Most frustrating hobby ever?

[GodsStepBrother]

Yes I'm rinsing everything between the PBW and Starsan.

I keg everything, but nothing makes it into the keg because it's terrible. Ha.

I'll definitely try boiling the chiller. Good idea.

Wait are you saying you have yet to carb a beer up and try it? This sounds like you are trying a beer after it is done fermenting, and not liking the taste and dumping. So you are not bottling or kegging, just dumping. Alot happens with aging an extra 3 weeks or more, and beer gets a way different flavor from carbonation. I forget of the acid that is produced that changes a beers profile when carbonated.

Forget about the fancy sanitizers and bleach the hell out of all your equipment. What you can soak for a day do so. Then start over after rinsing the bleach off. Sounds like starsan or whatever you use is not killing whatever is the common denominator bacteria between all your brews. Everyone will probably jump in now saying don't use bleach but lots of people use it as their primary sanitizer as long as you use it with moderation.

Do this, I had an infection that ran through 3 batches and the only thing that cured it was bleach bombing everything over night. Its cheap and just rinse everything off with warm water really well after.

 

[Brewfat]

Have you tried dry yeast?

Are you trying to make big beers? Underpitching?

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

I know in the dairy industry that bleach and acid are both used to clean stainless, of course not together, so I don't think diluted bleach will hurt a stainless pot or such. I would not use it in a keg though because your rings and fittings will not hold up.

 

[edecambra]

You scrub all your equipment? Isn't slot of it plastic? Is it a carboy or better bottle? You can't scrub plastic that of just asking for an infection. toss the plastic and just soak from now on. My two cents!

 

[MVKTR2]

I know I'm a rarity but I've been using bleach in standard measures (1 tblsp per gallon + 1 extra for good luck) ever since I began brewing. I started on the cheap just to see if I liked brewing. Having used bleach from the beginning and not having had any problems through 30 batches I didn't see a reason to quit. Though StarSan is an awesome product. I've had my beer tasted at the LHBC and by master & grand master level bjcp judges, no one has ever said they detected any water or clorine issues. Fwiw I don't rinse when I sanitize on brew day. I clean the kitchen ***** & span. Use clorox kitchen spray on the counters, stove top, etc. I pour out my bleach solution from the fermenter, place my air-lock, etc. on the counter, and shake out the fermenter real well. Probably leaves about 1 tblsp of cleaning solution in there total, not enough to know it's there.

Boil your racking hoses & even racking canes will survive a quick dip. The easiest thing is to replace everything plastic and bleach with a strength of 1/4 cup bleach per 5-6.5 gallons of water on everything else sans stainless steel as others have suggested. ABSOLUTELY ADD 1-1.5 TABLESPOONS OF VINEGAR TO THE BLEACH SOLUTION. This makes sure the bleach is in it's optimum cleaning range pH wise. Also of note is purchase/use off-brand bleach as it's a stronger & I believe purer clorine product than Clorox, Purex, etc.

I'm with others, quit fermenting in the closet and move it somewhere. Also as stated by GSB, are you bottling the bier? If not you may be wasting a lot lot lot of money. I think I've read the whole thread and haven't seen anyone suggest taking some samples to a HB club meeting &/or your local HB shop. You can get informed feedback from these sources.

Schlante & Good Luck,
Phillip

Ps Brewing should be fun not frustrating.

 

[Slurm]

ABSOLUTELY ADD 1-1.5 TABLESPOONS OF VINEGAR TO THE BLEACH SOLUTION. This makes sure the bleach is in it's optimum cleaning range pH wise.

While it is true that lowering the PH with vinegar will increase the oxidizing power of the bleach (by producing more hypochlorous acid) it also produces chlorine gas -which will burn your eyes, throat, etc and can in fact kill you. If you do this, make sure you are in a well ventilated area, and that there aren't any children or pets around.

