archthered
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2013
- Messages
- 219
- Reaction score
- 65
I have been brewing for about 4 years now and have much of my process down. Until recently I only had one infection in that time. However recently I haven't been able to make anything without it getting infected. The first one I figured was just a fluke, some say everyone get's one now and again so I didn't think much of it, just bleached the hell out of everything.
But then I made two more batches, more or less at the same time, and they both ended up infected.
My fermentation chamber can hold two batches but only if I have at least one in a bucket instead of a carboy so I often do primary in a bucket then secondary in a carboy. I figured the infection was caused by my buckets, after all I am still using the same buckets I got when I started almost 4 years ago and it is well known that over time they develop small scratches etc that bacteria can hide in. OK so I threw out the old buckets and got new.
But then I made two more batches, one in an unused bucket and the other in a carboy, both cleaned with bleach, left to dry (over a day before brewing), and then cleaned with Star San just before use. As you probably guessed both got an infection. Well technically I'm not sure about the one in the bucket, I haven't tried it but the krausen looks weird, almost like it has dust or something on it, so either Omega's Wit yeast makes some really weird kausen or it's infected.
I have no real idea what the source of the infection is and I would like any help anyone may have in figuring this out. I am going to make a couple of suggestions/guesses, but feel free to disagree/tell me the idea is nuts and suggest things I haven't thought of.
The only three post boil things that have been the same are the wort chiller, the fermentation chamber, and the temperature probe. The chiller seems like a highly unlikely source since it goes in the boiling wort for like 15 minutes before being used and it's copper which is antimicrobial all on its own. I really don't know how the fermentation chamber could cause an infection all on its own, I did use open fermentation for two of the infected batches but the two most recent were completely sealed. Additionally I have sanitized my chamber with bleach after each infection and before the last two I took straight bleach and poured and rubbed it into every crack, crevasse, and surface it has.
This leaves the temperature probe/control, I have never heard of a temperature probe as being a source of infection but to be honest this makes more sense than any of the other options. I have a 12" stainless probe, I either put the probe straight in the wort if it cooled to close to pitching temp or hang it in the chamber to gradually cool the wort to pitching temp if it's high (it tends to over cool if I don't do this), then sanitize and put it in the wort. While I have soaked it in Star San for a prolonged period I have not bleached or boiled it partially because I never considered this as a source of infection but also I was worried about damaging the probe.
Quite literally the only other thing I can think of is the Star San and I know even suggesting that borders on heresy, but I'm out of other ideas. I am still using the first container of Star San I ever ordered, like 3 years old, but I also know that there are threads with reports of people using Star San that is literally twice that old so age is probably not the issue. However this does not mean Star San is not the issue, I have been keeping the Star San in my garage in an old distilled water jug. I wonder if a combination of heat and UV may have essentially destroyed my Star San. I could not find any past threads suggesting this is possible but I didn't find much that even discussed it, though it's possible that has to do with the key words I searched for.
I am going to do another massive purge and clean, tossing anything plastic etc and boiling and bleaching everything else but the reality is I've already done most of that and one batch didn't touch anything plastic after the boil and still ended up infected.
Anyway this whole situation has left me For the love of beer I will appreciate any help dealing with this situation. Thanks
But then I made two more batches, more or less at the same time, and they both ended up infected.
My fermentation chamber can hold two batches but only if I have at least one in a bucket instead of a carboy so I often do primary in a bucket then secondary in a carboy. I figured the infection was caused by my buckets, after all I am still using the same buckets I got when I started almost 4 years ago and it is well known that over time they develop small scratches etc that bacteria can hide in. OK so I threw out the old buckets and got new.But then I made two more batches, one in an unused bucket and the other in a carboy, both cleaned with bleach, left to dry (over a day before brewing), and then cleaned with Star San just before use. As you probably guessed both got an infection.
Well technically I'm not sure about the one in the bucket, I haven't tried it but the krausen looks weird, almost like it has dust or something on it, so either Omega's Wit yeast makes some really weird kausen or it's infected.I have no real idea what the source of the infection is
and I would like any help anyone may have in figuring this out. I am going to make a couple of suggestions/guesses, but feel free to disagree/tell me the idea is nuts and suggest things I haven't thought of.The only three post boil things that have been the same are the wort chiller, the fermentation chamber, and the temperature probe. The chiller seems like a highly unlikely source since it goes in the boiling wort for like 15 minutes before being used and it's copper which is antimicrobial all on its own. I really don't know how the fermentation chamber could cause an infection all on its own, I did use open fermentation for two of the infected batches but the two most recent were completely sealed. Additionally I have sanitized my chamber with bleach after each infection and before the last two I took straight bleach and poured and rubbed it into every crack, crevasse, and surface it has.
This leaves the temperature probe/control, I have never heard of a temperature probe as being a source of infection but to be honest this makes more sense than any of the other options. I have a 12" stainless probe, I either put the probe straight in the wort if it cooled to close to pitching temp or hang it in the chamber to gradually cool the wort to pitching temp if it's high (it tends to over cool if I don't do this), then sanitize and put it in the wort. While I have soaked it in Star San for a prolonged period I have not bleached or boiled it partially because I never considered this as a source of infection but also I was worried about damaging the probe.
Quite literally the only other thing I can think of is the Star San and I know even suggesting that borders on heresy, but I'm out of other ideas. I am still using the first container of Star San I ever ordered, like 3 years old, but I also know that there are threads with reports of people using Star San that is literally twice that old so age is probably not the issue. However this does not mean Star San is not the issue, I have been keeping the Star San in my garage in an old distilled water jug. I wonder if a combination of heat and UV may have essentially destroyed my Star San. I could not find any past threads suggesting this is possible but I didn't find much that even discussed it, though it's possible that has to do with the key words I searched for.
I am going to do another massive purge and clean, tossing anything plastic etc and boiling and bleaching everything else but the reality is I've already done most of that and one batch didn't touch anything plastic after the boil and still ended up infected.
Anyway this whole situation has left me
For the love of beer I will appreciate any help dealing with this situation. Thanks
