Getting a rash of infections

[ColoradoHomebrew]

I've been brewing for 15 months (about 50 batches) and I am getting infections and gushers at an increasing rate. This occurs only with bottled beer, not kegged. Here is my process.

-Wash all bottles with soap and brush on the day I drink them than use a sanitizer soak on bottle day.

- Wash autosiphon, bottling bucket and bucket valve with soap and sanitize before use.

- Soak caps in sanitizer


So, I am freaking out as almost everything of late is infected and since my process is unchanged, I am making some assumptions that equipment is both old and bacteria may have built up. Here is the plan.

1. replace valve and auto siphon which I noticed has cracks in it anyway.
2. Use PBW soak on the bottles. I've noticed the soap and brush sometimes does not get everything.
3. Consider putting the bottles in the dishwasher.
4. Wash bottling tree in dish washer. I have to admit I forget to clean this thing.
5. Put a lid on the bottling bucket. Should I replace the bucket?
6. Replace the tubing for racking/bottling

My thoughts are the main culprit is the bottling bucket/valve or bottles as they are exclusive to bottling. 2nd thoughts are auto siphon or tubing, but these are also used for kegging where I've never had a problem.
Any thoughts?

 

[Golddiggie]

What are you using for a sanitizer? Do you have a bottle tree to hold the sanitized bottles until they get filled?

If you suspect any of your equipment is infected, replace it. That includes any hoses that come into contact with the brew during the process.

 

[ColoradoHomebrew]

What are you using for a sanitizer? Do you have a bottle tree to hold the sanitized bottles until they get filled?

If you suspect any of your equipment is infected, replace it. That includes any hoses that come into contact with the brew during the process.

I've been using 5 stars iodine based stuff, but just ordered star san. I do have a bottle tree. Key to this is the increasing rate of infection which to me says bucket/valve/bottles as they could be accumulating more and more infection colonies with each use.

 

[Gear101]

Take a good look at your autosiphon, maybe take it apart and clean it.

 

[kaconga]

I would think the spigot on the bottling bucket might be your issue. Just where I would start if it were me.

 

[ColoradoHomebrew]

Take a good look at your autosiphon, maybe take it apart and clean it.

I did and it looks clean, but has cracks

 

[BrewerBear]

Have you ever taken the spigot on bottling bucket apart and cleaned it,or do you just let water run out of it after cleaning the bucket?

 

[Golddiggie]

With cracks already present in the autosiphon, I'd just replace it.

When I was bottling still, I'd spray down the tree with sanitizer before putting any bottles on it. Keep it wet with StarSan as you're adding bottles too. That will remove it as a cause. Of course, IF it's the source, you'll have to go to extreme measures to get it safe again (or infection free). Such as bleach bombing it, and anything else you're not replacing. Issue there is doing it, and then rinsing off ALL the bleach before you even think about using it. IMO, more hassle than it's worth.

 

[SledgeH]

Stop using soap and go to PBW. It's amazing stuff. Rinse out your bottles post usage. Clean them with PBW when convenient, then sanitize them on bottling day.

 

[Glynn]

Try doing a heavy bleach on your gear. I've have had the same siphon and bottling bucket since 1995 and have never had an infection. The only sanitizer I've ever used is good old clorox.

 

[ColoradoHomebrew]

Try doing a heavy bleach on your gear. I've have had the same siphon and bottling bucket since 1995 and have never had an infection. The only sanitizer I've ever used is good old clorox.

Now that is impressive. I think I will do this for sure. But I definitely will replace the siphon. My number one culprit is the valve as I never disassembled it until 2 weeks ago. Big mistake.

 

[Gear101]

The only reason I think it’s the autosiphon because it has to be something that touches all the beer, if it was just one bottle than it would be just that bottle. Since all the beer is infected it has to be the bucket, carboy or the autosiphon. Plus the cracks can be holding the infection. Right

 

[ColoradoHomebrew]

The only reason I think it’s the autosiphon because it has to be something that touches all the beer, if it was just one bottle than it would be just that bottle. Since all the beer is infected it has to be the bucket, carboy or the autosiphon. Plus the cracks can be holding the infection. Right

I would agree with the assessment but I keg half the beer with the same siphon and no issues. So I am calling that a secondary issue. I willl replace both the siphon and bucket valve

 

[DeafSmith]

Could be the autosiphon, but also likely to be the bucket spigot:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/spigot-infection-121734/

 

[ColumbusAmongus]

Do you have any off flavors? Why do you think it is an infection?

You can have bottle bombs from other things like an incomplete fermentation. When you bottle and introduce more oxygen, the yeast come back on a second wind and finish up. That has happened to me a few times before I learned how to properly aerate when pitching.

 

[BetterSense]

I use buckets with the white spigots, and sometimes I take the spigot off and boil it for a few minutes, because you can't really take those apart.

 

[day_trippr]

If you're really certain none of your kegged brew shows the same infection you're seeing in your bottled beer, it seems you could rule out any equipment that gets used for kegged beer.

From what I read, I'd be really suspicious about that bottle tree...

Cheers!

 

[ColoradoHomebrew]

Do you have any off flavors? Why do you think it is an infection?

You can have bottle bombs from other things like an incomplete fermentation. When you bottle and introduce more oxygen, the yeast come back on a second wind and finish up. That has happened to me a few times before I learned how to properly aerate when pitching.

The flavors are not good and the bottles all erupt. how do you aerate? Plus, this did not happen on the first 25 batches of my short career