Don't take my word for it: http://chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/a/Mixing-Bleach-And-Vinegar.htm

 

[VegasBrew]

I had a similar problem when I started. Couldn`t make an extract kit to save my ass. I bleached all my plastics, switched to AG full boils and moved out of the kitchen to the garage, problem solved. I really think it was something in my air vents. We have a great room with the living room, dining room and kitchen all together and there is a vent right over where i would work. I suggest as others have, bleach EVERYTHING and either move outside or at least turn off you AC/Heat anytime your wort is exposed. An extra measure if sanitation is to lay down tin foil on your work surfaces and spray with starsan.

VB

 

[VegasBrew]

While it is true that lowering the PH with vinegar will increase the oxidizing power of the bleach (by producing more hypochlorous acid) it also produces chlorine gas -which will burn your eyes, throat, etc and can in fact kill you.

It is called Mustard Gas, yeah, the stuff they used in WWI

VB

 

[theredben]

It sounds like your sanitation practices are spot on. Why do you suspect an infection? Pictures?

 

[MVKTR2]

While it is true that lowering the PH with vinegar will increase the oxidizing power of the bleach (by producing more hypochlorous acid) it also produces chlorine gas -which will burn your eyes, throat, etc and can in fact kill you.

Only if you're dumb enough or ill-informed enough to dump the vinegar directly into the bleach! In 5-6 gals of water it won't make a hill of beans. This comes from the owner of StarSan who worked as a chemist for Clorox for a decade or so before going off on his own.

Schlante,
Phillip

Ps I like to mix bleach and brake fluid in my spare time... thinking about playing around with pool supplies too!:fro:

Pps Disclaimer: don't mix the bleach and vinegar... for that matter don't mix bleach and anything. Fill the receptacle with water then add the bleach and vinegar, you will have no problems! You'll get more chlorine gas off of dumping bleach into really hot water than you will with this which produces none.

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

Hell Yeah!! Muratic and Bleach makes some nice fumes!! They smell nice to and make my lungs feel good inside...

 

[MVKTR2]

FYI here's my source for this. http://hw.libsyn.com/p/3/9/0/390da96899933961/bbr03-29-07.mp3?sid=cc2ee77aac17d16a828312b907cb86e2&l_sid=18257&l_eid=&l_mid=1511169

Pick it up at the 17 min mark and the specific bleach/vinegar info is at 19:45.

It's really good info referencing needing a pH of 5 for optimum cleansing power, etc.

Schlante,
Phillip

 

[tubz]

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm going to replace all of my plastic and brew and ferment my next batch in the garage with my buddy's turkey fryer to see if anything changes.

As for the questions about my temps.. the whole reason I ferment in the closet is because it holds a steady 60-62 degrees in there constantly. I check the temp 3 to 4 times a day just to make sure.

Hopefully we can get this cleared up.

 

[fretsforlife]

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm going to replace all of my plastic and brew and ferment my next batch in the garage with my buddy's turkey fryer to see if anything changes.

As for the questions about my temps.. the whole reason I ferment in the closet is because it holds a steady 60-62 degrees in there constantly. I check the temp 3 to 4 times a day just to make sure.

Hopefully we can get this cleared up.

After you replace all the plastic, never use anything abrasive when cleaning.. use a soft wash cloth or something like that. No scrubbies or stainless steel, or anything that might put even the smallest surface scratches in it.

 

[fretsforlife]

By the way, you have got to be the most determined home brewer I've ever heard of. If I brewed 10 consecutive batches that I had to dump, I would have set all my gear on fire long ago. Maybe even my house too! My hats off to you for sticking with it no matter what. I think new plastic, and a nice rolling boil from the turkey fryer should take care of you problem. Good luck man! :-D

 

[Jakeedaman21]

The big question I have is, what temp are you fermenting at? All my beers tasted the same (i.e. not really that great) until I started keeping the temps 68F or less. A simple swamp-cooler setup could change your whole world!

+1 I had the same issue before I got temp under control

 

[StMarcos]

I wonder if the mash pH is off because of the 'unknown' minerals in the water. Too high or too low can make a beer pretty gross.

I second the idea to use dry yeast for a bit, too.

 

[SwampassJ]

What temps is the room the fermenter sit in? Add as much as 5-10(for crazy active ferment) to the temperature of the room for the beer. What yeast are you using? I hate nottingham, it has always left a tongue sucking dryness for me.