Quitting brewing

[surfbrewer]

I agree. Depending on the strain of yeast, that 73 degrees is probably one of your biggest problems and may be a relatively easy fix. Good luck.

Cheers

 

[McCall St. Brewer]

I haven't read all the replies here, so please shoot me if I have repeated what 20 other people have said, but two things struck me in the original post. First, with a problem like that, I wouldn't rely on Starsan. I would sterilize everything that can be boiled. Everything else I would use a bleach solution on.

Second, you mention that you have "one starter left." Couldn't that be your problem there? Throw that sucker out and buy some new yeast.

Good luck with your brewing! Things will get better. Don't give up now.

RDWHAHB

 

[rohanski]

I taste the starters and they are good. Just got back from WalMart with water. Filled the primary carboy with a strong bleach solution. I took it out in the sun and had a good look at it and it did have a light residue inside even after oxiclean and starsan. I think I might be on to it now.

 

[krispy d]

Ok,

first throw away every bit of tubing you own. siphon lines racking canes, bottling wands, everything. Replacing these parts will cost well less than $50.00 and is worth it every once in a while. Second try a simple all extract batch with a very aggressive yeast like a heff. Third invest in a 99 cent spray mister bottle from wal mart and fill it up with an iodopher solution or other no rinse sanitizer. Buy spring water from the store, pre-sanitize everything you need to brew, and bring it all outside. Do the entire batch outside and bring the CLOSED fermenter into the house. If your batch is still infected you are cursed...

 

[rohanski]

The only thing the cool wort touches is a funnel, aeriator which I boiled, new tubing, and the carboy. They usually don't make it out of the primary good. I have tried hefe and the same problem there.
Good news. I just kegged the second batch out of ten that was good. Whew! It's in the fridge now.

 

[user 574]

... In this case, I'd recommend getting to the simplest of scenarios. Use some hot mild bleach solution to clean everything (I use bleach)...put together a simple recipe...do a full boil...chill your wort as quickly as you can..and pitch a dry ( nottingham) yeast.

Get back to basics.

+1 on what BM states here on full boil and nottingham dry yeast. All my bad batches or substandard brews to the best of my knowledge have been yeast (re-using too much) or too high of a temp during ferment.

I know you mentioned AG and that'd be great but I think you should tackle this 1st. No sense adding 2+ hours to the process to make more bad beer.

 

[rohanski]

That's for sure.

 

[bull]

do you have an air conditioning vent in your kitchen ,if so turn off the air till you get through and the beer in safley in the fermentor,try cooling wort with an ice bath with the lid on your kettle,dont breath directly at or over your brew kettle ,dont sneeze in the area of your wort and by all means never set down the spoon your stiring your wort with .damn dude regroup.chill out go and buy a store bought beer and drink ,now after tasting that crapy store bought beer ya think you could give it another try ,never give up ,lmao.

 

[PenPen]

I recently got over a string (well, two) of infected batches in a row. Finally, I discovered a ring of black in my siphon hose (some kind of infection) right after the hose clamp. In both cases, I had this kind of sweet but funky smell that was the same in both batches that overpowered the flavor of the beer. With the first infection, I noticed some black cloudiness on the top of the brew in the secondary. The second was a porter, so didn't see anything suspect. I replaced the siphon hoses and sanitized the cane, starting using yeast starters and have had three infection-free batches since.

And for what it's worth, i've always used one-step as a sanitizer and 1 gallon spring water jugs from the grocer for my brewing water.

 

[JnJ]

I feel your pain, I'm going through about the same thing.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42163

Some of you recent posters need to go back and read the thread. You are saying things that have already been covered......

 

[rohanski]

OK guys I ran another batch yesterday. I used bottled water, boiled it inside and took it directly outside to cool with an EC, aeriated and & pitched the yeast all outside. The starter tasted good. Now I'm a little scared. It cranked up within 10 hours but I'm getting that grassy smell again. I never noticed this in the past when I was getting good batches. One other thing I noticed is that the only two batches that were good were a lighter beer with only 1 oz. of hops. Any thoughts?

