Can you get a Brett infection if you've never used Brett?

[Gartywood]

I've been brewing for 10 years and have been really hardcore for the last 3. I have never had a batch with completely off flavors or that was completely off the mark of what I expected.

I have brewed this beer 4 times now. It is very light in color with 2 row, rye, flaked rye and light caramel malt. All NZ hops. Galaxy, pacific jade, Nelson, and moteuka. Fermented with wyeast kolsch year.

So the first 3 batches were awesome and my last gravity sample when I racked to keg was spot on. Now after 1.5 weeks in keg it tastes completely different and totally off the mark. It has almost no aroma and a harsh peppery taste. The best comparison I have is the Brett beer I had a year ago in homebrewing class. I've never used Brett, I followed my normal sanitization practices, no other batches have had this result including the batch racked immediately after this one so as far as equipment is concerned I can track the only individual piece to the keg itself.

Any thoughts?

 

[LexusChris]

Certainly, it is always possible that something got into the keg... some funk that was in a hard to reach spot that survived the sanitizing. Was that keg'd PBW'd recently? Fittings out and soaking too? I found a nice gelatin booger in my out-tube that made it through several beers once.

Other than that, 'harsh' reminds me of astringency. 'Pepper' reminds me of phenolics. So, any thoughts on your sparge pH, or vorlauf process, would be good.

Some yeasts throw off some serious phenolics, but I've not heard that asbout Kolsh yeast. Chlorine can also cause phenolics in a beer, if you were using bleach as your sanitizing agent.

Just throwing out a few things to ponder...

Hope it doesn't turn into a dumper...
--LexusChris

 

[Gartywood]

Sanitizing - starsan (spray on swirl around, dump no rinse don't fear the foam, for kegs I dispense a gallon through the out.

Sparge - 75-80% efficiency double batch gravity of final runnings is typically 1.015 of higher I don't think this is the issue. As the gravity sample going into keg tasted spot on.

Water is carbon filtered city water

Keg was PBWed and starsaned but not taken apart for 4ish batches. Do not know if it was stored sealed or open to the air.

Sounds like I should disassemble all my kegs and replace all my plastic racking gear.

 

[jtejedor]

You mentioned carbon filtered water is it possible chloramines were used in the water supply? To answer your original question its possible that wild yeast got in and might have made similar flavors to Brett there are wild yeast everywhere and they throw different flavors. Usually pretty phenolic and not all that desirable IME.

 

[Carlscan26]

Sanitizing - starsan (spray on swirl around, dump no rinse don't fear the foam, for kegs I dispense a gallon through the out.

Sparge - 75-80% efficiency double batch gravity of final runnings is typically 1.015 of higher I don't think this is the issue. As the gravity sample going into keg tasted spot on.

Water is carbon filtered city water

Keg was PBWed and starsaned but not taken apart for 4ish batches. Do not know if it was stored sealed or open to the air.

Sounds like I should disassemble all my kegs and replace all my plastic racking gear.

Does it get better after the first pour? If so it may just be in the pickup assembly. Mine would taste harsh and phenolic for the first pint but taste fine on subsequent pours.

I had the same thing with my first keg ever - I'd built a carboy and keg cleaner ala Marks carboy cleaner and didn't take the fittings apart because I ran hot PBW for 30 mins, then several rinses and then it sat for a few hours full of starsan. I thought it should be clean...when I took the keg apart I found some nasty gunk in the out poppit. Now I take the fittings apart every time.

Bleed off the CO2 and then take the fittings off and cover with tin foil that you've sprayed with starsan. Speaking of; spray the entire top of the keg with starsan before you open it. I'd pull the cover off too and clean the relief valve too.

Do you have a line cleaner brush for the pickup tube? Small brush to clean out the threads, etc. definitely pull the poppits out.

Get a long planter box at Home Depot - it's perfect for soaking long tubes like your racking equipment and the keg pickup tubes.

Lastly, clean and sanitize the faucet and tubing, etc.

In my case, this solved the problem and the rest of the keg tasted great on every pout.

Good luck!

 

[Gartywood]

I think it must have been something in the outlet poppit, disconnect or serving line because after about 5 pints its tasting and smelling a lot more like it should.

Anyone have advice for cleaning the disconnect?

 

[Carlscan26]

I think it must have been something in the outlet poppit, disconnect or serving line because after about 5 pints its tasting and smelling a lot more like it should.

Anyone have advice for cleaning the disconnect?

If should unscrew - there's an insert for a flat head in the flat top part if the disconnect. After that comes out, the couple of pieces inside will slide out. Pay attention to the orientations the first time then it will be obvious.

Soak in PBW, light brushing if needed, rinse, starsan, reassemble and flush with starsan again.

 

[Gartywood]

Thanks. Will take pictures of disassembly