Earth. In the documentary, we meet the scientists who are on a mission to get to the bottom of the beginnings of life on earth. It explores the theories from a diverse range of intellectuals, from the team in Texas who are lovingly building a robotic submarine called DEPTHX to explore a moon of Jupiter, to Southern India where they are investigating a mysterious red rain which fell for 2 months in 2001. (From the UK, in English) (Documentary) WS

(insert twilight zone music here)...

 

[NRB]

Psilocybe Species is a fungi that with give your beer a good run for its money.

What's that supposed to mean in the context of this thread? I think we all know what Psilocybes are...

 

[pb unleaded]

One word. CAUSTIC. Show me a bug that can survive that

I thought caustic was bad for stainless, it makes it rust or pit or something. I never tried it myself but I might on this keg.
At what concentrations should I use it and for how long?
I usually soak in a napysan solution, rinse and then sterilize with iodophor.

thanks
arthur