Infection?

[Colo]

Hello All,

I generally brew the same receipe over and over because I like the taste. However my last two brews have been a little different, with big brown bubbles floating ontop of the brew, which I have noticed when removing the lid to bottle.

It has been a little warmer here in QLD so I was thinking maybe this is a by-product of the heat, anyway I have attached a photo.

If it is an infection I'm not quite sure where its coming from or how its getting in, im quite strict with sterilisation.

Thanks

 

[luggy]

How's it taste?

 

[droid]

no one has put their hand up today?

ok

well as a reference this has been in the keg 16 days and today it is getting racked and dry hopped so I grabbed a pic



that looks normal yeah?

@ your pic - whenever you get that second coating or skin, or clusters that look different - it is a worry, you could tap to taste yes but the infection may not be down there yet and if it is...

if it was me I would take another pic in a few days and compare

could you be doing something a little different before it is getting into the keg? as you say your sanitation is good so I would be thinking pre-keg activities??

I once poured 50ltr of Heineken down the drain after an open top ferment went bad, that was summer in Perth - and was exposure to air-born evil

 

[droid]

Hello All,

I generally brew the same receipe over and over because I like the taste. However my last two brews have been a little different, with big brown bubbles floating ontop of the brew, which I have noticed when removing the lid to bottle.

It has been a little warmer here in QLD so I was thinking maybe this is a by-product of the heat, anyway I have attached a photo.

If it is an infection I'm not quite sure where its coming from or how its getting in, im quite strict with sterilisation.

Thanks

wow the more I look at that pic of yours the more I think someone has popped something in there - if not then prolly water going in

and so after a while the yeast has slowed and provided the bug with "its time to shine"

toss it

sorry

<edit> gramma moron

 

[TheWiggman]

Infections can happen to even the best brewers but the odds reduce drastically with your sanitation, cleaning skills and knowledge. Looks to me like you have an infection judging by the unusual cluster of large bubbles on the surface.
I know I got an infection once but let it ride. The result was drinkable but has a real sourness that I didn't find pleasant. It wasn't undrinkable but not to my standards so got tipped. Give it a taste and if you think it's fine, it's fine. If not, you've done the recipe a few times before so you'll know. Make the judgement on whether it's lawn food, take it in your stride, and keep thinking about a nook or cranny (maybe taps or thread?) where you might have gone wrong and start in the next batch.

 

[Colo]

How's it taste?

Its drinkable, but my brews normally have a little bit of sweetness...this has none and doesnt have the typical smell that is generated by the yeast. It will prob end up down the sink I think.

I have taken the tap off and can see its gotta a little bit of colour inside. How do you clean the tap I cant get it open or do you just buy a new one?

 

[boybrewer]

Its drinkable, but my brews normally have a little bit of sweetness...this has none and doesnt have the typical smell that is generated by the yeast. It will prob end up down the sink I think.

I have taken the tap off and can see its gotta a little bit of colour inside. How do you clean the tap I cant get it open or do you just buy a new one?

You can break the tap open by turning it half way and sticking something round inside and giving it a sharp hit . I stick a wooden spoon up into the inside of the tap and holding the tap bang the spoon onto the counter . This will seperate the inside from the outside , so you will end up with two pieces . To put it back together make sure the tap is turned half way and bang the tap back into place simple .

 

[Grott]

"You can break the tap open by turning it half way and sticking something round inside and giving it a sharp hit . I stick a wooden spoon up into the inside of the tap and holding the tap bang the spoon onto the counter . This will seperate the inside from the outside , so you will end up with two pieces . To put it back together make sure the tap is turned half way and bang the tap back into place simple ."
[/quote]

Spot on, a lot of people don't do this and therefore in time will have infections/off tastes.
Cheers

 

[brewermp]

"You can break the tap open by turning it half way and sticking something round inside and giving it a sharp hit . I stick a wooden spoon up into the inside of the tap and holding the tap bang the spoon onto the counter . This will seperate the inside from the outside , so you will end up with two pieces . To put it back together make sure the tap is turned half way and bang the tap back into place simple ."

Spot on, a lot of people don't do this and therefore in time will have infections/off tastes.
Cheers[/quote]

Never knew this. Will do it next time for sure .

 

[Colo]

So....

After buying a new tap (just to be sure) and being more anal on sterlisation than EVER before, I put a new brew down about a week and a half ago.

I thought I would crack the lid to see how she's going...infected. Same infection as the other two, thats 3 in a row now and I'm kinda getting a little sick of it.

So my next step is to buy a new fermenter, I'm really at a loss to whats causing this. Has anybody come across maybe a bad batch of yeast before from the brewshop? I use Safbrew wb06, I know there aren't too many wheat brewers so there's a good chance all three of the yeasts from the infected brews are from the same batch at the brew shop. I have one more packet left of the yeast, should I take it back and see if they can swap it from another batch?

 

[manticle]

More likely a microbe that's taken up root somewhere in your brewery than suss yeast, especially if used direct from a new pack.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I've known of some unfortunate brewers having to ditch pretty much everything plastic from their brewery. Choice is to do it one piece at a time or just call it and replace all hoses, fermenters, lids, airlocks, etc straight up...

 

[Grott]

Have you changed something, forgotten to do something? Before replacing everything I'd sit down and list all the things you do to make a brew and tick your processes off, ie sanitise stirring spoon- tick, same water- tick and so on.
Hope it helps

 

[Yob]

Nuke absolutely everything you use, pull everything apart,

Bleach > boiling > pressure cooker > steam > sunlight > starsan.

Once you are certain everything is spotless, fill fv with starsan and soak all your gear in it overnight prior to use.

Reminds me I need to give my ferment fridge a good work over again too.