This is not how I'd like my first post to go, but I'm really desperate for some answers. So here it goes:
I've been brewing for about a year now, all-grain, and everything was going great until about a month ago. I've had my fair share of not so good brew, especially right after switching to all grain, but I'd never had an infection, and I was even sometimes pretty careless in the beginning.
I've been making 10 gallon batches lately, and things were going fine. Then I moved to a new place and started brewing here. I've made about 4 batches, and every single one has been contaminated. Worse yet, my starters are even getting contaminated. I made one yesterday from a brand new pack of wyeast 1056. Today I come home from work, and it smells like sour apples. The top is covered in really thin bubbles, not anything like the krausen I'm used to seeing.
This is after pressure cooking my flask with the stir bar and cover for 20 mins. I then immediately added DME and filtered water, then boiled. I cooled it in an ice bath, pitched the yeast, and put it on the stir plate.
I've switched between equipment, sanitizers, yeasts, malts, and even tried this in different rooms in my house. All had the same result; a sour, vinegar like "beer". I've looked around, and I think it's acetobacteria, the stuff they use to make vinegar. If that's the case, the autoclave and boiling should have killed it. Is there anything that's airborn that could be causing this? It's the only explanation I haven't ruled out.
Supposedly fruit flies could cause this too, but there are no signs of them anywhere. I know they can be small, but I think I would have seen them by this time. Maybe not though.
Any help is truly appreciated,
Chris
I've been brewing for about a year now, all-grain, and everything was going great until about a month ago. I've had my fair share of not so good brew, especially right after switching to all grain, but I'd never had an infection, and I was even sometimes pretty careless in the beginning.
I've been making 10 gallon batches lately, and things were going fine. Then I moved to a new place and started brewing here. I've made about 4 batches, and every single one has been contaminated. Worse yet, my starters are even getting contaminated. I made one yesterday from a brand new pack of wyeast 1056. Today I come home from work, and it smells like sour apples. The top is covered in really thin bubbles, not anything like the krausen I'm used to seeing.
This is after pressure cooking my flask with the stir bar and cover for 20 mins. I then immediately added DME and filtered water, then boiled. I cooled it in an ice bath, pitched the yeast, and put it on the stir plate.
I've switched between equipment, sanitizers, yeasts, malts, and even tried this in different rooms in my house. All had the same result; a sour, vinegar like "beer". I've looked around, and I think it's acetobacteria, the stuff they use to make vinegar. If that's the case, the autoclave and boiling should have killed it. Is there anything that's airborn that could be causing this? It's the only explanation I haven't ruled out.
Supposedly fruit flies could cause this too, but there are no signs of them anywhere. I know they can be small, but I think I would have seen them by this time. Maybe not though.
Any help is truly appreciated,
Chris