Sour Flavor/Cloudy Beer in last two batches - Help!

[hufcat05]

Hello everyone!

I'm pretty new to all grain brewing, but I just kegged my 4th full all grain batch today, tasted it, and darnit it was sour again!

I'd like to ask everyone what I could possibly be doing wrong and perhaps get a sanity check on what I think the problem is.

I think the problem is my Fast Ferment being too old? I've heard that over time they can degrade and bacteria can hide in tiny cracks that your sanitizer will never reach. Should I just buy a new one?

My second to last batch was an All Grain Cream Ale (My first ever beer to come out sour and cloudy), I made a couple mistakes with this one. I definitely dropped the ball on correctly sanitizing stuff because I was in a rush, I quickly went through my steps and probably contaminated my immersion chiller (this sits in the beer throughout fermentation to maintain temperature). I figured since I was dumping two smack packs in, it would be fine. At one point I also noticed the airlock water had completely evaporated and was sitting empty for a while. I admit, I definitely messed this batch up, but I don't mind sour beers so it was drank nonetheless!

My last batch, an All Grain Munich Helles Lager, I was extra extra careful with sanitizing, double checked everything, made sure absolutely everything was in the right place, bought two smack packs, and went to town on it. Like an idiot I let the airlock evaporate completely again... le sigh. I had the beer in a lager state for ~4.5 weeks. Just kegged it and it was cloudy and sour again!

It's clear this is an infection, but I'm not sure what's wrong with my process after my last batch? Is it my fermentor? It's a plastic conical that's about 2.5 years old, and it's seen a lot of use.

I've heard of houses becoming infected with aggressive bacterias, my wife did just bring a Scoby for her Kombucha into the house.... I'm just not sure what's wrong and I'm really disappointed because I was looking forward to my quarantine beer.

I could try doing a no boil kit just to see if it's the fermenter?

Help is appreciated.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Proper cleaning is the single most important part of preventing contamination. Disassemble things. Soak in PBW or other percarbonate-based cleanser.

After that, proper use of a no-rinse sanitizer.

I really doubt that the fermenter itself is the problem (unless you've cleaning it with something abrasive).

I don't see how a "no-boil" would be helpful -- that's going the wrong way with regard to sanitation.

Every single person who has ever lived and ever will live has continuously had innumerable amounts of wild microbes in his home and brewery. Kombucha definitely isn't the problem.

How long are you leaving the beer in the fermenter that the airlock dries out? For best results it should be packaged around the time it finishes fermenting. Cold conditioning can be done in the keg.

 

[hufcat05]

I agree, I'm just trying to find the source of my infection because this last batch I went full paranoid and cleaned everything using Iodophor.

My typical fermentation process for my Ales is 2 weeks at 65-58 degrees, 1 week at 72 degrees, then keg and slow carb over 1 week.

My typical fermentation process for my Lager is 2 weeks at 55 degrees, 1 week at 72 degrees, then down into the 50's again for a "traditional lagering" for between 2-4 weeks as I'm trying to see if different times in the lagering phase makes a difference. This one in particular went 4.5 weeks. Then keg and slow carb over 1 week.

My airlock dries out quickly due to the airflow directly next to it from the immersion chiller/heater. I just got forgetful... twice... and it dried out, but I do know that both times primary fermentation had ceased before it went dry.

Both beers came directly out of the fermenter with a sour taste, the sour taste was not present in the wort.

The entire setup stays completely sealed throughout the process, I have a bluetooth hyrdometer for monitoring, an immersion chiller/heater for temp control. The only time I open it is to remove sediment from the collection ball. I sanitize the collection ball, shoot some Co2 into it, then reattach and open the valve.

I could try keg conditioning for lagering I suppose.

 

[RPh_Guy]

cleaned everything using Iodophor.

Iodophor is a sanitizer, not a cleanser, so that did not help.

Packaging beer sooner rather than later is helpful not only for oxidation, but for preventing contamination -- because it takes time for biofilms to form.

 

[hufcat05]

I'll pull the whole thing apart I guess and give it a super clean with pbw, it's just a pain with the plumbers tape, took me forever to stop up all the leaks in this thing...

 

[hufcat05]

Iodophor is a sanitizer, not a cleanser, so that did not help.

Packaging beer sooner rather than later is helpful not only for oxidation, but for preventing contamination -- because it takes time for biofilms to form.

Also I should say, I do a full soap and water clean with the soft side of a sponge after every fermentation, figured that would be enough.

 

[RPh_Guy]

it's just a pain with the plumbers tape, took me forever to stop up all the leaks in this thing...

That may be part of the problem.

If you're looking for a new fermenter, I highly recommend a Fermonster. The spigot is easy to remove for cleaning and sanitation.

Also I should say, I do a full soap and water clean with the soft side of a sponge after every fermentation, figured that would be enough.

It's not, as we can see, unfortunately.