Gnats

Yesterday I started a batch of spiced cider and a batch of mead. Today I goto check on it and their are gnats all over. Any suggestions?

Yesterday I started a batch of spiced cider and a batch of mead. Today I goto check on it and their are gnats all over. Any suggestions?

Are they really gnats, or are they fruitflies? Fruit flies carry acetobacter & can infect your must, not sure bout gnats, but you certainly don't want them in the must. If you haven't done so already, put a lid/stopper & airlock on your fermenters, use cheap vodka in the airlocks instead of water. That'll confound the little buggars. Regards, GF.

They might be fruit flies.

Fruit flies have been attracted to my airlocks more than ever this year; i can't figure out why. But, that's the point of airlocks - gas out, nothing in.

They won't drink much.

Because I do most fermenting in my garage I get plenty of fruit flies. I put out shot glasses filled with apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish washing detergent. When I put them on top of plastic bucket fermenters the fruit flies seem to like the vinegar enough to drown in it.

some insects like mesquitos are attracted to CO2...maybe the same with fruit flies? Fruit flies love sweet things...pour some beer in a bowl and leave overnight and you will probably wake up a bunch of dead flies.

Fruit flys may not drink much but they are the main vector for acetobacteria, they are literally covered in it. This is how acetobacteria moves from piece of rotting fruit to piece of rotting fruit in nature. Fruit flys are attracted to the smell of fermentation it is one of the odors of decomposing fruit which is their food source and egg laying area. So unless you want 5 gallons of malt vinegar, you don't want them anywhere near your beer.

Keep vodka in your airlocks, keep a loose fitting lid on the lock to keep them out, if they get in it should be OK because of the vodka will kill them and should kill the acetobacteria but I switch them out anyway at earliest opportunity.

+1 The apple cider vinegar traps work well for me. I like the kind where you insert a paper cone funnel into a jar and the flies go in but they can't get out. Spray down the outside of the fermenter with some StarSan or white vinegar & water. Air lock with vodka or StarSan is also good to do.

Yeah I hate fruit flies. Somehow they're even getting inside my fermentation fridge sometimes. Then there's the whole loitering around my glass of beer which makes them completely intolerable.

I hate fruitflies!!!!!!!!!

We are also battling the fruit flies. Anybody have a good remedy.

clean everything around your brew area really well. Fruit flies need sugar to survive and reproduce. Dont let them find any. They may be attracted by the smell, but they only stick around if they find sugar. If you spill anything or if an airlock fouls, wipe it down really well. If it dries up you wont notice it but the flies will.

I had some flies a few weeks ago and when I cleaned everything up, it turns out there was an airlock on the counter that had fouled and I had replaced with a blowoff tube, but I didnt rince out the airlock well enough and it had turned into a breeding ground for fly maggots. Since then, no flies (knocks on wood) despite 15 carboys chugging along.

Sometimes I will see one drowned in the airlock. When that happens I change the airlock so the water doesnt get fouled with decomposing flies

I have my kegerator in my garage..and right now with an Apricot Cream Ale and Fall Hard Cider on tap...I got lots and lots of stinkin fruit flies as well. They can't get into my forward sealing perlicks..thank god...but any drips down on the drip tray and that's where they are..it's pretty amazing how some small drops can call that many fruit flies and the occasional honeybee into the garage. I can't wait until we get that first hard freeze...then they'll be gone.

Here is how to make a fruit fly trap. Get a wine bottle or some other kind of bottle. Put a little old wine or something sweet in it and add some dish soap. You might put a little water in it if you wish, but only fill bottle a few inches from the bottom. Get some saran wrap and cut a small square that fits over the top of the bottle and down the edges a bit. Put the saran wrap over the bottle top and secure it with a rubber band. Take a small pen or pencil and poke 5-6 tiny holes in the saran wrap at the top. Clean up all sources of sugar and fruit in the area. The flys will be attracted to the bottle, go down the hole, drink some of the soap/sugar mixture and die. Once they go down the hole they seem to not be able to get out of the bottle. Its amazing how many dead flys will be in there when you empty it out a week or two later. This takes care of my fruit fly problems pretty fast.

I made a Pumpkin Ale for SWMBO last month and had the same problem. This is the only time I've had this problem. The odd thing, to me, was that I had the bucket in my basement! There should be no way for them to get in!

cactusgarrett said:

But, that's the point of airlocks - gas out, nothing in.

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You would think, but I've had 'em get in before.

They are multiplying any idea how to stop them?

They are multiplying any idea how to stop them?