I need a place to ferment!

[clintonforster]

Hi Guys,

I've had the same problem for the past 6 and a half months. I do all grain brew in a bag and i know i have everything down as i've talked to so many brewers, watched so many videos and talk to the guys at grain and grape every week.

I did ten amazing brews and then i started getting the same off smell in my beer every brew, no matter the recipe (and i brew every week)

Eventually i have figured out it's a wild yeast infection in my house. Loses all hop characteristics, gets sort of a winey bitter taste that sticks to the back of the tongue, gets highly carbonated in primary fermenter and keeps fermenting down to 1.007 as something is eating the unfermentable sugars.

I recently brewed outside, cubed it, took it to a mates place with my fermenting fridge and it looks like it's stopped the problem. Only problem is my mates Partner doesn't want my fridge at her house!

So i need somewhere to ferment or somewhere to brew and ferment.

Anyone know a place i can rent a cheap space for this or have any suggestions? Having six months of brewing stuff up is costly and heartbreaking.

Cheers guys.

 

[Brew Forky]

... gets sort of a winey bitter taste that sticks to the back of the tongue...

Brewing away from my Mrs fixed that problem.

In all seriousness, if your cubing outside and it works, could it be as simple as pouring the cube into the fermenter outside and sealing it there if your house has an infection?

 

[clintonforster]

Brewing away from my Mrs fixed that problem.

In all seriousness, if your cubing outside and it works, could it be as simple as pouring the cube into the fermenter outside and sealing it there if your house has an infection?

tried that but somehow it still got affected when i fermented in the fridge inside the house.

Though i just bought a brew bucket and am gonna get a bigger fridge as i've been using 15litre plastic ferments and am sick of the infection sticking around in the plastic no matter what i do and having to get new ones.

Will try doing everything outside and fermenting in the new stainless steel fermenter and fridge. Still open to more suggestions though!!

 

[manticle]

If you are transferring from cube to fermenter, try cubing and adding yeast directly to cube when cool.

Of course - give everything in your brewery a massive clean and sanitise first. Replace any cheap, plastic bits, break apart and clean all taps etc.

I have experienced similar - not fun but removing transfers helped.

 

[clintonforster]

If you are transferring from cube to fermenter, try cubing and adding yeast directly to cube when cool.

Of course - give everything in your brewery a massive clean and sanitise first. Replace any cheap, plastic bits, break apart and clean all taps etc.

I have experienced similar - not fun but removing transfers helped.

and then just put glad warp over the cubes opening? i was also having the same problem even when brewing on the stove cooling with an icebath or brewing in a new urn using a wort chiller

 

[BrosysBrews]

How old is your fv? Wouldn't that be more likely then the house? Maybe a cheaper option would be to get a stainless ferm that you can clean easier

 

[zooesk]

Where do you live mate

 

[clintonforster]

I live in Footscray and have just invested in a brew bucket and my fv is two brews old

 

[jatterbury]

I live in Footscray and have just invested in a brew bucket and my fv is two brews old

Hey Clintonforster,

I had a the same issue a number of months ago, took me awhile to isolate the cause as being wild yeast/infection and in my scenario the first 3-4 days of fermentation went as expected and after that the off flavours took over. Not sure what your house is like but I was doing my cleaning ( fermenter etc ) in the downstairs laundry room ( the fermenting fridge is next to this room). Since i started doing all the cleaning and sanitising in the main kitchen there have no issues!. so maybe its not the entire house but where you do the cleaning of the cold side equipment?


edit: just read a couple of your other posts and I did very similar things, ie purchased a brew bucket, replaced a bunch of plastic stuff in the brewery, tried fresh wort kits, cursed my brew kettle and tried witchcraft. Wasted around 7 brews in the process of elimination.

 

[Dunkelbrau]

It may sound silly.. But have you cleaner and sanitised the fermenting fridge?

Are you crushing malt near where you ferment?

 

[Markbeer]

Are you using star san for anything? this will not always kill wild yeast.

What plants do you have near the location of brewing and fermenting. it could be coming from one of those.

 

[Grott]

So you brewed out side, and took your fermentation fridge to a mates place and had no problem. therefore the fermenter and fridge can be initially eliminated.

What plants do you have near the location of brewing and fermenting. it could be coming from one of those.

Good question.

Are you crushing malt near where you ferment?

Good question.
I would suggest you sit down in the area you normally prepare and look for things that may cause infections or the introduction of wild yeasts. Did you change something, procedure for those "off" brews?

 

[clintonforster]

Hey Clintonforster,

I had a the same issue a number of months ago, took me awhile to isolate the cause as being wild yeast/infection and in my scenario the first 3-4 days of fermentation went as expected and after that the off flavours took over. Not sure what your house is like but I was doing my cleaning ( fermenter etc ) in the downstairs laundry room ( the fermenting fridge is next to this room). Since i started doing all the cleaning and sanitising in the main kitchen there have no issues!. so maybe its not the entire house but where you do the cleaning of the cold side equipment?


edit: just read a couple of your other posts and I did very similar things, ie purchased a brew bucket, replaced a bunch of plastic stuff in the brewery, tried fresh wort kits, cursed my brew kettle and tried witchcraft. Wasted around 7 brews in the process of elimination.

That's awesome that you wasted only seven brews, i've been brewing every week since june last year and changed everything in my process. I do all my cleaining in my kitchen at my house, The laundry is attached to it. Perhaps i will do all my cleaning outside too.

It may sound silly.. But have you cleaner and sanitised the fermenting fridge?

Are you crushing malt near where you ferment?

My fridge is super clean and sanitised every time. Grain and Grape crushes malt for me. Cheers!

Are you using star san for anything? this will not always kill wild yeast.

What plants do you have near the location of brewing and fermenting. it could be coming from one of those.

i oxyper or pbw and star san everytime, i used iodophor once, didn't change anything.

So you brewed out side, and took your fermentation fridge to a mates place and had no problem. therefore the fermenter and fridge can be initially eliminated.

Good question.

Good question.
I would suggest you sit down in the area you normally prepare and look for things that may cause infections or the introduction of wild yeasts. Did you change something, procedure for those "off" brews?

not exactly, after star saning, fermenting and pitching at my mates place i can smell the hops and beer flavour for the first time in ages, but i can also smell a little bit of that off flavour which suggests to me it was stuck in the fermenter as i use 15 litre plastic fermenters from grain and grape.

I've been cleaning stuff in my kitchen where my rabbits and dog live, so maybe from them, the only plant i can think of is weeds coming over the fence from my Neighbours back yard, doubt it would be that.
Cheers!

 

[manticle]

and then just put glad warp over the cubes opening? i was also having the same problem even when brewing on the stove cooling with an icebath or brewing in a new urn using a wort chiller

Lid on tight, then backed off a few turns. Look in the articles section for 'fermenting directly in the no chill cube'.

 

[cooperplace]

have you tried increasing the yeast inoculum? You'll get a faster ferment, but with more yeast in there, it helps stop other stuff getting a foothold. Also, after rehyrating yeast, I always add about 25% wort to it, leave 30', then another 25% wort, leave another 30', then pitch. This reduces osmotic shock to the yeast so it gets to work right away. But be prepared for a really rapid ferment.