Quitting brewing

[Philip1993]

It cranked up within 10 hours but I'm getting that grassy smell again.

I said had a grassy smell is mellowing out now and is actually starting to smell like real beer.

I hope it was helpful. I know that a loosing streak can get into your head, and I just wanted to remind you not to let that prejudice your analysis of the actual problem. For example, in the two snips above, you can clearly read the difference in your tone. The first is very "here we go again" while the second is clearly optimistic. Same beer, just two days later...

 

[rohanski]

I know I don't sound optomistic but it's hard after so many bad batches as I am sure JNJ cad attest to. It has become so bad that I am asking myself why am I going through all of the trouble for another bad one. I want to switch to all grain but not until I solve this. I built a 3,800 sf two story house with just the help of my father. It took 3 years slab and all, so I don't give up easy.

 

[JnJ]

I know I don't sound optomistic but it's hard after so many bad batches as I am sure JNJ cad attest to. It has become so bad that I am asking myself why am I going through all of the trouble for another bad one. I want to switch to all grain but not until I solve this. I built a 3,800 sf two story house with just the help of my father. It took 3 years slab and all, so I don't give up easy.

Exactly my feelings, I've done PM and am ready to move to AG, but if this keeps up I;ll just buy beer......

 

[rohanski]

Noooooooooooooooooo! Help bring us back from the dark side.

 

[mew]

Instead of sanitizing you could try sterilizing. That is, with bleach, water and a little vinegar. DON'T ADD VINEGAR DIRECTLY TO BLEACH! I'm sure you know this, but I had to say it. look at www.basicbrewing.com for information about how to use bleach, water, and vinegar as a sterilizer. This is my advice: Get another brewer to help you out, sterilize, and directly pitch two packets of dry yeast. If this doesn't work, I just don't know what to say... Oh, and small batches would facilitate the learning process.

 

[Yooper]

Instead of sanitizing you could try sterilizing. That is, with bleach, water and a little vinegar. DON'T ADD VINEGAR DIRECTLY TO BLEACH! I'm sure you know this, but I had to say it. look at www.basicbrewing.com for information about how to use bleach, water, and vinegar as a sterilizer. This is my advice: Get another brewer to help you out, sterilize, and directly pitch two packets of dry yeast. If this doesn't work, I just don't know what to say... Oh, and small batches would facilitate the learning process.

The only way to truly sterilize would be with an autoclave. We don't have to worry about sterile, sanitary is fine. Bleach is not a good sanitizer for brewing, because of the chance of off-flavors.

I'm sure you'll be able to get to the bottom of this and correct whatever this issue is.

 

[rohanski]

Hell If I could get an off flavor of bleach I would be ecstatic.
I'm meeting up with JNJ this Thursday to compare notes. I hope to post a thread after the big POWOW and report something posative. We are going to try each other's bad beer. What? We're having a bad beer party. Anyone interested?

 

[Soulive]

I'm taking a break from brewing for other reasons. I would say in regards to your situation, I'd definitely stick with it. My reasons are financial and priorities changing. Infection would never stop me! :rockin:

 

[bigben]

You started a huge thread for someone that is quitting

If i was you, Id just get a new bucket for a primary and try that....no secondary.

 

[rohanski]

I didn't know it would get this far but probably 1/3 of it is mine. You guys keep me going. I have used glass for at least 8 months now because I had problems with plastic in the past. So I thought.

 

[Eastside Brewer]

Rohanski, thank you for starting this thread. I have been all grain brewing for about 2 years and have loved it, although i poured out my fair share of bad brews. January of this year I purchased a sculpture and moved up to 10 gallon batches. I had 5 successful brews until I did a 5 gallon batch of a mexican lager. Damn, it had a definite rubbery aftertaste, not like bandaid but like rubber band, almost medicinal. I had to pour it out and that had me dicouraged! So I immediately went to my house IPA to recover. Everything went great, 1st sample before pitch tasted great. Put it in the stainless fermenter for 16 days, crash cooled and pulled another sample. Damn, same rubbery aftertaste! I had a friend taste it to make sure I wasn't just going crazy, I had to pour it out this morning! Ouch, 10 gallons down the drain . Now I'm really getting worried, although I'm not going to quit.

My feeling is, it is going into the fermenter tasting and smelling good, but after 2 weeks it is really bad. I ferment in a fridge with Ranko controller, I have a 15.5 converted keg for a fermenter. I use PBW, and the starsan, although I may have just PBWed and forgot to starsan. Could PBW give off flavors like rubber bands or is it another infection? I have wriien down a cleaning regiment and plan a major cleaning this week, with the idea of brewing on the weekend. I hope it goes well. Any input on the above info would be greatly appreciated!

