Fruit Flies in Airlock

[sseeger218]

I'm pretty new to homebrewing (6th batch) and I just transfered a saison to secondary. I noticed that I have several dead fruit flies, I'm guessing that's what they are, in my primary airlock. I didn't see any in the beer itself and it still smells pretty good. Should I be worried about anything with this? Is there any reason I shouldn't just continue as normal? Thanks

 

[EO74]

Thats what its there for,i had a similar thing happen a while back and couldnt figure out why ? Turns out they must have gotten in there just before my wife made her banana bread , 3 weeks later while kegging i was like how the hell did they get into the air lock?Luckely they werent in my beer,probably not in urs either,cheers

 

[Nurmey]

Welcome to HBT!

No you should not be worried. The airlock is doing its job if you have dead fruit flies in there instead of in your beer.

 

[specialized]

also dead fruit flys in your beer would probably go unnoticed. might even settle out with the trub.

 

[BriarwoodBrewer]

Consider them added protein. No worries...

 

[Saprobic]

So glad you posted this I just noticed a bunch in my airlock today.

 

[motobrewer]

use vodka in your airlocks

 

[lumpher]

with a saison, it gets all kinda funky stuff anyway :cross:

 

[whatsleftofyou]

Actually I recommend being careful with this. I had a fruit fly problem one Summer and had 3 gallons of cider turn to vinegar because of it. One must have gotten in while I was taking a gravity reading. As long as one doesn't get in you're fine, but acetobacter is definitely carried by them...

You can find some simple fruit fly traps to make here

 

[Special Hops]

Sounds like your airlock is working.

 

[Hang Glider]

use vodka in your airlocks

then you have drunk fruit flies...

 

[BeerJorge]

Actually I recommend being careful with this. I had a fruit fly problem one Summer and had 3 gallons of cider turn to vinegar because of it. One must have gotten in while I was taking a gravity reading. As long as one doesn't get in you're fine, but acetobacter is definitely carried by them...

You can find some simple fruit fly traps to make here

+1. I wouldn't worry if they are just in your airlock, but fruit flies will ruin your beer so keep 'em out...

 

[bull8042]

also dead fruit flys in your beer would probably go unnoticed. might even settle out with the trub.

See below -

+1. I wouldn't worry if they are just in your airlock, but fruit flies will ruin your beer so keep 'em out...

This is correct. Chances are very good they will ruin your beer if they manage to get inside. Keep a check on your airlock and don't let it get dry.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

use vodka in your airlocks

+1 on vodka

-1 on gin - I ran out of vodka and used some cheap gin, it attracted even more fruit flies to the damn thing! Although I found another great fruit fly trap in the process...

 

[sseeger218]

Thanks for the replies! I've been using sanitizer in my airlocks. I might have to start using vodka.

 

[hypertension2]

I gave a friend a 6 pack of a paulner hef I made last month and he shared this with his son. They drank their fill but the last bottle once opened smelled foul and had about 40 to 50 rice grain looking things floating and sunkin the bottle. I took a sample of this because of coarse he showed me asap, hes my neighbor. I took it to work and made a slide, stained it, and put it under the microscope.........sure enough fruit fly pupae. Nothing was alive but these dam things were in this bottle of foul beer. This was also secured down to one bottle. In other words it had not been spread among the 2 cases but was only in one bottle. This had to occur at the time of bottling, I think in order for that to happen.

Earlier during making this batch I had seen fruit flies in this area I bottle in and keep my stir plate. They were there from some oranges my wife had over rippened and I found a couple hoovering in the air lock. It was filled with sanitizer so i though nothing of them. Just one beer ruined but my reputation hurts the worse. Now when ever he drinks one of my beers you know what he says and thinks, are there any flies in here.