Post-infection Nuking

[November]

Ok. Part long story with a question part angry venting. I've been out of town with work for three months. I got back today and checked on all the kegged beer, and it all tastes great the forced aging worked good for them. Then I decided to check on the lager I had in the fermentation cabinet. I opened it up to keg and then it broke my heart. A pelicile. It looked just like Brett beer I've done in the past (completely different equipment though). I hoped it was just some weird side effect from the amylase. No dice, its infected, sour cherry and the general funk flavor actually not bad but that's neither here nor there.

So now I need to nuke my brewery to get rid of this nemises. Here in lies the question, what do I ditch and what needs to be cleaned in a weapons grade solution of cleaner. All the pre boil stuff should be cool, MLT, HLT, and kettle right? I transfer my wort post boil through the pump to the fermenter so that hose should be OK from the residual heat of the boiling wort but tubing is cheap, so I will cut that out and replace it. I will trash the fermenter, but can I save my airlocks or trash them too? I never siphoned so that should be good. Anything I am forgetting?

 

[Yooper]

Ok. Part long story with a question part angry venting. I've been out of town with work for three months. I got back today and checked on all the kegged beer, and it all tastes great the forced aging worked good for them. Then I decided to check on the lager I had in the fermentation cabinet. I opened it up to keg and then it broke my heart. A pelicile. It looked just like Brett beer I've done in the past (completely different equipment though). I hoped it was just some weird side effect from the amylase. No dice, its infected, sour cherry and the general funk flavor actually not bad but that's neither here nor there.

So now I need to nuke my brewery to get rid of this nemises. Here in lies the question, what do I ditch and what needs to be cleaned in a weapons grade solution of cleaner. All the pre boil stuff should be cool, MLT, HLT, and kettle right? I transfer my wort post boil through the pump to the fermenter so that hose should be OK from the residual heat of the boiling wort but tubing is cheap, so I will cut that out and replace it. I will trash the fermenter, but can I save my airlocks or trash them too? I never siphoned so that should be good. Anything I am forgetting?

If you never siphoned, where did the infection come from? If it's simply lots of headspace in the carboy of the lager, then I wouldn't worry too much. When there is headspace, oxygen allows stuff to take hold that normally wouldn't, like lactobacillus, pediococcus, brettanomyces, etc. If it's only in that carboy that you can pin it too, just bleach bomb that and the bung and airlock.

 

[baptistbrewer]

I only have had one weird infection. I threw out all cheap tubing and bleached everything else in warm water for 5 min. then rinsed very well. Rinsing is key. Brewed twenty times since then no problems.

 

[dwarven_stout]

If you never siphoned, where did the infection come from? If it's simply lots of headspace in the carboy of the lager, then I wouldn't worry too much. When there is headspace, oxygen allows stuff to take hold that normally wouldn't, like lactobacillus, pediococcus, brettanomyces, etc. If it's only in that carboy that you can pin it too, just bleach bomb that and the bung and airlock.

That's good advice overall as far as recovering from an infection. I'd add that pedio is very intolerant of oxygen and lacto will grow just fine without it. Brett and acetobactor are the only big O2 consumers, but even brett will grow just fine without O2 (but probably won't form a pellicle).

 

[Yooper]

That's good advice overall as far as recovering from an infection. I'd add that pedio is very intolerant of oxygen and lacto will grow just fine without it. Brett and acetobactor are the only big O2 consumers, but even brett will grow just fine without O2 (but probably won't form a pellicle).

I believe you- but I've seen both lacto and mold grow in a wine secondary with some headspace. The lacto seemed to be loving the o2 in there! It might grow fine without it, but allowing headspace is what allowed these organisms to gain a foothold. If there was no headspace, and it was topped up to the bung, I don't think any of them would grow.

 

[MedicMang]

What dilution ratio is good for bleach bombing? I've been meaning to do it. I just don't want to under/over do it.

 

[November]

Its a bucket with a gamma seal lid attached, so I am guessing I've got something living in the interface between the collar and the bucket. The headspace issue brings up something important though. I bounce between batch sizes of 5-14g. I like to have one fermenter size for all of them, but maybe that will leave too much air.

BTW, dont mention to my wife that any of this stuff can be saved, she has already authorized a ridiculous purchase or replacement items.