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Hi guys, really big thanks for the support here; just a really quick clarification; not trying to correct anybody or anything.

For the drinkable batch; which was the 2nd batch; the wort was fermented from Sunday to Saturday; which was approximately 6.5 days worth of fermentation. Following that was 1 week of carbonation before opening to drink. Subsequent batches took 3-4 days to turn really vinegary sour. I am not too sure with the water here in Singapore as we drink it from the tap; and I do know of some craft brewers (read from blogs and such) that they use chilled boiled tap water to top up and cool off their wort.

However, I am now narrowing the infection source to be from the fermenter itself. This is because the in the first batch, I left the wort to cool for too long (4 hour plus minus to be specific) and I believe the infection could have started from there. Also, recently, after washing the fermenter, with 24 hours of bleaching solution, rinsing and spraying with Starsan, I forgot to remove the lid off the fermenter to allow evaporation. As such, the Starsan solution could not evaporate and remained in the fermenter. That same liquid turned milky today and smelt slightly reminiscent of the failed batches of beer previously. I smelled my Starsan sprayer and it does not look milky nor did it have a sour smell to it.

As such, I would like to ask the good community of homebrewtalk.com if my problem really did come from the fermenter. If so, how do I get rid of that infection? I also have a spigot but I cannot break it down, hence all I can do is to submerge the spigot into a pail of bleached water; and then spray with Starsan again. I only fear that it is not enough. May I humbly ask you guys if there's any way to save the fermenter without buying a new one?

If you need to know, my fermenter is the Coopers 'new' fermentor, with a krausen collar and a spigot that can be detached from it.

Thank so much for the support guys!
 
Hey andy6026 and nealperkins,

I not sure if you guys are notified of the replies so here is my attempt at notification
 
The StarSan turning milky doesn't mean your fermenter is harboring an infection.

I'm still not convinced infection is your problem. It may be. It may not be. It may be part of a multiple-issue ordeal. The way to get to the bottom of it is to be methodical in your approach. Make a simple brew with new yeast and don't take samples until it has had a couple weeks to sit in the fermenter. You could also make a small batch in a one gallon glass wine jug at the same time, and see if that batch takes on the same flavor. If the bigger batch is the only one that tastes off, you are beginning to hone in on the problem. If they both taste the same, you know the issue isn't the fermenter.

If both batches taste fine, you are back to the yeast being the likely source of contamination. You can keep testing, changing one variable at a time, or you can move ahead with whatever new process first produces a beer without the flavors you are working to avoid.

If you take a sample on day 4 (don't!), it won't taste like the beer it wants to become. Resist the temptation. And for the love of everything holy, don't deem the beer an infected loss if for some reason your will power fails you and you taste the beer early! :D
 
Hey guys,

I am back brewing another batch; but as I am short on cash, I was unable to buy a cooling system for beer fermentation. As such, my brew is currently fermenting at ambient temperature; which is approximately 30-32 deg.C. (Yes it is that hot here in Singapore.)

Based on your experience, how long would it take for my brew to complete fermentation?

Thanks a lot guys!
 
Probably not as long as it should take.
What yeast are you using?

You can cool things down a little by using a swamp cooler... cloth draped over the fermenter and kept wet, the evaporation cools the fermenter. A fan helps.
 
Hi Pkrd!

I am using Safbrew WB-06. Yeah i have applied the suggestions, but it still stays are the same temperature. Yeah its that hot here in Singapore. Any rough gauges of fermentation time period to suggest? Just curious as I just don't want to over ferment it. Doing that tends to make the brew turn sour and cause autolysis in the yeast cells.
 
Hi Pkrd!

Hmm I have tried looking for more warm fermenting yeast strains, but here its rather limited. I suppose the best bet I could do is to save up for a cooling system as a solution then.
 
Hi Pkrd!

Hmm I have tried looking for more warm fermenting yeast strains, but here its rather limited. I suppose the best bet I could do is to save up for a cooling system as a solution then.
 
Hi Pkrd!

Thanks for the advice! I will try to save up for a cooling system then!
 
Hi Pkrd!

Thanks for the advice! I will try to save up for a cooling system then in that case!
 

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