Consecutive infections...Help!

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ok, I had two batches of different beer going, I went to keg yesterday and they both have that awful medicine taste going...,blah!!!!
Now I need to figure out what happened...so I need some opinions.
One batch was in a plastic carboy, one in a bucket....both star-saned.
Here's what both had in common:
On Both batches I used the same recycled yeast...wyeast 1056
My basement is to cold in the winter, so I bring them up and set it next to one of the heat registers (forced air), and put a blanket around it.
I had air lock issues with both...on the first one I saw no activity for at least 4 days, and no activity in the airlock. Then I realized the water in the airlock was far to low, filled it up....water level dropped after a day....filled it again...repeat...finally bubbles.
On the second one, I saw no air lock action for 3 days...couldn't see through the bucket though. In the meantime, bought a new airlock...same problem with the water level.
My theory is that the house is dry this time of year and the water (starsan) is evaporating out of airlock...letting in the nasties. Makes me hesitant to pop the top and take a sample on the next one.
Or...fermentation temperature to high??

Thoughts?
 
To most of us, medicinal taste comes from water with chlorine or chloramine in it. This would be solved by purchasing spring water from the grocery store or bu dissolving part of a Campden tablet to remove the chlorine. However, you mentioned heating up the beer to get the yeast going and that makes me think that you have a lot of unexpected esters and probably fusel alcohol in the beer. That makes a less than pleasant beer to sip and if you drink it in larger quantities the fusel alcohol may lead to a bad hangover. Once your beer starts fermenting it is difficult to get it infected because you create the wrong environment for bacteria to thrive.

Now, tell us how cold the basement is, what temperature the beer was when set by the heat register, and what kind of yeast you used. From that information we can better advise you.

Airlock activity or the lack thereof is not a reliable indicator of fermentation. It only signals the exchange of gas from one side to the other. Don't rely on airlock activity to tell you anything else.

The lack of an airlock is not critical in most cases. Big breweries often ferment in vats with no top.
 
it reminds me of robitussin, or rubbing alcohol. kind of smells like a hospital
The temp in the basement at this moment is 62, but it's also in the mid 30's outside, which is not typical here...On a regular winter day it would be in the 50's in the basement.
I just put my thermometer on the floor next to the heat grate...I'm really surprised here...it read 93....and if I let it dangle in the grate....120!
Wyeast 1056...
 
I think you may have let the temp get too high. The lag in airlock activity may just have been a coincidence. I would use new yeast next time with a starter and keep the beer in your basement. If you have the room and the $$ put a used chest freezer and a temp controller on you upgrade list.

Good luck with you next batch, I had many batches that turned out this way when I was low on funds and living in Florida so don't feel bad.
 
Good suggestions so far. I may also add that the temp may not have been very consistent being next to a register.
 
yea, I'm starting to think the temperature was way to high, I put both of them over there. I've been wanting to build a fermentation chamber....think I will now! The furnace will kick on every 7 minutes or so...depending on how cold out it is.
Think I got a lesson in fermentation temps!
 
I will use Nottingham yeast and while it works slowly, it does a good clean ferment in the mid 50's. Set your fermenter on a piece of wood or Styrofoam to keep it off the floor and use the basement. Give the beer a week there, then bring it up where it is warmer to get the yeast to finish the ferment. If you want to use other yeasts, a tub of water, an aquarium heater, and a temperature controller will get your beer to the proper temp even in the cold basement and be much cheaper than a chest freezer the people down south need to cool their beer.:)
 
For a cheaper immediate solution a tote full of water and a fish tank heater is all you need. Im jealous of your 50 degree basement myself. Nice problem to have.
 
If your process, sanitizing, basement next to the register, etc. has been consistently successful prior to these two batches, I'd point my finger at what they had in common (yeast)
 
I've done it many times by the register before, but to be safe, I did not keep the yeast. I have an extra pack in my fridge...so start over!
 
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