Infection in Stainless-Steel Conical

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Iowa Brewer

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They said this would happen, someday. My first infection.
The pilsner in my Spike CF10 tastes like yogurt, and not in a good way... not sure how it happened.

Any suggestions on cleaning my conical, and can I boil/reuse my Spike EPDM gaskets?
Here's what I'm thinking of doing.:

Stage 1
Boil water in my kettle and pump it into my fermenter
Refill brew kettle to boil all my stainless steel components, gaskets, and maybe my silicone tubes.

Stage 2
Good, hot, PBW soak and rinse
Probably for brew kettle, too, although I already did that on brew day

Stage 3
StarSan soak
For brew kettle, too

Am I missing anything or making any errors? Any advice/guidance greatly appreciated!
Thanks
 
EPDM gaskets, silicone hose, stainless fittings and possibly your valves (check first) are autoclavable in a pressure cooker. It's good practice to use an iodophor sanitiser at least occasionally.
 
Take apart all the valves and sanitize internal parts, seals, gaskets.
This, and if you put boiling water in your conical make sure TO LEAVE A PORT OPEN! When the boiling water cools down it will shirk and pull and vacuum if the unit is sealed. These are rated for pressure but not a vacuum, it will crush it.
 
This, and if you put boiling water in your conical make sure TO LEAVE A PORT OPEN! When the boiling water cools down it will shirk and pull and vacuum if the unit is sealed. These are rated for pressure but not a vacuum, it will crush it.

That makes total sense and I didn’t think about it at all! Thanks so much for this!
 
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When I had 3 infections in a row in my stainless conical, I disassembled everything, replaced all the gaskets and put the conical through my dishwasher on the "sanitize" setting. I eventually discovered, the problem was in my brew kettle ball valve. Since I replace that with one of these, I haven't had any issues.
https://brulosophy.com/2015/05/28/brewers-hardware-quick-clean-take-apart-ball-valve-product-review/

From the link.....

"I spent quite a bit of time trying to come up with some negatives about this product, it was tough, all I could think of is the fact it connects to the kettle and camlock/barb fitting via standard NPT threads, which could potentially harbor nastiness."

I can, but yes it is nitpicking. I wish you could get the ends of the valve separately or be able to buy the "base part" that attaches to your vessel or pump, then get the other end in the way you like it. It would make the overall valve body shorter. These valves are heavier than their 2 piece and 3 piece cousins. Another would be the NPT versions having male ends on the kettle side vs female on both sides of the valve (like the Spike 3pc valves). This would be great for those with welded fittings on their kettles.

That and the price, as mentioned, is the only two negatives I can come up with, but honestly I LOVE these valves.
 
Ok, I'll admit this thread scares me a bit, because (I guess naively!) I've never considered my conical a potential source of infection, and now I have something else to worry about! lol.
My standard regimen is right after fermentation/keg transfer:
1) fill conical with PBW solution (lately switched to oxyclean for $$$ saving), let soak
2) scrub inside walls of conical with sponge, then drain
3) complete disassembly, soak all parts, including gaskets and butterfly valves in PBW
4) scrub and rinse well
I don't reassemble the conical until brew day, after boil, while chilling wort. Before reassembly all parts (gaskets, valves, etc.) are soaking in a 5-gallon solution of StarSan, and I use a spray bottle full of StarSan to completely coat the inside of the conical.
This seems to have served me well - hoping I'm not missing something now!
 
In my experience it's about the nooks and crannies. It's not so much what cleaner you use and how long you scrub the wall of something that'll stop an infection. It's more like - rinse a valve in tap water, not remove the O-ring, then call it good enough = that'll create an infection for sure.
 
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I brewed a Brett Pilsner and was warned that brettanomyces would be hard to kill. Finally succeeded by putting my gear into a large plastic trash bag connected to an ozone generator and ran it ( outside on my porch ) for 12 hr.
 
CDS hit it spot on for a good routine, the same as I do with my CF10 except I spray sanitizer on everything before assembling and then again before I refill with wort on brew day. Either way works though. Just as you have read from the others any little spot can hid some crap that could ruin a batch. I find it best to tear everything down and clean. A little more work but less time than brewing another batch.
 
When I had 3 infections in a row in my stainless conical, I disassembled everything, replaced all the gaskets and put the conical through my dishwasher on the "sanitize" setting. I eventually discovered, the problem was in my brew kettle ball valve. Since I replaced that with one of these, I haven't had any issues.
https://brulosophy.com/2015/05/28/brewers-hardware-quick-clean-take-apart-ball-valve-product-review/
After finding durable schmutz during my infrequent disassembly of 3-part valves, I bought a Blichmann linear flow valve for my kettle. Super easy cleaning, and quite svelte. (downsides: $40, and takes several seconds to open or close) I'll probably replace my other two (pump and HERMS coil outlets) soon.
 
Ok, I'll admit this thread scares me a bit, because (I guess naively!) I've never considered my conical a potential source of infection, and now I have something else to worry about! lol.
My standard regimen is right after fermentation/keg transfer:
1) fill conical with PBW solution (lately switched to oxyclean for $$$ saving), let soak
2) scrub inside walls of conical with sponge, then drain
3) complete disassembly, soak all parts, including gaskets and butterfly valves in PBW
4) scrub and rinse well
I don't reassemble the conical until brew day, after boil, while chilling wort. Before reassembly all parts (gaskets, valves, etc.) are soaking in a 5-gallon solution of StarSan, and I use a spray bottle full of StarSan to completely coat the inside of the conical.
This seems to have served me well - hoping I'm not missing something now!

