Suspected Lacto Infection - Need Some Advice

[kraypd]

I've had several consecutive batches of Hefe's that have gone distinctly sour on me. They start out tasting good but within a few weeks turn very sour tasting and have a sour smell. I am not an expert but the taste and smell makes me strongly suspect a lacto infection somewhere in my system. I don't see any growth that would look like some of the nasty photos that have seen posted that would indicate an infection but can't explain this otherwise.

One batch ago I took some easy, low cost steps and addressed the following items:

* Replaced Auto-Siphon and Tubing
* Replaced Blow off Tubing
* Autoclaved Carboy Bung
* Autoclaved Stir Bar and Erlenmeyer Flask
* Autoclaved all Metal Keg parts - except liquid tube.
* Baked Keg liquid tube per Palmers' book on sanitizing through baking.
* Replaced all keg O-rings.

The only thing I didn't replace is my Better Bottle (I was trying the to hit all of the lower priced items).

I use Iodiphor for sanitizing and always wash throughly with Oxiclean Free.

I still have gotten a very sour batch after this effort and am looking to repeat this process with the addition of the replacement of the Better Bottle.

Curious to hear if others have had infections linked to the Better Bottle Carboy that matches my experiences.

 

[Double_D]

I don't understand how you could have a lacto infection without getting a pellicle. Are you going to the bottle relatively quickly? Better bottles are plastic right? I would imagine that's your problem.

 

[Dunerunner]

Acetobaker would be my guess. Any chance you inadvertantly oxigenated your beer? What yeast are you using?

 

[kraypd]

Two batches were WLP300 and one batch was using WY3068 which I believe is the Wyeast from the same W68 mother strain.

The primary time is 2 weeks at 63F and then straight into the keg/bottle so I am not sure if there was enough time for the infection to show itself.

I kegged two batches but on the last batch I kegged half and bottled half. I purge the keg with Co2 and vent three times prior to transferring to avoid oxygenating the beer. Transfer is done with a 1/2 inch auto-siphon without splashing. For the bottled samples, I primed with first wort runnings from the mash tun that were sterilized in my pressure cooker for 20 minutes in mason jars and then stored at 63F. The bottling bucket was brand new.

Yes the better bottles are plastic.

Rather than just toss the Better Bottle - should I clean it, sanitize it and throw some starter wort in their with an airlock at 80F and see what grows to prove out the theory?

 

[Double_D]

I'd say that sounds like the last thing to eliminate.