Acetobacter recurring infections

[Tancred the Brewer]

I have been homebrewing beer and cider for nearly 20 years without issue. Two years ago I got a little lackadaisical with a batch of cider and let the water evaporate out of the airlock. Once I realized it the cider had already turned into a nice batch of apple cider vinegar.

I kept a small amount of the vinegar and tossed the rest. Since then I have brewed two more batches of hard cider, both using different glass carboy fermenters, and have transferred to a keg within 3 months of brewing to do final aging, and both have come out of the fermenter tasting like they have started to turn to vinegar. I have cleaned and sanitized everything I can think of and am at a loss as to where the infection is coming from. Since I now have 3 batches in a row with infections I am pretty sure it is somewhere in my equipment but I am at a loss as to where.

Any thoughts or ideas on how I can get past this infection and back to making really high quality cider from home?

 

[Barzahl]

Was it the same keg? It might need new gaskets

 

[MaxStout]

Replace anything plastic or rubber that contacts cold-side wort or beer. Tubing, gaskets, etc. Then disinfect everything else. Not with Starsan, but something that kills better, like Iodophor, quat, diluted bleach, etc. Rinse well.

 

[Tancred the Brewer]

Was it the same keg? It might need new gaskets

It is coming out of the various fermenters already tasting infected.

 

[Tancred the Brewer]

Replace anything plastic or rubber that contacts cold-side wort or beer. Tubing, gaskets, etc. Then disinfect everything else. Not with Starsan, but something that kills better, like Iodophor, quat, diluted bleach, etc. Rinse well.

Now that I think of it I have not replaced the hose on my auto-siphon. I have soaked it in bleach and iodophor at different times but maybe I just need to replace the hose altogether. I suppose it is possible there is infection in the rubber stoppers I use for the top of the carboy but I think I even swapped those out with others between batches thinking it could be related to those. Hate to waste all of those things but probably the best solution to limit further infection. Thanks.

 

[pvtpublic]

Sounds like you also have an issue with oxygen leaking in. Acetobacter needs O2 to make acetic acid.

 

[AzOr]

I’ve only had one infection with cider and it was because I used a different style of bung, which I believe was allowing O2 in.

 

[Tancred the Brewer]

I’ve only had one infection with cider and it was because I used a different style of bung, which I believe was allowing O2 in.

I am beginning to wonder if that is the problem. I did replace the bung in the last couple of years before this all started. So maybe it is defective and letting a little bit of O2 in.