Val-the-Brew-Gal
Active Member
If it seems to taste fine going into the bottle then I'd rule out the fermenter as a source of infection. but I'd bleach that anyway. Considering you're beers go flat, it would seem that the problem is somewhere in the bottling process. If it was just an infection I'd think the bottles would stay carbed or increase in carbonation.
The fact that it goes flat points to something being wrong with the seal. Maybe your caps are faulty and you're storing them someplace where bugs are creeping in.
If I were you I'd sanitize everything or bleach everything like a mad person and replace all plastic tubing and then designate beer plastic from wine plastic to avoid cross contamination. Perhaps the culprit is a bug from the wine? Then I'd buy new caps and maybe replace the bell of the capper in case its the problem. Then maybe make a "test" batch. Like a starter that will ferment fast and then you can carbonate a few bottles just to test the seal.
If bugs get into plastic it's next to impossible to get rid of them. If using plastic fermenter or tubing, I'd replace them.
I've used the same caps and capper on batches in between that turned out okay but I will still look for a new bell for my bench capper. I don't use a plastic fermenter, just glass carboys. And like the capper, I have used the same plastic tubing on batches in between that were okay, but I will bleach everything and look at replacing it soon anyway.
From all of the comments I have received...and thank you all a ton for weighing in with your observations and suggestion...here is my plan of action:
1. I will bleach the crud out of all of my equipment.
2. I will pay very close attention to my pitching temperature as I am really thinking that maybe that is where I am going wrong since I will have a bad batch followed by a good batch using all of the same equipment, bottles, caps, etc.
3. I am also thinking that I don't do a good enough job of aerating the wort before I pitch the yeast...maybe that is stressing the yeast and causing issues?
4. I will make sure I am not rushing fermentation and confirm with a gravity reading that it is truly ready to bottle.
5. Finally, I will check and replace the bell on my capper in case I am not getting a good seal.
If all of this still fails to produce consistently good batches, then I will have to figure out what I did to piss off Ninkasi, goddess of beer and brewing. Does anyone have a suggestion of a bribe/sacrifice I can offer to get on her good side? LOL