Waiter...there's a fly in my wort

So I was preparing a starter in advance of brew day. I was done boiling and had just concluded that the wort was cooled enough for pitching when......a fly dive bombs right into the pot

So, giving in to my fears. I fished him out, put the pot back on the burner and starter over.

But it raised a question: If that were to happen after a long brew day to my freshly cooled 5 gallon batch, what to do? Put the whole thing back on the burner and re-boil? For how long? Would that screw up my hops additions...oh the horror.....

ok, I am having a homebrew now.....

Mmm... protein additive.....

I kind of doubt a little fly will do much but then again.. if it was a poo fly... :/

The only infection I ever got was in a Mr. Beer and somehow 3 fruit flies got into the fermenting beer. The longer it aged the more vinegary it got (acetobacteria I think) so I think you did the right thing.

I would fish him out and think nothing of it. Yeast is very good at killing and washing out unwanted microbes.

I would be more scared of the movie "The Fly" then the fly.

I dumped a nasty-ass potholder full of dried, caked food that had been used multiple times a day and not washed for months. Pieces of spaghetti and salad and the thing had a slight funk to it.

Right into my cooled wort. Pitched the yeast and called it a night. The beer is still good.

As long as you have a nice vigorous fermentation, I'd say that you're doing just fine.

I don't think one fly will hurt.

thanks all

If that happens again and are worried about it (fruit flys can be little bitches), do like fresh fruit wine makers do. They add campden (sulfite), wait 24 hours for that to dissipate out the airlock then pitch the yeast.

Yeast have there own wepaonry of enzymes and byproducts that help stave off bacteria. More if an isuue if a fly zooms into your already fermented beer.