Where Can I Get My Beer Lab Tested?

[The King of Spain]

I have had a bowl that collects the drips when I am bottling (yes still persisting with that). It gets full of mold close to where I bulk prime. Sounds like problem now reading after this post. Same symptons, beer is nice when fresh and then turms. Most noticable with low AA hop brews.

Does this sound likely?

 

[eamonnfoley]

My sister in law works for a company that does water analysis. Possibly they analyse other liquids. I could ask her if they do beer analysis if you'd like, and what their prices might be?

If I dont solve the problem by replacing the hopscreen nuts, and using a glass fermenter, ill definitely be interested in that. Cheers.

 

[eamonnfoley]

I have had a bowl that collects the drips when I am bottling (yes still persisting with that). It gets full of mold close to where I bulk prime. Sounds like problem now reading after this post. Same symptons, beer is nice when fresh and then turms. Most noticable with low AA hop brews.

Does this sound likely?

hmm, my area is pretty clean. Same problem regardless of kegging or bottling. But my issue does get worse with time. Early fermenter samples are promising, then malt & hop flavour disappears by the time it is in the keg/bottle. But nothing sour to answer the question by t2000kw. And the carbonation and appearance seem ok and stable. Doesnt become a gusher or anything. Actually a few people are adament its not an infection. But some call it an infection.

t2000kw, you mentioned a caustic bath for fermenter taps etc? How can you boil plastic? I wonder if I can treat my glass fermenter to a "lukewarm" caustic bath?

 

[masculator002]

had the same problem with Cascade brew kits along with a few other people I know couldnt brew a decent one for about 6 batches but if I tried a coopers in between it was fine couldn't explain it, all the cascades were from different batches. made me quit brewing kits. To the nickel question, You would need a LOOOOTTTT of nickel in the mix before it made any noticeable difference. lets face it all stainless contains some nickel and how many of us put our beer in stainless kegs or boil in stainless pots or ferment in 304 or 316 stainless fermenters? so I would definetly rule that one out. some where in the setup you have a persistent infection be it from your malt supply or your yeast or possibly somewhere in your wort chiller or associated kit that the cleaner you are using is not effective against.

I sympathise with you and I know that plastic, phenolic smell and absolutely disgusting flavour that you are having to persist with. Try a different supplier for your malt and try a different yeast. A good yeast to try is 1056 or us 05 as this is a fast starting yeast which is very strong at destroying most intruding bacteria.

all the best Trav

 

[masculator002]

I have had a bowl that collects the drips when I am bottling (yes still persisting with that). It gets full of mold close to where I bulk prime. Sounds like problem now reading after this post. Same symptons, beer is nice when fresh and then turms. Most noticable with low AA hop brews.

Does this sound likely?

How the f&%k do you leave a bowl of dregs there long enough to get mold in it let alone that it is still there when you bulk prime your next batch? sounds like you are trying to brew botulinum for the botox traders. I always have a drip bowl when I am bottling but I clean it as soon as bottling is over..... EEEEEWWWWW. forgive me if I dont call around for a few one weekend.

 

[eamonnfoley]

Interesting development: My latest beer has improved - 14 days old. I was a bit suspect when I tasted the beer in the fermenter, but im suddenly hopeful.

I did think I may have been home and hosed (pun) when I got rid of a hose that I was advised may have been underated for use with boiling wort. And it may prove true. It is still quite bitter - but cascade hops are coming through in the aroma and flavour (APA). Slightly rough bitterness that may be due to POR for bittering and the no chill. Very promising indeed. :icon_cheers:

 

[reVoxAHB]

Out of curiosity, have you been using chlorinated bleach in and around your brewery? It could be that you're picking up chlorophenols esp if fermenting in plastic (even foodgrade) which is permeable.

I read you're filtering brewing water to remove the potential of chlorinated contaminant, but how about rinsing? Are you using filtered/boiled water with no-rinse sanitisers for final rinse in ferms and equipment (eg saniclean, iodophor, etc )?

Hate to throw more obvious suggestions out there, as you've seemingly been through all of them, as you say.. knew a guy who used chlorinated bleach to combat black mold on the wall of his pro brewery- took down over $20K in beer and another 10K or more in analysis to identify the culprit. of course his tanks were SS, etc. but his big mistake was stepping starters in a 30L plastic screw lid ferm.. by the time he pitched and repitched slurry, etc. he'd done his damage affecting every tank and weeks of conditioning, some to bottle and so on. He shut it down and moved his product to contract.

reVox

 

[cooperplace]

hmm, my area is pretty clean. Same problem regardless of kegging or bottling. But my issue does get worse with time. Early fermenter samples are promising, then malt & hop flavour disappears by the time it is in the keg/bottle. But nothing sour to answer the question by t2000kw. And the carbonation and appearance seem ok and stable. Doesnt become a gusher or anything. Actually a few people are adament its not an infection. But some call it an infection.

t2000kw, you mentioned a caustic bath for fermenter taps etc? How can you boil plastic? I wonder if I can treat my glass fermenter to a "lukewarm" caustic bath?