 

[mew]

John Palmer on Grassy Off-flavors:
Grassy
Flavors reminiscent of chlorophyll and fresh cut grass occasionally occur and are most often linked to poorly stored ingredients. Poorly stored malt can pick up moisture and develop musty smells. Aldehydes can form in old malt and can contribute green grass flavors. Hops are another source of these green flavors. If the hops are poorly stored or not properly dried prior to storage, the chlorophyll compounds will become evident in the beer.


Where are you getting your ingredients?

 

[rohanski]

San Antonio HBS. Could these ingredients cause a problem such as infections even if they are oiled?

Just threw out the last batch (#10) really foul! Pumpkin orange, extreemely sweet.
The tastes keep varying. I don't know how to describe it.

 

[JnJ]

I think we have the same problem. I hope one of us figure it out.

 

[rohanski]

Do you dump the bad beer outside? If so is it on the South side of your house?
I do this and I'm starting to wonder if that might be keeping it going.
Where is Topperwein?

 

[srm775]

OK guys I ran another batch yesterday. I used bottled water, boiled it inside and took it directly outside to cool with an EC, aeriated and & pitched the yeast all outside. The starter tasted good. Now I'm a little scared. It cranked up within 10 hours but I'm getting that grassy smell again. I never noticed this in the past when I was getting good batches. One other thing I noticed is that the only two batches that were good were a lighter beer with only 1 oz. of hops. Any thoughts?

What hops are you using? I've noticed that certain hops give more of a grassy taste/aroma then others as they're supposed to do. Perhaps you're using a hop that isn't exactly right for the beer.

 

[rohanski]

I can't remember off hand but I have made it many times in the past and it never seemed to do this. Every time I get this smell in the primary it has been bad. Of course everything has been bad lately.

 

[JnJ]

Do you dump the bad beer outside? If so is it on the South side of your house?
I do this and I'm starting to wonder if that might be keeping it going.
Where is Topperwein?

No, I pour it in the toilet or down the sink drain. I am in San Antonio.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

That seems a little too coincidental that you're both in the SA area and having the same problems.

 

[rohanski]

Do you buy from San Antonio Homebrew Supply?

 

[JnJ]

Do you buy from San Antonio Homebrew Supply?

No, all my ingredients have come from either Austin Homebrewing Supply or More Beer.
My wife (hates beer) smelled my batch yesterday and said it smell like apple cider. I think my problem might be aceto bacteria. I have the ingredients for a 5 gal batch of Irish Red Ale. I plan to do two 2.5 gal batches with this. One will be in glass using bottled water, the other will be in glass using tap water. If the one with bottle water is good and the other is bad, that will confirm the water. if they both are good, that will confirm contaminated plasitc fermenters. If neither turn out good, then it may be my sanitizer or I may just have to quit the hobby. It is getting really fustrating and I hate to spend any more $ just to throw it away...

 

[rohanski]

I hate deer too when they run into my truck.

Maybee this cold front blowing through will clear the air.
Has anyone in San Antonio had unusal infection problems. Maybee this should be another thread. I'll start it.

 

[kvh]

Someone a while back finally beat a long string of infections by soaking his fermenter in a bleach solution for a few days, then rinsing with water, then star san. His theory, which was apparently proved correct, was that the scratches in the buckets were harboring the bacteria - the bleach killed that, and then the water star san eventually got rid of the rid of the bleach. At this point, new fermenters are probably in order anyway.

kvh

 

[JnJ]

I hate beer too when they run into my truck.

Maybee this cold front blowing through will clear the air.
Has anyone in San Antonio had unusal infection problems. Maybee this should be another thread. I'll start it.

Opps, fixed that.

