How to brew during a fruit-fly invasion?

[z-bob]

I don't care (much) if they get in the mash or the boil, but I'm trying to figure out how to deal with them post-boil. Maybe transfer the wort to the bucket while still boiling hot instead of chilling it, then put a lid on the bucket and set it outside to chill overnight?

I'm not sure what kind of flies these really are. They are kinda large for fruit flies, black bodies with clear wings, and they don't have red eyes. (not hunchbacked either) All the fruit in the house is in the fridge and has been for a week.

I'm making a trap for them; a wine bottle with water, yeast, minced apple core, a prune, some brown sugar, and a little yeasty beer. When it gets to fermenting good, I'll add vinegar and a few drops of soap.

 

[khannon]

Just make sure to let it cool before pitching the yeast..

Also, I think I would only do this in stainless steel. I think there are pictures of melted plastic fermenters, and obviously, this is a bad idea for glass.

 

[RPh_Guy]

In the summer I use a citronella candle in my garage where I brew.

If I had more fruit flies I would make multiple traps. They're pretty easy to make and very effective. A combination of fresh fruit or carbonation, alcohol, and vinegar should be irresistible.

@khannon
Not all plastic is the same. HDPE buckets are much more temperature tolerant than PET bottles.

 

[z-bob]

My HLT is a plastic bucket with a 220V heating element. I bring water to a full boil in it. (I made sure to get a 90 mil bucket instead of the more common 70 mil, but even that probably wasn't necessary) But maybe I should let the wort cool down to 190 or so instead of trying to transfer it right off the boil -- for safety's sake. Thanks.

 

[Dgallo]

Make traps and keep the lid on your kettle following flame out. Power cool it if you have the ability. But I’m far more concerned that you boil water in a plastic bucket. That is no bueno man. I’m not going to tell you how to live your life but I would change that if I were you.

 

[Dgallo]

I just read up on HDPE and I guess they claim it’s safe at those temps but they also used to think aerosol and cigarettes were safe too... lol I would avoid it personally

 

[RPh_Guy]

Cigarettes aren't safe?

 

[Bamos6928]

I had a bit of a fruit fly problem myself this summer. I did everything just like I normally do but any open vessel that wasn’t boiling I covered with aluminum foil. On bottling day just as soon as I filled the bottle I placed the cap on top. That tactic worked out for me.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

I have perpetual fruit fly issues. I've lost a few brews over the years to aceto infections. Now I set up fruit fly traps for a few days before brewing and before bottling. I use the smallest canning jars (~4 oz), fill half way with apple cider vinegar, remove the canning lid, stretch plastic wrap over the mouth, and screw the ring back on over the wrap. Then puncture the wrap a few times with the tip of a sharp knife. I've had times where I've had fruit flies buzzing around the jar before I've even put it down. You can also use any small jar (baby food size) and just punch some holes in the lid. Flies/gnats get in but can't get out. I've had as many as a dozen fruit flies trapped in a jar.

Also, whenever I transfer from BK to fermenter or fermenter to bottling bucket I keep the lid on on and paper towels packed around the siphon tubing where it goes into the fermenter or bucket. I even cut a small notch out of my BK lid so I can keep the lid on as I cool with my IC chiller or transfer with my autosiphon.

 

[ncbrewer]

I use the smallest canning jars (~4 oz), fill half way with apple cider vinegar, remove the canning lid, stretch plastic wrap over the mouth, and screw the ring back on over the wrap.

I use the same concept except leave the jar open, and add 1 or 2 drops of dish soap to the vinegar to bread the surface tension. The fruit flies sink and drown.