Eastside

 

[rohanski]

Join the flock brother and we will see the light.
Just a thought. After going through all of this it seems that most people never have a problem but when you do get one it can be bad. My thought is that occasionally some big hearted homebrewer start a thread on sanitation for all of the new guys and experienced also. It's kinda like defensive driving. You know how to be safe but you need reminding. Plus some people might have new tips on sanitizing.

 

[bigben]

Hey, maybe you should just try a different sanitizer. Forgive me if it has already been mentioned( didn't read the entire thread).

But maybe you can't get rid of this thing because it has built a tolerance for whatever sanitizer you are using. Maybe switch to Iodophor or something for a batch.

 

[rohanski]

If you are talking to me I just started using starsan. It seemed to act like food for the infection.

 

[bigben]

If you are talking to me I just started using starsan. It seemed to act like food for the infection.

I was.

And in that case...I guess switch back

Is it possible that this is a wild yeast or something? Maybe thats why starsan made it 'worse'...doesn't it provide nutrients to yeast or something...

I dont know, Im just thinking out loud

 

[rohanski]

Hmmm. That's a thought. This area is loaded with molds and pollen. Before I was just using one step which I found out later is like having sex without a condom.

 

[shafferpilot]

hmmm. tolerant strain of yuck is a good guess. Then when you're sanitizing your actually clearing the field to make even more room for that one remaining bug. Perhaps replace anything that might be etched like plastic buckets, tubes etc. Any glass could be soaked in a heavy handed bleach mixture for a few days. clean and sanitize stainless and if you can get it in your dishwasher, run it through a couple heated drying cycles (can you soak SS in bleach? I don't think ya can, but I'm not sure). Have you been using different yeasts? I'm sure it doesn't happen often, but theoretically the yeast itself could be infected. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for all the 'sick' breweries

 

[mew]

Before I was just using one step which I found out later is like having sex without a condom.

Please explain.

 

[LS_Grimmy]

Howdy,

This might seem a little different but what do you use to fill up your airlocks? It is possible that some of that liquid can get sucked in your carboy especially when you first transfer it into the primary.

I'm just bringing that up because that is how I lost my first and only batch to infection. I moved the carboy (Secondary) to get ready to bottle and for some odd reason I managed to get some of that water sucked into my carboy which had cat hair in it... hence the infection. I don't think that would happen that many times though.

Now I moved my brewing to a different area in my house away from any cats. Before I was in the basement I had my litter box, and my general rule was if I could smell the box then doing any homebrew in the area was out of the question. Usually the day before I went down and swept, mopped, opened windows, and cleaned the litter box the day before.

Anyway sorry to hear about your bad luck. Hope it works out for you...
LS_Grimmy

 

[rohanski]

mew,

I don't know who said it a couple of weeks ago but it seems that one step is not a sanitizer but just a cleaner not a sanitizer.

 

[Eastside Brewer]

Okay today is the day, I am going postal on my Brewery as far as cleaning goes, I already have the recipe, I'm picking up my ingredients on Friday, and I'm brewing on Saturday! I will keep you posted on the results. Wish me luck!

Eastside........

 

[rohanski]

The force be with you eastside. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Yooper]

mew,

I don't know who said it a couple of weeks ago but it seems that one step is not a sanitizer but just a cleaner not a sanitizer.

True, sort of. To be considered a sanitizer, it must go through some government testing, etc.

It IS an effective sanitizer, but is listed as a cleaner. This is because of some regulations, not because it's not as an effective sanitizer. I use it for all my winemaking and much of my beer making. I use it for bottles, especially. Never had an off-flavor or infection in many, many, many batches of beer, wine, cider, and mead. It works very well.

 

[rohanski]

Damn I'm jellous of you guys that can include the quote in the reply. My button no workey. Any of you techies have an answers to this problem.

 

[bigben]

Damn I'm jellous of you guys that can include the quote in the reply. My button no workey. Any of you techies have an answers to this problem.

Are you at work? Maybe the firewall is blocking the javascript.

If you can get the button to work just use the quote tags...

[quote="USERNAME YOU ARE QUOTING"] PASTE TEXT HERE [/quote]

 

[bigben]

Well that didn't work...

Basically the code is like this...except spell QUOTE

[QOUTE="person you are quoting"]
Paste text here
[/QOUTE]

 

[dinks]

Dont give up. Seems like your doing everything right so you might want to take your self out of the equation.

Get a few of these and wear them during your next brew.

 

[rohanski]

It does it at home also.

 

[Philip1993]

It does it at home also.

Well, as the prev poster said, do it manually. I do it all the time for edits. Your quote above would be typed/copied as follows

{QUOTE=rohanski}It does it at home also.{/QUOTE}

except replace {} with []

 

[rohanski]

Well, as the prev poster said, do it manually. I do it all the time for edits. Your quote above would be typed/copied as follows

Let's see if this works.