3 ruined batches.

vapor2020 · 10-15-2008, 07:50 PM

What the hell? I have ruined 3 out of my last 5 batches. I have brewed about 25 batches previously and never had this problem. I don't know what is going on. This last batch, I was extremely careful with sanitation, and careful not to aerate. It tasted great right before bottling. Then a week later, after it carbed at 70 degrees with 1 1/5 cup of boiled DME, it smells rank. Kind of like a stale foot. It's the same smell as the other 2 spoiled batches. I am cleaning the bottles with a jet washer and sanitizing everything, including my bottles and caps with StarSan. Any ideas anyone? I need help.

P.S. I am brewing AG.

TeleTwanger · 10-15-2008, 08:11 PM

is your fermenter plastic? I once had an infection that lasted 3-4 batches until I ditched the bucket for glass. Haven't had one since. Plastic buckets work fine but they scratch easily and tend to hide microbes in those tiny scratches. Once you get an infection it's really hard to ge rid of short of tossing the bucket(if that's the culprit)

**BigKahuna** · 10-15-2008, 08:12 PM

are you using the same dme for priming? Maybe you got a bad bag of that. Try using plain old corn sugar on the next batch.

vapor2020 · 10-15-2008, 10:38 PM

Hmmm.... I wonder if it's the bottling bucket. My fermentors are all glass.

Frost · 10-15-2008, 11:48 PM

I had a similar problem with a bucket I got from a Godfathers pizza. I used it as a primary for a hard lemonade and a mead. Both of them went sour with the same smell so I figured it was the bucket. Good luck!

Anbrew · 10-16-2008, 12:34 AM

I would replace all hoses to be on the safe side.

vapor2020 · 10-16-2008, 03:55 PM

Good call. After thinking it through, though, I'm pretty sure it's the bottling bucket. It's not getting contaminated until bottling time and I use all of the same equipment for my secondary transfer. Once I bottle though, It goes bad in a week.