First Time Slants- Maggots!!!

[edecambra]

So the title says it all, I just wanted to vent a bit. I have been incubating my slants for the past week and I just noticed that some strange yeast shapes, but it wasn't yeast, tiny little worms were crawling on some of the slants.

Suffice it to say I need to review my sanitation process, as I'm not 100 percent positive they got in there post innoculation, just pretty sure they found their way in as I was incubating them.

Has anyone had this problem or am I just gross?

 

[MalFet]

I've had bacteria, yeasts, and molds, but maggots?!?...yikes.

 

[passedpawn]

Suffice it to say I need to review my sanitation process

um, yeah, I'd say so.

those darned fruit flies.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

 

[postal_penguin]

I'd recommend getting those slants out of the house ASAP if they are fruit flies. They will breed like mad and spoil future attempts.

 

[BrewMU]

Well, that sucks. At first I thought you were just taunting us all in your moment of slant making glory.
A mama fly must have got into the yeast before you made the slants.

 

[passedpawn]

Made me think of this excellent thread. More maggots!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/yellow-white-creepy-crawly-things-my-beer-130714/

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Sanitized coffee filters and a rubberband work great for keeping out fruit flies but still allowing gas exchange.

 

[SocalNat]

They are vinegar flies (Drosophila species Family: Drosophilidae).
From PSU Ag school of entomology:

The 2.5-4.5-mm long, maggot-like larvae are cream-colored, lack a sclerotized head capsule, and are tapered from the posterior to the head. They have spiracles (breathing structures) located on extended, fleshy tubes found on the last body segment.

The larvae feed primarily on the yeast found in fermenting, liquefying items. Over-ripe tomatoes and bananas are commonly infested, as are rotting potatoes and onions. The liquid that remains in the bottom of beer cans held for recycling can also support vinegar fly larvae.

Sorry, I don't ever get to talk about what I do for a living here on these boards. But when you get right down to it they are just plain maggots but thankfully not fruit flies, they are BAD.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

The common fruit fly and vinegar flies are the same thing. And the maggots obviously came from an adult fly which had to have gotten its ugly junk all up in the OP's growth medium. Not a good thing.

 

[heferly]

******* I hate fruit.flies

 

[edecambra]

They are vinegar flies (Drosophila species Family: Drosophilidae).
From PSU Ag school of entomology:

The 2.5-4.5-mm long, maggot-like larvae are cream-colored, lack a sclerotized head capsule, and are tapered from the posterior to the head. They have spiracles (breathing structures) located on extended, fleshy tubes found on the last body segment.

The larvae feed primarily on the yeast found in fermenting, liquefying items. Over-ripe tomatoes and bananas are commonly infested, as are rotting potatoes and onions. The liquid that remains in the bottom of beer cans held for recycling can also support vinegar fly larvae.

Sorry, I don't ever get to talk about what I do for a living here on these boards. But when you get right down to it they are just plain maggots but thankfully not fruit flies, they are BAD.

Your description sounds all too accurate. I tossed all the stuff asap and am hoping it isn't a trend. I thought I was anal with my sanitation process but I have to figure out where the wreak link is. I really like the coffee filter idea.

 

[MuchoGusto]

They are vinegar flies (Drosophila species Family: Drosophilidae)....... But when you get right down to it they are just plain maggots but thankfully not fruit flies, they are BAD.

The common name for Drosophila Melanogaster is fruit or vinegar fly. I say that as a former high school biology teacher.

 

[ChillWill]

We often have the eggs in casks returned to the brewery.

They aren't so keen on caustic soda and 150degc steam though. Although sometimes that isn't enough so they get soaked in caustic for a week... rinse and repeat as required.