I've done a lot of reading on the forum over the last few days re: wild yeast infections. I am pretty sure my last two batches got hit. The flavor is only slightly off. But both beers are gushers. Drinkable but certainly not my finest efforts.
I am fairly certain I got bit in the bottling stage. Both beers tasted and smelled fine at bottling. Now I've got gushers and some fruity esters that were not there at packaging.
I have gone over my equipment and sanitation process and nearly everything is in order. I think I have identified my two most likely culprits.
Suspect A - I found a cut in the transfer hose I attach to my auto-siphon. The hose, of course, has been replaced.
Suspect B - old priming sugar. I accidentally over-bought some corn sugar several months ago and had a 2 pound sack sitting in a ziplock bag in a closet. Shortly after that, I went through a kegging phase and the bag of sugar has been sitting (room temp and dry) in the closet for at least 6 months.
As with most problems, I think the infection here could have been a result of me taking a shortcut on bottling day.
While making my priming solution, I only just brought the solution to a boil, then removed it from the heat where it cooled while I sanitized the bottles, priming bucket, etc.
Is it possible that I got some wild yeast into this old sugar, then did not boil it long enough to kill all of the wild yeast? If so, how long is long enough to boil the priming solution. I usually only boil it 2-3 min max and have never had a problem. But this time, it seems like I just got it to a boil and left something living in the priming solution.
Either that, or it came from the cut in my tubing. Or a little of both.
I am fairly certain I got bit in the bottling stage. Both beers tasted and smelled fine at bottling. Now I've got gushers and some fruity esters that were not there at packaging.
I have gone over my equipment and sanitation process and nearly everything is in order. I think I have identified my two most likely culprits.
Suspect A - I found a cut in the transfer hose I attach to my auto-siphon. The hose, of course, has been replaced.
Suspect B - old priming sugar. I accidentally over-bought some corn sugar several months ago and had a 2 pound sack sitting in a ziplock bag in a closet. Shortly after that, I went through a kegging phase and the bag of sugar has been sitting (room temp and dry) in the closet for at least 6 months.
As with most problems, I think the infection here could have been a result of me taking a shortcut on bottling day.
While making my priming solution, I only just brought the solution to a boil, then removed it from the heat where it cooled while I sanitized the bottles, priming bucket, etc.
Is it possible that I got some wild yeast into this old sugar, then did not boil it long enough to kill all of the wild yeast? If so, how long is long enough to boil the priming solution. I usually only boil it 2-3 min max and have never had a problem. But this time, it seems like I just got it to a boil and left something living in the priming solution.
Either that, or it came from the cut in my tubing. Or a little of both.