After the infection....Resurrection

MX1 · 08-01-2009, 03:32 PM

Well a few months ago I had my first infection, and it really set me back, broke my heart and my spirit. I was not sure when or if I was going to get back into brewing, well I am ready to come back.

Of all the threads I have read they are kinda split on weather or not I should still use my plastic bucket from the infected batch. So I will be going to the HBS to get 2 new buckets, but I still want to see if I can salvage the old one...

So I have come up with this idea....

with some help from you guys I will brew the Resurrection Pale Ale

It will be a simple Pale Ale, almost a SMaSH, but I want to use 2 malts....

Here is the first attempt at the grain bill.

8 lb Pale Ale Malt
2 lb Carahell

1.5oz Fuggel @ 60min
1.0oz Fuggle @ 30 min
1.0oz Fuggle @ 10

Mash temps to follow.......

This will be pretty cheep and easy to brew, and if it gets infected, It will not be at a total loss. And if it comes through clean the all is good

and...

then I will have 3 primary's......

Tim

Scut_Monkey · 08-01-2009, 04:11 PM

I don't think you need to buy new buckets. As long as the buckets you have aren't too rough inside. I had an acetobacter infection in a cider batch and didn't feel it was necessary to replace everything. Granted I did ferment it in a glass carboy but had it been in a bucket I wouldn't have treated it much differently. If it was in a bucket the only thing I would do differently is to fill the bucket with starsan solution and let it sit overnight or for a few hours and rub the starsan solution on the sides with a paper towel or something.

I think the only reason I got the infection to begin with was the Wyeast yeast I bought was from a LHBS that I had never gone to and I don't think the yeast was very viable. The fermentation never really took off which left it predisposed to infection. I was able to reisolate the yeast, however, and I have a new batch fermenting now from the reisolated yeast. No sign of infection this time.

HomebrewJeff · 08-02-2009, 02:21 PM

It really depends on how badly scratched the buckets are. StarSan will work great on the surface of the bucket, but if there a lot of scratches, you may have a difficult time sanitizing it properly.

FlyGuy · 08-02-2009, 04:56 PM

I have had a nasty infection before, and replacing ALL my plastic equipment was the only way to get rid of it. Having been there before, TRUST ME and just spend the $10 on a new bucket and lid. I ruined 3 or 4 extract batches before I did this, and I could have saved a lot of money (and time!) if I had just resigned myself early on to replace everything.

The bottom line is that it is impossible to thoroughly clean a plastic bucket once an infection has taken hold. Period. Microscopic scratches harbour wild yeast spores and bacteria, and nothing short of heat sterilization will get rid of them.

Re-purpose the old bucket as a container for grains or extract or something.