Call it what you like, but it sounds v much like something other than what you want growing in your beer.

Good luck.

Peter

 

[t2000kw]

t2000kw, you mentioned a caustic bath for fermenter taps etc? How can you boil plastic? I wonder if I can treat my glass fermenter to a "lukewarm" caustic bath?

That was someone else in this thread who used a boiling caustic soda bath. See PostModern's reply on page 1 of this thread. He might have used it on a stainless steel fermenter (not sure, you'll have to ask him).

Some plastics will handle boiling, but I doubt that most of the plastics we would use could withstand boiling liquids, except perhaps very briefly. But, you might think about this--if you can get ~73 deg C water into all the nooks and crannies, you will have Pasteurized everything and probably killed off any microbes that might have caused you problems.

I would like to add something about using chlorine bleach as a sanitizer (I don't remember now if you use it or not). Many brewers claim it can lead to a "band-aid" (phenolic, medicinal) taste. I no longer use it myself, but if you rinse well with hot water it should dissipate the chlorine into a gas and get rid of it.

Iodophor is my personal choice for a no-rinse sanitizer. At 12.5 ppm concentration, it works in one minute and needs no rinsing. Taste tests have been done at this concentration and there were no contributions to a any off-flavors in the final beers brewed. Iodophor is also fairly cheap if you buy it by the gallon (as I do, and it will last me for years).

There are other no-rinse sanitizers that won't leave a redidue to contribute off-flavors to beers you brew. I just like iodophor because of the speed (1 minute contact time) and the economy of it. I also use it in my bottle rinser solution.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

just a stab in the dark - but maybe its oxidation.

Are you perhaps indulging in a transfer from primary to secondary with liberal splashing?? or something else that might introduce oxygen into your post fermentation beer??

If there is no sour, and no gush, just a flabby flavour - maybe its just aging fast due to oxygen pick-up.

But -- experienced tasters would have picked that up I guess.

 

[Goose]

There are other no-rinse sanitizers that won't leave a redidue to contribute off-flavors to beers you brew. I just like iodophor because of the speed (1 minute contact time) and the economy of it. I also use it in my bottle rinser solution.

T2000w , I think you may find "Starsan" also fits into this category. No residual off flavours and max 30 seconds contact time.

In any case getting off topic here. This man seems to have tried all I can think of, including glass fermenters... :unsure:

 

[t2000kw]

T2000w , I think you may find "Starsan" also fits into this category. No residual off flavours and max 30 seconds contact time.

Star San is fine. Too costly for me on a per-use basis, at least where I bought mine from. It works as well, though. Some claim that the foaming helps reach areas where the liquid won't, but I don't buy that. I do think it's a fine sanitizer and doesn't stain like iodophor does. Staining is my main gripe with iodophor, but I now am careful when using it. It does stain plastic, though.

Hope the brewer figures out what the problem is. There are some unusual things that can cause this type of problem, but they're so unusual (like the tree that caused problems for one brewer here) that it isn't something that comes to most of our minds, and few of us have experienced problems from those sources.

 

[PostModern]

How do you locate a tree/drain as the source? Reading this thread with interest, I have had a similar experience.

In Ray Mill's case, there was a tree in his yard that overhung his brewing area. It was removed for non-brewing reasons (caused too much shade and damp grass iirc), so he had it chopped down then suddenly the taint in his beers disappeared. Ray's theory is wild yeast was living on the tree and dropping into his brewery.

 

[t2000kw]

In Ray Mill's case, there was a tree in his yard that overhung his brewing area. It was removed for non-brewing reasons (caused too much shade and damp grass iirc), so he had it chopped down then suddenly the taint in his beers disappeared. Ray's theory is wild yeast was living on the tree and dropping into his brewery.

A very unusual end to the story for that one!

But foles, don't cut down all your trees. Not yet, anyway.

But this brings up an interesting point: Have you ever tried brewing in another known safe location, maybe at another brewer's place?

 

[The King of Spain]

In Ray Mill's case, there was a tree in his yard that overhung his brewing area. It was removed for non-brewing reasons (caused too much shade and damp grass iirc), so he had it chopped down then suddenly the taint in his beers disappeared. Ray's theory is wild yeast was living on the tree and dropping into his brewery.

Thanks PoMo thats quite a story although somthing of an anticlimax. :icon_cheers: