Maggots

[chriscraig]

So, I've been brewing the simple stuff. Pre-hopped canned kits, 7.5 litre bags, 15 litre bags, etc...

Well, this grossed me out. I've been reading that it's a good idea to leave the wort in the primary for 3-4 weeks, and then bottle it. I left the wort for 4 weeks in a primary bucket with a loose lid for 4 weeks. I didn't have enough bottles yet, so I was transferring to a secondary when i noticed mid-way through there were small white things moving on the side of the primary...maggots!

Needless to say, I tossed the whole batch, but man I'm going to be paying extra attention from now on.

Would I have had this problem if I had a primary lid with an air lock instead of a loose lid?

 

[Germelli1]

Obviously your lid was way "looser" than it should have been to allow flies to lay eggs or you didn't clean the fermenter before hand leaving already laid fly eggs to hatch.

You do get kudos for being the first poster with this problem!

 

[chriscraig]

I'm honoured to be the first...


I'm usually pretty careful about sanitizing my equipment though. I use sodium metabisulfite for about 5 minutes before rinsing. I've never let the brew go more than 7 or 8 days in the primary with the loose cover before though.

I think I'll drill a hole in the cover and start using a 3-piece air-lock from now on.

 

[Germelli1]

I'm honoured to be the first...


I'm usually pretty careful about sanitizing my equipment though. I use sodium metabisulfite for about 5 minutes before rinsing. I've never let the brew go more than 7 or 8 days in the primary with the loose cover before though.

I think I'll drill a hole in the cover and start using a 3-piece air-lock from now on.

There really is no reason your way shouldn't work! but obviously something has happened along the way.

I was not saying your sanitation practices may be to blame. I was thinking something along these lines: you could have just soaked the fermenter to sanatize it without actually scrubbing it clean, thus leaving behind some TINY insect eggs. Or the tiny little eggs could have held on to dear life through a cleaning session...

This is just a very strange occurance!

 

[Ouroboros]

My condolances on the batch. I think this is definitely a valid exception to the "never dump your beer" rule. But I'm dying to know... what did it taste like?

 

[chriscraig]

You're probably right. This was my 14th batch, but who know what might have gone wrong. I've already started a 15th. We'll see what happens.

 

[chriscraig]

My condolances on the batch. I think this is definitely a valid exception to the "never dump your beer" rule. But I'm dying to know... what did it taste like?

Well, it tasted like maggots...JK. Would you have even tried it? I noticed about half-way through the racking to the secondary. I knew I had an infection, because I had a thin white skin on top of the beer, but that hasn't been a problem before.

It really grossed me out when I saw the skins start to move as it transferred to the wall fo the primary when I racked it.

 

[DurkaDan]

Could have been worse... You could have bottle, not noticed, and invited friends over for the inaugural bottle...

Besides the off flavors, you managed to create a beer with plenty of protein. :cross:

 

[chriscraig]

Home brew FAIL!!

 

[iparks81]

Aging the beer probably wont cure this one.....

 

[chriscraig]

Probably just end up with bigger maggots!!

 

[dogma9]

they was actually living in the beer? or on the walls just above where the beer came up to in your fermenter?

 

[chriscraig]

I noticed them on the walls of the primary when I was racking to the secondary. I couldn't imagine drinking it after that.

 

[jfr1111]

You didn't even taste it ?

Cue chicken noises

 

[lumpher]

glad i never ran into that when i started brewing. i'd have stopped, and gone back to SOS (sh@# off the shelf)

 

[dogma9]

well at least you gave them the time of their lives, intoxication 24/7 lol

 

[RippinLt]

why did you have a loose lid?

 

[Ouroboros]

Would you have even tried it?

I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe and I was not offended.



The only thing that would keep me from trying that beer is if slithered away faster than I could chase it.

It really grossed me out when I saw the skins start to move as it transferred to the wall fo the primary when I racked it.

Mmmmmm... spread that pellicle on a little bit of toast and you're livin' large.

 

[dogma9]

why did you have a loose lid?

he may not have an airlock, so you can have a loose lid. mr beer kits do this, they have notches cut where you screw the top on so its like having a loose lid

 

[Sean]

There really is no reason your way shouldn't work! but obviously something has happened along the way.

I was not saying your sanitation practices may be to blame. I was thinking something along these lines: you could have just soaked the fermenter to sanatize it without actually scrubbing it clean, thus leaving behind some TINY insect eggs. Or the tiny little eggs could have held on to dear life through a cleaning session...

This is just a very strange occurance!

+1, very odd.

 

[passedpawn]

You do get kudos for being the first poster with this problem!

Not the first. I quite enjoyed this one:



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/yellow-white-creepy-crawly-things-my-beer-130714/

From that thread (my words... I waxed poetic...)

Although you will not get to enjoy your beer, know that two of God's creatures consummated their love in your carboy. As their bodys succumbed to the alcoholic, oxygen-less environment, their passion spired wildly. The product of their love-struggle squirms before you.

There's always a silver lining.​

 

[samc]

Well, it tasted like maggots...JK. Would you have even tried it? I noticed about half-way through the racking to the secondary. I knew I had an infection, because I had a thin white skin on top of the beer, but that hasn't been a problem before.

It really grossed me out when I saw the skins start to move as it transferred to the wall fo the primary when I racked it.

I think you need to review your sanitation procedures as this should be a rare if never event, not commonplace. IMO of course.

 

[slothrop]

Homebrew, now with more protein!

 

[akthor]

Ummmmm I think its rare because most folks don't primary with a "loose" lid. People have gotten fruit flies in their airlocks. How would you think that would be ok? With wine maybe because the alcohol content is higher but with beer I think you are inviting trouble.

 

[dogma9]

Ummmmm I think its rare because most folks don't primary with a "loose" lid. People have gotten fruit flies in their airlocks. How would you think that would be ok? With wine maybe because the alcohol content is higher but with beer I think you are inviting trouble.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Bottle_bomb

read the bottle bombs in beer brewing paragraph. it names the 3 common ways to let out carbon dioxide while fermenting.

 

[passedpawn]

Loose lid is a bad idea. Airlocks are about one buck.

 

[dogma9]

Loose lid is a bad idea. Airlocks are about one buck.

their more fun to watch too

 

[MetallHed]

their more fun to watch too

Yeah. How else will you know when fermentation has stopped?


Man, those must've been some drunkass maggots!

 

[akthor]

Maybe if you had a fairly clean sterile environment. I know the micro brew down the street uses open fermenters I think but I am sure there is no way for flies to get in the brewing room. Your fermenter is a big bucket of sugar basically if insects can get to it they will. As I said I had an Apfelwein that had fruit flies trapped in the airlock in my basement.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Bottle_bomb

read the bottle bombs in beer brewing paragraph. it names the 3 common ways to let out carbon dioxide while fermenting.

 

[boo boo]

Ummmmm I think its rare because most folks don't primary with a "loose" lid. People have gotten fruit flies in their airlocks. How would you think that would be ok? With wine maybe because the alcohol content is higher but with beer I think you are inviting trouble.

Leaving a loose lid in place of a proper airlock is inviting trouble. I too have had fruit flies get into my 1 piece airlock, but they never make it into my wine.

I'm pretty anal about cleaniness and sanitation around my brewery equipment, and think I would freak to see a maggott inside my house
at all, let alone on a piece of brewery equipment.