Another one bites the dust...poop!

well, i took a sip of my summit ipa earlier this week. it was a little early but i wanted to taste to see if it had spoiled. sure nuff it smelled like wine and tasted a little funky. the only difference in what i've done since my first batch is broken my auto-siphon where the plastic connects to the tube. every batch since then has turned out rank.

after reading a little i saw that exposure to air will contaminate a batch. i feel like i've been pumping air into the bottles when i bottle the beer(mucho air bubbles in tube). is that right on track??? anyways, i'm ordering a new auto-siphon tomorrow and a cheaper recipe kit. i will also be ordering more sanitizer(one-step). what is the proper way to use one-step? i'm trying to cover all my base's if the siphon is not the answer. i rinse my equipment with bleach and water after each use, then i soak my tubes and airlocks in a fermenter with bleach and water...

well, looks like i'm going cheaper recipes till i get this worked out. all i think about anymore is making beer, mmmmmm beer! love my new hobby just can't wait to get good at it..thanks!

When you introduce air into the beer, you are more likely to get aeration than contamination. Aeration will give beer a cardboard like taste. Contamination can occur durring aeration but this is not likely except when aerating fresh wort.

You are probably getting an infection from the racking cane or tube. How did you replace or repair the autosipon? That seems like the prime suspect.

You dont have to wash with bleach after use, just before (and be sure to rinse well). One step is labeld as a "cleaner" not a sanitizer. Some have used it as a sanitizer with no problems; I once had an infection that I attribute to that though. I now use Iodophor.

- magno

there was enough room on the end of the plastic to just connect the hose at the end. i haven't tasted any cardboard taste though(i don't think). the flavors seem somewhat fruity from my last two beers. not sure how to describe the ipa. i'll wait untill it's conditioned for another week or so. instead of ordering one-step i'll try Iodophor. maybe i'm not being clean enough???

thanks! PUD

Fruity flavors are probably from high fermentation temps. You'll know its infected if its really cloudy and/or foams up a lot (gushes). Infected beers will cause bottle bombs if you give them enough time.

Dont dump the beer until you are sure that it is infected, if its not terrible, dont dump it then either. No known pathogens can survive in beer.

Beer will mature in the bottle. Let the IPA condition for a while before passing judgement.

- magno

right on! maybe i'm pushing a schedule or something.

PUD, my racking cane part of my auto-siphon is broken also. I have no ill effects from it.

I would suggest star san for a sanitizer, and if your ordering online, use Norther brewer its cheapest there. IT will last a long time, and you can save it.

We broke the cane on our autosiphon as well. It still works. Just make sure to get the hose on there well.

Apparently you can buy just the cane for the autosiphon for about half the price of the whole thing, but we haven't bothered.

Moon.

i guess i could blame sanitation mostly. and the fact that i haven't secured the hose on the end tight enough. i'm going to try a few of the different sanitizers discussed here. thanks guys!

ok, maybe i jumped the gun.. i've tasted the beer this week and it seems to be fine. i'll let the rest sit for another week, if that will get some of the odd taste out of it. it's a pretty heavy beer with a twang taste to it. guess that twang could be from the LME. plenty of bitterness though with all those summit hops i added..

today i get a scale so i can be more accurate with the amount of hops i've been adding. my girl should get a second job so she can support my hobby. :rockin:

For sanitizing, listen to the Basic Brewing Radio podcasts from 22nd and 29th March - they cover pretty much everything you need to know in ridiculous depth.