yeast infection

[Green Tarp]

I noticed a sourish taste in my recent batch of octoberfest (pm kit), so I took it down to my brew supply and the bad news was wild yeast infection. It doesnt tast bad so much as just not right. Same taste as I had gotten in a couple of my earlier batches of wheat beer and a cream ale, tho my more recent beers, a couple nut brown batches.. chocolate porter.. strong belgian... have been fine. I sanitize the heck out of everything (iodophor) but they said to try taking apart things like bucket spigots, places where hose meets plastic (as in on an autosiphon) and things like that.. then let them soak in sanitizer.

My brewing partner also gets impatient with cooling now and again and will use handfuls of ice from the freezer.. usually when boiling water to top off a carboy and they said thats a major no no unless I boil and freez my own.. etc. sooo.. that wont be happening anymore. hopefully no issues with the batches I have currently going.. a stout almost ready to bottle.. a nutbrown ready for secondary and a light lager a few days from secondary.

 

[Beerrific]

Describe the taste some more. Are you using liquid malt extract (LME)? Sometime LME can lend a 'twang' that could be described as sour. Others describe it as molasses or licorice.

 

[Iordz]

Ice water from the freezer might be the cause for the infection.

 

[rohanski]

Unless your brew partner is female and hot, I would operate alone.
Don't forget to scrub the bucket. Also use a high concentration bleach soak.

 

[david_42]

Boil your top-off water the day ahead, then chill it.

 

[Green Tarp]

Boil your top-off water the day ahead, then chill it.

After reading this site for the past couple weeks this is exactly what Im doing now if I need to cool some top off water fast..

The kit I used was part DME and part grain and the beer for starters is VERY carbonated and has way more foam than usual.. it has a scent to it that is a bit spicy like cloves maybe.. and the taste is just a little sourness on the sides of my tongue.. all 3 people at the shop tasted it and said wild yeast.. a taste thats ok in some beers, just not the octoberfest.

 

[rohanski]

I just went through at least 12 bad batches in a row and trust me, the only sure way to get rid of an infection once it is in your fermenter is to scrub it good and soak it in a strong bleach solution. I can't be sure what started it but I can be sure that you won't shake it until you scrub first then soak in bleach and in that order.

 

[Green Tarp]

Will iodophor work instead of bleach for this?