 

[Cheesefood]

Someone a while back finally beat a long string of infections by soaking his fermenter in a bleach solution for a few days, then rinsing with water, then star san. His theory, which was apparently proved correct, was that the scratches in the buckets were harboring the bacteria - the bleach killed that, and then the water star san eventually got rid of the rid of the bleach. At this point, new fermenters are probably in order anyway.

kvh

The easy way to fix that is to only use your buckets for beer and never put anything abrasive in them. You don't need to scrub them, just a little oxyclean and a soft sponge prior to sanitizing.

Treat your bucket like your ears.

 

[JnJ]

The easy way to fix that is to only use your buckets for beer and never put anything abrasive in them. You don't need to scrub them, just a little oxyclean and a soft sponge prior to sanitizing.

Treat your bucket like your ears.

Don't put anything smaller than my elbow in them?

 

[Philip1993]

This is going to sound really demeaning, but please understand that I am not trying to talk down to anyone. I'm only trying to observe and offer feedback/help. That said;

I don't doubt you've are having some issued, but are you sure they are all actually infected? Is it possible that a few bad batches and a lot of frustration is just messing with your head? I say that because the symptoms you are reporting are all over the board (see below). Bandaid, grass, sour, sweet, aceto. That describes a number of different things, some of which are microbic, some procedural, and some just weird fermentation smells.

At this point, I think you need another set of senses to help you unravel this. I'd recommend finding someone close and make arrangements to work together. If that's impossible, I'd start bottling the mistakes and sending them to HBT members for opinions. I'm no expert, but I'd be happy to look at anything you want to send.


> I am 95% sure is bad. It smells like the last really bad one

> Smells like bandaids

> My wife (hates beer) smelled my batch yesterday and said it smell like apple
> cider. I think my problem might be aceto bacteria.

> It appears to be brett and pedio

> I'm getting that grassy smell again.

> Pumpkin orange, extreemely sweet

> pumpkin orange, tastes sour and had the bandaid flavor

 

[JnJ]

This is going to sound really demeaning, but please understand that I am not trying to talk down to anyone. I'm only trying to observe and offer feedback/help. That said;

I don't doubt you've are having some issued, but are you sure they are all actually infected? Is it possible that a few bad batches and a lot of frustration is just messing with your head? I say that because the symptoms you are reporting are all over the board (see below). Bandaid, grass, sour, sweet, aceto. That describes a number of different things, some of which are microbic, some procedural, and some just weird fermentation smells.

At this point, I think you need another set of senses to help you unravel this. I'd recommend finding someone close and make arrangements to work together. If that's impossible, I'd start bottling the mistakes and sending them to HBT members for opinions. I'm no expert, but I'd be happy to look at anything you want to send.


> I am 95% sure is bad. It smells like the last really bad one

> Smells like bandaids

> My wife (hates beer) smelled my batch yesterday and said it smell like apple
> cider. I think my problem might be aceto bacteria.

> It appears to be brett and pedio

> I'm getting that grassy smell again.

> Pumpkin orange, extreemely sweet

> pumpkin orange, tastes sour and had the bandaid flavor

Remember, you grouped together what 2 different people are finding, no one claimed all that...........

 

[rohanski]

pldoolittle:

I do appreciate the input and definately no offense taken.
The cider one was another homebrewer here in san antonio having a bunch of infection problems. Unfortunately here in south texas the weather is humid and there is a bunch of stuff floating around in the air. This year we have has record rainfall and it is quite a bit worse. I have read symptoms and tastes of the different infections and it seems at times I have everything available including some extras. It is quite possible it is wild yeasts but I don't know. All I know is the beer is extreeeemly bad both taste and smell.
On a brighter note the last batch that I said had a grassy smell is mellowing out now and is actually starting to smell like real beer. I went to a lot of extra effort to sanatize the carboy's this time and hoping it pays off. I also switched water sources.

 

[Philip1993]

Remember, you grouped together what 2 different people are finding, no one claimed all that...........

My bad. I see that now...