I #$&*ing hate fruitflies!

[ChrisfromAbby]

That's pretty much it.

Hates them. Hates them forever!

Got into an almost ready to keg Irish Red I was eagerly anticipating and a yeast starter I cultured from a bottle of one of my favorite commercial brews.

 

[gwapogorilla]

Use vodka in the airlock...they can't get past that!:rockin:

 

[riderkb]

Use vodka in the airlock...they can't get past that!:rockin:

They are attracted to the alcohol, though. Better to just use water in the airlock and keep it sealed up until kegging time. A fruit fly in finished beer won't hurt if you keep it cold and drink up.

 

[Foosier]

If you have a problem with them, put out a trap which is easier for them to get into.

My wife keeps bananas on the counter and they attract fruit flies. We keep a small glass with a little cider vinegar covered by plastic wrap with a few small holes poked in the top near the bananas. The flies get in but they don't get back out.

If you put something like this near your fermenters if would be easier for them to get into and you'd think, more appealing as a result. A sacrificial offering as it were.

Try it. It has to be better than having flies ruin a batch.

 

[steelcurtain]

Yeast and fruit flies share a symbiotic relationship, so while I'm annoyed at times myself I try to remember their importance to brewing.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/insects/that-beer-smell-designed-to-attract-flies-141009.htm

 

[Sandstorm]

This is the best fruit fly trap you can make. Tried and tested.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-a-fruit-fly-trap-h-108577

 

[gwapogorilla]

They are attracted to the alcohol, though. Better to just use water in the airlock and keep it sealed up until kegging time.

I STRONGLY advise against that. The water won't kill the flies....it MIGHT drown them....might. I have used sanitizer water in the past, only to find that a few of the little buggers actually made it past the air lock. No kidding.
There was a small trail of the dead little bastards running up my lock tube and down into my carboy.
That is...until I switched to cheap vodka...it kills them darned near instantly. Since I did, I have yet to see a single fly make it past my lock.

 

[Beer is good]

I STRONGLY advise against that. The water won't kill the flies....it MIGHT drown them....might. I have used sanitizer water in the past, only to find that a few of the little buggers actually made it past the air lock. No kidding.
There was a small trail of the dead little bastards running up my lock tube and down into my carboy.
That is...until I switched to cheap vodka...it kills them darned near instantly. Since I did, I have yet to see a single fly make it past my lock.

Wow, thanks for the info. I currently use sanitizer but my fruit flies have not been as aggressive as your seem to be. I will buy some popov.

 

[dobes]

+1 on the trap. I made one out of white wine and apples in a bowl with the plastic wrap and within a few hours almost all of the FF's were gone.
Also for your air lock you can put a piece of plastic wrap loosely around it with a gumband to snug it up near the bottom or if its in a carboy around the neck then put a pinhole in it to let the gasses escape.

 

[Yooper]

There sure are bad right now here, too!

I had some around even when I was brewing today, I was cursing at them and swatting at them. They don't seem very afraid of me, although I'm afraid of them, on behalf of my precious wines and wort!

 

[eatmorefrogs]

You can't tolerate fruit flies decreasing your yield. Before getting rid of the flies, I recommend a gentle squeeze from their butt up to their mouth (toothpaste tube style) to force all of the beer back out into your fermenter.

 

[jtratcliff]

hey now... I had some fruit flies turn a 5 gallon batch of plum "wine"* into the some of the best vinegar I've ever had.

They've got their uses...



*threw plums in a bucket and left for wild yeast to ferment with hopes of making some German style plum schnapps

 

[gwapogorilla]

Wow, thanks for the info. I currently use sanitizer but my fruit flies have not been as aggressive as your seem to be. I will buy some popov.

Yeah, my wife is from the Philippines, so there is always fruit on the counter. 'Godda pute it dare so it get fresh honnee." Next thing you know, those little buggers are swarming. The colder months have hit in Iowa, so not so bad now.

I like the idea of the trap another poster mentioned. I am going to keep that in mind as well.

 

[RatsoRizzo]

This is the best fruit fly trap you can make. Tried and tested.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-a-fruit-fly-trap-h-108577

Nice. I have tried the method where you put some vinegar in a jar and then drop some washing up detergent into it. Works a treat sometimes but it's also possible to put too much detergent in which tips the buggers off. Just rigged up the trap from your link and already caught two of the little bastards.

 

[wardens355]

I put apple cider vinegar in a jar and put aluminum foil over top with some small holes poked through. One drop of dish soap too to break any surface tension so the flies drown (just one drop!). That seems to capture a good amount of 'em. I also microwave a half cup of water to boiling, then fill to a full cup with white vinegar and dump it down my drains. This has really helped a lot, as I think a lot of the flies were breeding in the sink drain (probably in the disposal primarily).

 

[wardens355]

And also, try to move any fruit peels or rinds outside and keep organics out of the trash as much as possible, cause fruit flies will breed in there as well. I believe there was a recent study that showed that fruit flies are attracted to the smells created by fermenting yeast, and theorized that this may be a mechanism for propagation in the wild, since the flies will land on the yeast and carry it with them. Anyhow, clean home, clean air locks, and having a fermentation chamber can all help keep fruit flies down.

 

[soccerdad]

I get a few in the airlock, but they drown there. I don't think I'm losing beer to them. Gonna try that trap though.

 

[unionrdr]

@eatmorefrogs- That reminds me of the joke about the rabbi, the priest & the Irishman that go to the pub for a pint. A fly gets in the rabbi's ale, he picks it out & continues drinking. The priest does likewise. A fly gets in the Irishman's ale, he picks it up & yells at him, " spit it out"! Interesting study. I also read that fruit flies carry acetobacter as well. I definitely need to make a couple fly traps for the brewery/man cave & the kitchen. We keep fruit in there as well. I really need to figure out how to right-click on a lap top with this darn cursor control pad thingy??

 

[ChrisfromAbby]

I also read that fruit flies carry acetobacter as well.

Yeah, That was my understanding and my belief for the source of my problem. Found two of the bastards walking around on top of the krausen.

My primaries are not fully airtight and they are able to sneak in under the lid. Those plastic buckets will never be used again. Going straight into carboys from now on.

Chris