Brewing outside rookie... Fending off Flying Invaders?

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Dirkdougler

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Hey all,

I have been reading this forum for a long time. I thank all of you for sharing your knowledge with us green horns.

I have brewed about 8 batches biab all grain indoors on a stove so far. It being summer, the plan has always been to move it outside.

I was concerned about getting insects in my wort especially after boil. Especially flies. I have a dog, and not that I don't clean up after him, there is a chance the little bugger finds one. I don't want to have to name my beer dog doo brew. Let Oddside Ales have that one lol

My solution is to use a screen house. Has anyone done this? Any issues to report? It seems like there should be plenty of air exchange.
 
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Well during the boil, even if a fly manages to kamakaze into the boiling wort it won't matter. Once boil is over I place my lid onto the kettle until chilled to desired temp. Then I transfer to fermentor which also has lid on and I put transfer hose through airlock bung... if you are really worried you can drape a clean towel over whatever is at "risk". I don't think it will be a problem.
 
I've had brews with a variety of South Florida's native air force introducing themselves. For the most part I've been able to pull them out right when they go in the boil, but for the times I can't I just keep telling myself that they've been making beer for centuries before sanitation was a word.

Like bigdawg says though, once the boil is over, everything is covered as best I can. The kettle lid sits as tight around my chiller as possible; saran wrap on the top of the fermentor with the transfer hose running through it, etc.
 
I like the idea of a screen house. Only concern would be what you're heating with--a powerful propane burner might produce enough heat to melt whatever is above it.

As others have said, during the boil no worries.

I've had the same concern as you, and one reason I bought a Jaded Hydra was that I can chill in as little as 4 minutes if the water is cold enough. That was so I can get it chilled and covered as soon as possible. So that's another avenue you can explore--how to chill as fast as possible.

But if you aren't concerned about the screen melting, I like that solution. Should also make it more pleasant to brew.
 
I like the idea of a screen house. Only concern would be what you're heating with--a powerful propane burner might produce enough heat to melt whatever is above it.

As others have said, during the boil no worries.

I've had the same concern as you, and one reason I bought a Jaded Hydra was that I can chill in as little as 4 minutes if the water is cold enough. That was so I can get it chilled and covered as soon as possible. So that's another avenue you can explore--how to chill as fast as possible.

But if you aren't concerned about the screen melting, I like that solution. Should also make it more pleasant to brew.
I wouldn't say I'm unconcerned lol. I will be in there

Might have to do a test run prior. If it kicks off too much heat, maybe reserve the tent for my chilling.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I will give it a go this weekend if the temps outside aren't too bad. This last weekend, I wouldn't have even needed a burner lol
 
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How about aluminum foil over the pot while chilling?

I have done 100 % of my brews outside (winter, spring, summer, and fall), and I haven't worried about it. I've never seen a fly in any of my brews. I leave the kitchen door open when I brew, and I seem to get more flies circling the kitchen than I see outside near the pot.
 
How about aluminum foil over the pot while chilling?

I have done 100 % of my brews outside (winter, spring, summer, and fall), and I haven't worried about it. I've never seen a fly in any of my brews. I leave the kitchen door open when I brew, and I seem to get more flies circling the kitchen than I see outside near the pot.
I like that idea as well. Might limit the amount of hot wort oxidation as well.
 
Screen house + fruit fly traps + repellent + careful use of horse stable grade flying insect spray. And I still have 'visitors'. Somehow I've never had an infection. I can't think why.
 
I've had more problems with vegetable matter than insects. We've got lots of plants shedding big fluffy seeds that drift about in the air this time of year... and my maple trees like to drop leaves and seed pods at random intervals.

That said, be sure to bag up and promptly dispose of any extract/sweet adjunct containers -- wasps and bees will find them, and that will lead to a cloud of curious stinging insects hovering about/dropping onto/crawling all over them.

And if they get downwind from your brewpot, that may develop into an insect problem pretty quickly.
 
I've never worried about it. I also brew early morning so insects aren't really a problem. A lone fly might walk on the edge of the pot. I just shoo it away. Gnats will go in the wort. But I've never seen enough to be worried about it. If you pitch enough healthy yeast fermentation should start before any chance of an infection.
 
I've never worried about it. I also brew early morning so insects aren't really a problem. A lone fly might walk on the edge of the pot. I just shoo it away. Gnats will go in the wort. But I've never seen enough to be worried about it. If you pitch enough healthy yeast fermentation should start before any chance of an infection.

This. I brew in the morning and use harvested yeast that goes to work in hrs. Haven’t had bugs go into wort or even near the hot liquid while cooling which doesn’t take that long. Now leaves.... that’s another matter.
But still no noticeable issues
 
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