Is my bottling bucket the source of my infection?

dsuarez · 06-24-2009, 10:42 PM

So The last 3 or so of my batches have been infected. I had been racking my brain as to the reason up until this last batch. When I pulled a sample of the finished beer at bottling time, it tasted great and I finished an entire glass. Two weeks carb time in the bottle go by, and the beer tastes unpalatable (wet wool, plastic/rubber, a little sourness).

Could this be caused by tiny hairline scratches in my bottling bucket? I can't think of another reason why it would taste good at bottling time, but spoil before it fully carbs. I recently replaced racking cane, hoses, and spigot, but the bottling bucket is the only thing that is kind of a relic. Can anybody shed some light on this problem?

**david_42** · 06-24-2009, 11:03 PM

Yes it can be. This is one of the few times I would use bleach on brewing equipment. Two ounces of household bleach in a full bucket. Let it soak for an hour. If you have a spigot, dismantle it and sanitize separately. Rinse twice and let it air dry.

**EvilTOJ** · 06-25-2009, 10:55 AM

Definitely do the bleach holocaust on your bottling bucket. Do the same with your racking cane, bottling wand, and anything else that has contacted your beer.

**Revvy** · 06-25-2009, 10:59 AM

It could also be inside you bottling bucket sigot as well...some people recently have had issues with finding gunk in the "ball valve" of it.

Here's some info I have posted about infection control

Quote:

It's no big deal, I've been there...I had a late onset gusher infection myself (on a contest entry no less)

You just need to try to locate the source of the infection. Some people have lately discussed the spigot in the bottling bucket as a possible source...nasties can lodge in there over time.

I would remove it from the bucket and examine it carefully, maybe hold it up to a light....I would then fill a bowl with hot water and oxyclean and let it sit in their for a few hours...also examine by feel you bottling bucket for any scratches.... also look at your bottling wand, and auto siphon. Check all your fermenters for scratches as well....

I would replace every hose that comes in contact with my beer.....then I would consider replacing all those other plastic things, like auto siphon, wand, maybe even the spigot.... barring that I would do a scorched earth sanitization using the bleach/water/vinegar recipe that Charles Talley, the creator of starsan recommends...JUST BE SURE TO FOLLOW HIS RECIPE IN EXACTLY THE ORDER HE DISCUSSES OTHERWISE IT COULD BE DEADLY

http://media.libsyn.com/media/basicbrewing/bbr03-29-07.mp3

and soak all your gear in it...first all your bottling gear, then all your fermentation gear...

After that I would temporarily switch sanitizers...if you are using starsan, switch to iodophor, or vice versa (if you don't use either, I can't stress enough choosing to use one, the other or alternating between both) in case you have a house bug.....

Again it's no big deal...but you need to nip it in the bud...

ALso read this old post of more on infections;

Quote:

I alternate sanitizers now, since my own infection issue last summer. I don't use the same sanitizer thorought the entire batch...if I use starsan on brewday I use iodophor at bottling, and vice versa...

Even Chris Colby as an aside in a BB podcast mentioned switching sanitizers, a "house" bug can mutate to become accustomed (like with pennicilin) to your sanitiziation regimen. So switching, at least temporarily will knock it for a loop.

Honestly, it ain't a big deal, it happens to us on occasion.....On Craftbrewer radio they said it usually happens around the 10th, the 30th and the 50th batch...even the pro's deal with it (the Brewer at New Glarus said in an interview on Basic Brewing once, that a commercial brewery operation gets a 3 year grace period before their first infection)

It's called a house germ...and it develops over time...
The hosts of the podcast in Australia have 60 years of brewing experience...This is a very good discussion on infection and infection control.

They talk about the "timeframe" of infections, and how it is less likely for a first batch to be infected...it tends to occur around the 10th batch and the 50th...When the equipment gets more used up, and "house germs" start to build up. They used the term "house mouth" in the discussion, how we may not even notice, because we're sort of used to the taste of our beers, it's usually NOT a regular drinker of our beers that notices it.

Quote:

December#2,2006

“What is sour mashing?” I hear you ask. So said our brewmaster as he guides you thru this most interesting of ways of making a beer. In a nice compact show, we also cover feedback, Kit and Kilo infections, our beer superhero turns “gay”, and a faviourite beer song is requested yet again. Not enough, well also hear about WHO stuffed up his brew day.

http://radio.craftbrewer.org/shows/December2-06.mp3

It's a pretty good discussion.

Hope this helps

DrMaddVibe · 06-25-2009, 12:26 PM

YouTube - Barney Fife - Nip It

**Homercidal** · 06-25-2009, 04:12 PM

I have seen the gunk in my bottling bucket spigot. Not pretty. They are cheap enough to toss and replace IMO.

Richie · 06-25-2009, 05:05 PM

3 straight batches - that really sucks. The plastic buckets are cheap, I would just trash the one you have and pick up another.

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