Vinegar flies

[Chods1]

Hi everyone. Just noticed a fair few vinegar flies around my fermenter. Normally we don't have them but this time there are heaps. If they happen to get into my brew could they cause damage to my wort?. Although it's almost done and should be ready for bottling in a day or two.

 

[MHB]

Drosophilidae wont harm your beer and drink very little.
They do however carry a large range of bacteria including Lacto a common beer spoiling bug.
The actually eat yeast, and like to lay eggs in alcoholic environments (yeast blooms on rotting fruit, beer, wine...) to protect their young from other pests.
Keep spilt beer that contains any yeast well wiped up, disinfect the area and make sure there is water in your airlock and cross your fingers.
Mark

 

[Chods1]

Drosophilidae wont harm your beer and drink very little.
They do however carry a large range of bacteria including Lacto a common beer spoiling bug.
The actually eat yeast, and like to lay eggs in alcoholic environments (yeast blooms on rotting fruit, beer, wine...) to protect their young from other pests.
Keep spilt beer that contains any yeast well wiped up, disinfect the area and make sure there is water in your airlock and cross your fingers.
Mark

Thanks very much MHB. I didn't know that they actually ate the yeast and laid their eggs in the blooms. Never too old to learn stuff. They probably have too much competition from my wife scoffing down my home brews any way!

 

[Phoney]

I always find them either in my drip tray or in empty glasses that have beer or wine skerricks in the bottom.

You can build a trap using a 1.25L PET bottle and a splash of beer to catch the lil bastards. I probably should get around to doing that one day. They're bad here over summer!

 

[Danscraftbeer]

They do carry the best culture for Vinegar. To convert alcohole into acid. I actually buy a commercial product for the culture to make my best vinegar but I do have to try a backyard culture sometime too.
Its definatley a concern to have these flies in your brewing environment.

 

[Chods1]

I always find them either in my drip tray or in empty glasses that have beer or wine skerricks in the bottom.

You can build a trap using a 1.25L PET bottle and a splash of beer to catch the lil bastards. I probably should get around to doing that one day. They're bad here over summer!

Yeah seem to getting worse her in the West. Maybe climate change or not cleaning up the dregs as often as I should.

 

[Chods1]

They do carry the best culture for Vinegar. To convert alcohole into acid. I actually buy a commercial product for the culture to make my best vinegar but I do have to try a backyard culture sometime too.
Its definatley a concern to have these flies in your brewing environment.

That's interesting Dan. So if I want a good vinegar I should let the little buggers have a nibble/drink on my old wine.

 

[Drewgong]

I was always getting them inside my beer taps every few weeks I'd pull them apart to clean them and there full of black gunk. I have the rubber caps now. where do you keep your fermenter?

 

[koshari]

Interesting reading. Cant say i recall seeing these pests round here but will be on the lookout. They look like small march flies.