EMERGENCY!!! No fermentation batch after batch. Probably grain-related

[Robko]

Hello, I am a head brewer in a small local brewery-pub. We have had no problems with brewing great craft beer untill now. Something prevents our wort from fermenting. We used to have evident gravity drop after 12 hours, now there is no fermentation in 5 batches one after another.

Facts:
No sanitation related - we put every second batch (wort) into unopened, unsanitized conical in which the previous batch was successful. We have this no-fermentation problem in both "kinds" of batches

No yeast related - happened with 3 different yeast strains, some of them cultured from dry yeast, some of them harvested from succesful previous batches. After the first problematic batch, I doubled my pitching rates and aeration. No fermentation even after pitching extra fresh yeast 24 hours after.

No temperature related - I keep temperatures as always, I also did a handheld thermometer test - spot on

Looks like this is especially barley malt problem - hefeweizen brewed in the middle of this period (73%wheat, 27%barley) ferments ultra fast, witbier (45% barley, 55% unmalted wheat) ferments somewhat slowly, but at least it ferments.

All (two- pale ale and pilsner) kinds of barley base malt have the problem, both from the same supplier.

Iodine test negative in all batches - successful starch conversion

Looks like this started after opening last batch of malts from our supplier, I am not sure but it started "about the time"

There are some strange black grains in our pale malt (in the photo). Is it ergot or something? I do not know if it has been there before, never cared.

Please help, this is frustrating, what do you think about it?

 

[smizak]

Wow. I have no idea what this could be, but I'm extremely interested to find out, for your sake and my curiosity as well. Good luck.

EDIT: I think you are on to something. That looks like ergot infected rye.

I'm not finding any articles on ergot alkaloids influencing yeast fermentation, but I would start there.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

Perhaps the new batch of malted barley is from grain that was sprayed with a different insecticide which also had a bactericide or fungicide. If so it might be possible that mashing dissolves that fungicide into the wort which then kills the yeast.
No idea how to test that theory other than doing a batch from an alternate supply of malted barley.
Perhaps inquire of the malt supplier if any other customers are having problems.

 

[Urban_Samurai]

What's the pH (acidity)?

 

[b-boy]

Perhaps the new batch of malted barley is from grain that was sprayed with a different insecticide which also had a bactericide or fungicide. If so it might be possible that mashing dissolves that fungicide into the wort which then kills the yeast.
No idea how to test that theory other than doing a batch from an alternate supply of malted barley.
Perhaps inquire of the malt supplier if any other customers are having problems.

This is what I'm thinking too. Something is killing your yeast. A fungicide makes sense. Maybe sprayed on to control an infection in the field.

 

[losMythos]

As said before there is no info on the effects of Ergot on yeast but if the supplier knew is crop was infected the possibility that a abnormal use of a fungicide might be the culprit. From what I gathered from a quick search is that you do not want to ingest anything with ergot in it. So it might be a blessing in disguise that it was not fermented and served.

 

[mkyl428]

Here is a pic from Wikipedia of ergot in barley

 

[mkyl428]

Also from Wikipedia about ergot maybe you could use it as a test to see if it is ergot.

"How ergot is removed and prevented
Removal of ergot bodies is done by placing the yield in a brine solution; the ergot bodies float while the healthy grains sink."

 

[Robko]

Thank you for you ultra fast replies, I will check my pH (but I do not think this could be the problem, it happened in a pale ale, amber ale and porter too). The black grains actually have white endosperms, only their husks are black, so finally it looks like a different kind of grain (which I dislike in my barley anyway). The thing with the fungicide makes sense, however, there are no more suppliers in this country (Slovakia). I will try to contact the supplier and some other breweries in the region, but there are only few, hope they can help. Tomorrow I am brewing again, I will use barley that arrived today instead of the previous batch, but it is from the same supplier (and it also contains those black grains). Is there anything no grain related that could be the cause? I am sure I did not change anything in my brewing habits. Thank you once more.

 

[idylldon]

What were your OG readings for the batches that didn't ferment?

Cheers,
--
Don

 

[myndflyte]

I'd make up a brine solution and take a handful of the barley and see if the black grains float. If they do, at least then you'd know what you may need to get rid of those.

 

[indianajns]

If you haven't already, you may want to ask over at probrewer.com. There are many commercial brewers over there that may have experienced this same issue.

http://discussions.probrewer.com/forumdisplay.php?29-ProBrewer-Message-Board

 

[Robko]

Thank you guys, looks like those beers made it. Very slowly, so I guess it could have been the fungicide. Hope this wont happen again.