Three Straight Bottle Infections

[balrog]

This is alarmist, and while technically true, shouldn't be an issue under normal brewing conditions. If you leave your wort out for several days after the boil before pitching and sealing it up, then yes, this it's possible to pick up contaminants and have them gain a foothold. But if you're boiling, transferring, and then aerating/pitching right away, it won't be a problem.

If the carboy, or if you're using a plastic funnel that isn't clean and sanitary, that's more likely your issue if it sticks around.

I would look to your bottling bucket spigot. You need to take it apart fully and clean it every single time. There's lots of little nooks and crannies inside that spigot where bugs can hide, and if a speck of wort or beer remains after you rinse it out when you're done, then the bad guys can grow in there.

Also, are you cleaning before you sanitize? Cleaning and sanitizing are not the same thing, and Star-San is a sanitizer, not a cleaner. If there's any soil whatsoever in your equipment (even if you can't see it), then Star-San will not be effective.

^ This +1. There are too many who use plastic and similar process without issue -- my simple scientist brain says if it were bad process, more folks would be suffering. Therefore I second the cleaning/sanitizing. Clean after using. Clean before using. Sanitize before and during using (StarSan sanitizes only while wet, if it dries, it isn't sanitizing). Bottle trees (if used), spigots, spoons, everything must be cleaned and sanitized.

 

[Brew_G]

^ This +1. There are too many who use plastic and similar process without issue -- my simple scientist brain says if it were bad process, more folks would be suffering. Therefore I second the cleaning/sanitizing. Clean after using. Clean before using. Sanitize before and during using (StarSan sanitizes only while wet, if it dries, it isn't sanitizing). Bottle trees (if used), spigots, spoons, everything must be cleaned and sanitized.

Definitely a lesson learned when I saw that crud in the tip of the bottling wand...as it was when I saw all that vodka being sucked back into my carboy during my recent cold crash!

 

[balrog]

3pc airlock will suck back until the level reaches the slots on the device, that's why it seems to go only so far. It won't completely empty. THe "S" shaped airlocks are better as they won't suck the liquid back, and I suppose you don't have to worry about airborne infections on suckback because, again, folks have been doing it for decades and if it didn't work, they wouldn't still be doing it that way.

 

[Brew_G]

3pc airlock will suck back until the level reaches the slots on the device, that's why it seems to go only so far. It won't completely empty. THe "S" shaped airlocks are better as they won't suck the liquid back, and I suppose you don't have to worry about airborne infections on suckback because, again, folks have been doing it for decades and if it didn't work, they wouldn't still be doing it that way.

Good info - didn't know that. Thanks!

 

[Brew_G]

Just a follow up to the issues that inspired this thread:

The American Wheat - the first beer that I bottled with the new bottling setup - hasn't shown any signs of infection. It was a little overcarbed, but that was my mistake, as I ended with a little less beer than expected and overprimed. It's a beer that's coming into its own - not too hoppy, but clear and crisp.

The second batch with the new gear was what I call my Half Nelson IPA (half Nelson Sauvin and half Centennial/Cascade) - that was bottled two weeks ago. At the 8-day mark, I grabbed the first bottle that was bottled and popped it into the fridge to let it chill for a few days. Tried it tonight and it's fantastic! Still not fully carbed, but loaded with flavor and aroma with a really nice mouthfeel.

So I suppose the decision to scrap the old bottling setup has been proven wise, and I'm pretty stoked about it. Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

 

[Brew_G]

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