Infection issues :(

[fezzman]

Hey all. Brief history: Been brewing for about 2.5 years. The first two years I learned a good bit and quality was improving with each batch. Then things took a turn for the worse. My last 3 batches went bad and caused me to take 8 months off of brewing. I started brewing again last month and again I have a problem.

The first batch after my break was a special bitter from extract. I took everything apart and was as thorough (paranoid) as possible. I even took my primary bucket valve apart and boiled it. I brewed it at night and fermentation was active by the next morning. I never detected any upleasant odors or funk growing in primary or secondary. I finally cracked open my first bottle the other night and ACK! Looked good and smelled okay. But there was definitely a taste of infection that coated the back of my throat. There was also a idophor-ish taste. Upon examining the other bottles I see a fine opaque matter clinging to the bottles around the top of the beer. Infected, right? I used a bottle brush on these bottles in idophor and then the dishwasher on high heat.

I just don't get it. The only variable that changed about the time things started going south was that I switched from Diversol to idophor. Perhaps I'm just not concentrating the idophor enough to be effective??

My more immediate concern is the imperial stout I have in secondary. I am now worried about it going bad. It has only been in secondary for 5 days. Should I rack it to a keg and stick it in the fridge? Will that help preserve it, assuming there is an infection? I don't see or smell anything to lead me to think it is infected but I am just scared of having another bad batch.

Sorry for the loooong post. Thanks for any help.

 

[springer]

You should not get any taste from BTF the proper mix is 1/4 oz per 2 1/2 gallons of water. Its a no rinse formula and you should not need the dishwasher. just let the bottles air dry.

If you mixed it to concentrated then it could be the source of the off taste. I would nuke everything that you use in a bleach solution then rinse - rinse and rinse again. Then sanitize with BTF.

 

[fezzman]

You should not get any taste from BTF the proper mix is 1/4 oz per 2 1/2 gallons of water. Its a no rinse formula and you should not need the dishwasher. just let the bottles air dry.

If you mixed it to concentrated then it could be the source of the off taste. I would nuke everything that you use in a bleach solution then rinse - rinse and rinse again. Then sanitize with BTF.

Thanks for the fast reply. Does 1/4 ounce per 2.5 gal have a heavy smell? Does it dillute to a clear color? Just curious. Thanks again.

 

[Brandon O]

dude, if you have a continuous problem like this and you are sanitizing in the same manner that has consistently worked....i would say it's your plastics used in the process.

Even if you use a green scotch pad you can scratch those plastic buckets so I'm told.

I would get a new bucket if it was me. I mean, it's gotta be something harboring some bacteria if you are sanitizing in a manner which has consistently worked.

 

[fezzman]

dude, if you have a continuous problem like this and you are sanitizing in the same manner that has consistently worked....i would say it's your plastics used in the process.

Even if you use a green scotch pad you can scratch those plastic buckets so I'm told.

I would get a new bucket if it was me. I mean, it's gotta be something harboring some bacteria if you are sanitizing in a manner which has consistently worked.

I use a plastic primary, true. My secondary is a glass carboy. I've never used anything more than a cloth to clean the plastic so it isn't scratches on the plastic. I didn't have problems back when I was using the powdered sanitizer, though that is likely not my problem. I'm thinking that:

A: I didn't use enough idophor in my rinse
B: I've not bleached my bucket and carboy in quite some time. Typically I wash with hot soapy water after use, wash again prior to next use, then sanitize.

I don't feel as though my procedures have changed but something is definitely amiss here and it's got me right bummed.

 

[springer]

Thanks for the fast reply. Does 1/4 ounce per 2.5 gal have a heavy smell? Does it dillute to a clear color? Just curious. Thanks again.

you can smell it faintly. The color should be a very light straw color. Even at a heavier concentration it should not impart any taste or odor to the beer.

 

[springer]

I would let the bottles just drain upside down a few minutes thats all I ever did

 

[fezzman]

I guess I've just been so afraid of it imparting off tastes that I've been using it too light. I can certainly smell it in the mixture.

I typically fill one side of my sink with water and then add the idophor. I've never actually measured it out though, just add enough to barely color the water and be able to smell it. I soak everything in it for a few minutes. I fill my bucket with about 1/2 gallon of mixture and let that sit. I keep a folded paper towel in it and scrub the sides every few minutes until I am ready to dump it and use the bucket. Is that a bad practice?