Fly larvae issue

Hi, I've held off asking for help on this for as long as I can, frankly because it is disgusting. But I'm losing at least 50% of my beer to this, and can't take it any more. I get fly larvae in my beer, and I don't know how it keeps happening. I brew all grain, 5 gallon batches. I use glass carboys and a blowoff tube then airlock, all fermentation is done in a temp controlled chest freezer in my garage. I siphon into kegs, then force carbonate. I don't detect any flies in the carboys or as I siphon. As this has happened with about 10 kegs, I have become completely obsessive about my cleaning and sanitizing, yet it continues. The kegs get taken completely apart, scrubbed, PBW and StarSan, full strength, every time. I use new bev and gas lines every time. I have bleached the chest freezer and kegerator.

I can't imagine what else to do, but if anyone has thoughts I'd really, really appreciate the advice.

I did not have this problem when I fermented indoors. My sense is that somehow they are getting in while the beer is conditioning in the kegs, or even through the lines after I tap the keg - On several occasions I have not seen them until a couple days after my first pour (and believe me, I hold every glass up to to bright light to check due to paranoia)

Man that's a wierd one. Have you checked to see if maybe they are just inside your beer faucet and not the beer itself? I just can't imagine fly larvae thriving in oxygen free beer. You say you don't notice them untill a couple of pours so maybe the flies are laying eggs inside your faucet once it gets a little sticky. Try putting a cap on the faucet so flies can't get in and see if that fixes the problem.

I've gotta see a pic of this.

You've cleaned everything like a madman, so it's gotta be an issue past the lines. I'd say it's a tap problem of some kind. After use, I'd blast up there with something - even a spray bottle with just water, then put a cap on it like BBL suggested. I'd even consider wrapping everything in saran wrap, just to make sure. PITA for a while, but worth it in the end. Finally I'd hang some fly paper out right near the taps so if anything were in the area, they'd hopefully go to the paper for a "better meal".

After a month of that, hopefully the flies and their children have all died out and left your beer apparatus.

Very cheap way to fix that are vinyl tap covers or those little mini-brush caps.

I'm with BBL, my first thought was the faucets. Have you disassembled and cleaned the shanks, tail pieces and faucets inside and out? I'd recommend that, followed by ordering some of these.

+1 to Irregularpulse

What do you mean "loosing 50% of your beer"? Loosing it because you're pouring it out due to fly larvae contamination or you're waking up one day with a half of a keg of fly infested beer? Where are you seeing the fly larvae? In the glass after you pull a pint? Quick check when you see them in the glass is start tracing back to the keg. Change to a picnic tap and pour some in a glass. No fly larvae you know its coming from the tap spout. Which honestly, to me sounds like the only logical place of origin.

In which case the black tap boot covers are in order. Clean with a tap brush and put those little black boots on them. IMHO they are a must for any beer tap. I have them on all of mine.

I put beer faucet caps/nipples on the tips every time after I draw a beer.

One in a while, I'll fill up the caps with water with iodophor and insert them full to clean/sanitize the lines.

M_C

+1 on the faucet covers. I need to buy a couple myself. Generally I just pour the inch or so of beer out and pour again. Maybe spray a little starsan up there if I'm not feeling too lazy.

I plan on getting another sprayer just to have next to the kegerator for this. First I need to buy or build a drip tray and get faucet covers.

Hi, thanks for the advice everyone! What I should have mentioned is that my kegerator is a work in progress, I don't actually have a tower/taps yet. I've been using the black hand held faucets. I'll try and work out a cover for them, that's a good idea. I haven't noticed this on a first pour, ever, and I usually toss a pint then drink a pint to check where the carbonation is. Then I go back a day or two later usually and check again - that is when I notice this. Could be that with clean lines and faucet they aren't attracted, but then once beer has run through they go make a home.

I notice them in the glass, after I pour. Took me a while to identify what they were, sort of like little pieces of rice. I also get little black flakes in the beer when it occurs, about a milimeter in diameter.

so, I meant I toss out about half the beer I make, since it seems about half of my batches have this problem. I don't have a good way to measure if the little buggers are actually drinking it noticeably. They seem to prefer my APAs and bitters over wheat beer and saison.

It's most likely fruit flies laying eggs in the faucets.

fly larvae = maggots post a picture.

They wont drink very much, forget about it.

Gives you some protein with your carbs. Sounds healthy.

rpatton said:

I haven't noticed this on a first pour, ever, and I usually toss a pint then drink a pint to check where the carbonation is.
I notice them in the glass, after I pour. Took me a while to identify what they were, sort of like little pieces of rice. I also get little black flakes in the beer when it occurs, about a milimeter in diameter.

so, I meant I toss out about half the beer I make, since it seems about half of my batches have this problem. I don't have a good way to measure if the little buggers are actually drinking it noticeably. They seem to prefer my APAs and bitters over wheat beer and saison.

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There is the problem.... you toss a pint and then you drink a pint. I am coming over for that first pint that you toss! It is safe after all, because you didn't see the problem on the first pour.

I agree, they've got to be laying eggs in the faucet. The thing is, the keg is a sealed vessel, if it holds pressure then there's no way for them to get in as it sits and they aren't magically flying into the faucet and up the line as your pour a pint.

If you pour a contaminated pint have you ever actually opened the lid on that keg to see if they are actually 'in' the keg?

The only other point of origin I can imagine is the blow off tube but you say you don't see them during siphoning at later stages so that can't be it.

And you are keeping your picnic tap 'in' the fridge, right? If so, it's weird that the flies are somehow getting in your fridge.

Hmmm....maggot braggot.

IANAE (I am not an entomologist) but I believe that flies and their larvae require oxygen to survive? I don't think there is a whole lot of available oxygen inside a beer keg filled with beer and pressurized with CO2.

thughes said:

IANAE (I am not an entomologist) but I believe that flies and their larvae require oxygen to survive? I don't think there is a whole lot of available oxygen inside a beer keg filled with beer and pressurized with CO2.

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LOL I think most realize that....atleast I hope.

I think we were just trying to figure out if the beer is getting contaminated with larvae before kegging or the taps are getting contaminated afterwards. It's probably safe to say the taps are attracting flies. Some homebrew can still be sticky sweet. Since I think he mentioned they are picnic taps, I would say put them in a ziplock back sealed with a rubber band perhaps and keep them inside the fridge.

We used to get fruit flies on the faucets at a bar I worked at, they loved wheat beers most. Just needed to give them a good clean at night, make sure there was no sugar for them.