I have a couple Brew Buckets, so the drill is similar. Everything mentioned above is spot-on.
I add:
5) Soak parts in Starsan right after cleaning, just in case there are some hidden microbes that could grow until the next brew day. (Probably a belt-and-suspenders approach, but the extra few minutes of diligence buys me peace of mind.)

I keep disassembled until next time, then another treatment of Starsan just before I use it again.
 
I have a couple Brew Buckets, so the drill is similar. Everything mentioned above is spot-on.
I add:
5) Soak parts in Starsan right after cleaning, just in case there are some hidden microbes that could grow until the next brew day. (Probably a belt-and-suspenders approach, but the extra few minutes of diligence buys me peace of mind.)

I keep disassembled until next time, then another treatment of Starsan just before I use it again.
I really like that additional step. I think I'll add that one too. Thanks!
 
I love the pressure capability of my pseudo-conical Flex+ but there's sure a lot more pieces to clean and sanitize compared to a carboy.

I only disassemble & clean after packaging, and only sanitize on brew day. So far so good, but then I have never had an infection - let alone a series of infected batches.
 
What about circulating near boiling water (180F) through a spray ball for X amount of minutes? I've thought about that the next time I'm ready to brew. After a PBW wash and rinse, fill my kettle with 180F+ water for my valves, gaskets, and such in the kettle while that water is also being circulated through my CF-10 via the cip spray ball I have for a final rinse. Overkill? Or not good enough?
 
Yesfan 180 is recommended by the FDA to sanitize food service utensils etc. But that is the lowest temperature I would consider and I would maintaine that temp by HLT water or other means. Circulating water quickly reduces the temperature if not regulated. But remember at 180 you are at the very bottom of the temperature range to sanitize.
 
Yesfan 180 is recommended by the FDA to sanitize food service utensils etc. But that is the lowest temperature I would consider and I would maintaine that temp by HLT water or other means. Circulating water quickly reduces the temperature if not regulated. But remember at 180 you are at the very bottom of the temperature range to sanitize.


I mentioned the 180F as I thought that was the low end you mentioned (couldn't remember the FDA recommendation). I've experienced, then read afterwards, it's not good to circulate boiling water through a pump as it makes the pump more prone to cavitation.
 
I mentioned the 180F as I thought that was the low end you mentioned (couldn't remember the FDA recommendation). I've experienced, then read afterwards, it's not good to circulate boiling water through a pump as it makes the pump more prone to cavitation.
And there enlys the issue. It is challenging to maintain the temperatures. I don't pump water that hot through my pumps. But I think you would be OK if you can keep it between 180 and 190 and still get the job done.
 
What about circulating near boiling water (180F) through a spray ball for X amount of minutes? I've thought about that the next time I'm ready to brew. After a PBW wash and rinse, fill my kettle with 180F+ water for my valves, gaskets, and such in the kettle while that water is also being circulated through my CF-10 via the cip spray ball I have for a final rinse. Overkill? Or not good enough?

2 things, 1 the pump has to be rated for that temp and work with your spray ball. Leave a port open so you don't create a vacuum. 2, if the problem is on the outside side of a valve or thermowell, it may not get hot enough there to sanitize.
 
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They said this would happen, someday. My first infection.
The pilsner in my Spike CF10 tastes like yogurt, and not in a good way... not sure how it happened.

Any suggestions on cleaning my conical, and can I boil/reuse my Spike EPDM gaskets?
Here's what I'm thinking of doing.:

Stage 1
Boil water in my kettle and pump it into my fermenter
Refill brew kettle to boil all my stainless steel components, gaskets, and maybe my silicone tubes.

Stage 2
Good, hot, PBW soak and rinse
Probably for brew kettle, too, although I already did that on brew day

Stage 3
StarSan soak
For brew kettle, too

Am I missing anything or making any errors? Any advice/guidance greatly appreciated!
Thanks
I would start from the discharge valve on your boil kettle and end with the keg (if you keg your beers). This includes hoses, chiller, gas & liquid posts. Dissemble the gas & liquid (especially the liquid) posts since crud can build up in there.

I would soak the hoses in min 180 deg water along with anything that can fit in your kettle that is rated for the temps (valves, thermowells, gaskets).

A StarSan soak is unnessary since it works within a few minutes.

Let everything air dry before reassembly.
 
2 things, 1 the pump has to be rated for that temp and work with your spray ball. Leave a port open so you don't create a vacuum. 2, if the problem is on the outside side of a valve or thermowell, it may not get hot enough there to sanitize.


It's a Chugger pump. I can't tell you the model, but pretty much the ones that have the same stainless head as some of the March pumps. I have ran boiling wort through it before (by accident and when I didn't know any better), but 8 years later, still going strong. I may give it a try. Just for safe measure, I'll look up my pump's rating since it is an older Chugger.

Good point about leaving a port open to avoid imploding the conical.
 
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