First all grain, first infection

[uglysofa]

After three extract batches I jumped into all grain with a saison. Unfortunately enough this batch was also my first infection. After close to a month in the carboy, it developed a very obvious pellicle which could not be mistaken. Guess I need to step up my sanitization.

How many batches did it take you to get an infection and how often does it happen?

 

[dwarven_stout]

I still haven't had one infection in primary that I didn't mean to start. I had one in secondary a while back after adding some ginger and (apparently) not sanitizing it well enough. That beer turned out good anyway though.

How'd the wild saison taste?

 

[cravej]

27 batches and no infections, but I did lose two batches to the chloramine levels of my water. Did you get a picture of the pellicle? Does it taste okay?

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I have over 200 batches and still no infection, other than planned. Something must be going right.

 

[uglysofa]

No picture of the pellicle but it still tastes "saisony" I decided to dump as I don't have any free vessels or the time to sit on this one and have it more than likely come out off. I'm moving august 1st and want have a keg ready to force carb when I get in the new place so I dumped it and cleaned the carboy so I can get a pale ale in there this week.

 

[kbuzz]

I got one pretty obvious infection from not using a starter for a bigger beer...sat for three days in the carboy before fermentation started and even then, I don't think it was the WLP051 fermenting it. Even though I knew it was bad, I saw it through to bottling...3 exploded while bottle conditioning...and after a month in the bottle, it still tasted like just pure funk (and not in a good way)...dumped 43 bottles that day, while dodging the bombs. It was my 8th extract (and overall) batch.

 

[MoPhunk]

5 batches in and no infection. Make sure you use enough hand cream on your naked upper torso so no germs or wild yeast get into your wort.

 

[tchuklobrau]

5 batches in and no infection. Make sure you use enough hand cream on your naked upper torso so no germs or wild yeast get into your wort.

please tell me this is sarcasm.

 

[Horace]

5 batches in and no infection. Make sure you use enough hand cream on your naked upper torso so no germs or wild yeast get into your wort.

please tell me this is sarcasm.

Huh? You don't hand cream your naked torso before you brew? I thought it was a common practice, go figure.

 

[cravej]

... but it still tastes "saisony" I decided to dump as I don't have any free vessels or the time to sit on this one and have it more than likely come out off.

It tasted okay, but you still dumped it? I've got a free vessel, if you decide to dump another batch.

 

[tonyolympia]

please tell me this is sarcasm.

Do a search on YouTube for videos by TakeSomeAdvice.

(I'm psyched that I've only been brewing since the beginning of the year, and I'm starting to get the inside jokes!)

 

[Zamial]

I had a dumper. It tasted like pure acetone. I tried it 3 times to be sure. FYI it will kill lawn. It was an experimental fermentation vessel that got scrapped. I also reused the yeast and had a few other issues.

Sanitation is a good thing and often times it is poor sanitation that results in infections. When your stuff was all new it was really clean, then it gets used and you sanitize it and put it away. I have seen some strange growth inside my tubing from rolling it up wet. I have since switched to silicon tubing (which can be boiled/autoclaved) and I hang it over the shower rod to dry before putting it away. Plastics are great but can scratch really easy and that scratch can house nasties, same with spigots. Not to mention the "bad random luck".

On the other side of the spectrum...

Huh? You don't hand cream your naked torso before you brew? I thought it was a common practice, go figure.

Umm not a rat's chance in Hades would I "cream up" with anything for any reason... I am not making fun of you and if this is part of your ritual and makes you feel comfortable, by all means have at... If this was a joke then that is fine too.

I practice good brewing and sanitary practices. I wear clean clothes and bathe daily. I keep a 5 gallon bucket of Starsan and a spray bottle of it on hand. As a rule of thumb anything is fair game pre-boil (there are a few exceptions) but anything that will or could touch the wort gets sanitized post boil. While I will not "cream up", I will stick my hands into the sanitizer bucket for a few moments and rub them together. If I touch anything that has not been sanitized I will re-sanitize my hands, the spray bottle helps to mitigate this. (I use a home depot spray bottle.)

 

[uglysofa]

It tasted okay, but you still dumped it? I've got a free vessel, if you decide to dump another batch.

I'm a firm believer in the don't dump it philosophy but considering the circumstances it was worth it. With the move coming up I want to have something that I know will be a drinkable and good beer when I get there. Considering it will be at least 6 weeks till I can get a brew done after moving.

 

[MoPhunk]

Honestly i hate to give take some advice more hits on YouTube but watch his sanitation methods and be about 1% as anal and you should he fine

 

[MoPhunk]

You will also understand the hand cream reference

 

[wonderbread23]

Your didn't use the White Labs American Saison strain did you (it has brett in it)?

 

[uglysofa]

Your didn't use the White Labs American Saison strain did you (it has brett in it)?

Nope, wyeast Abby ale.