Yellow/white creepy crawly things in my beer!

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DrinksWellWithOthers

DrinksWellWithOthers

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I just went to bottle up my summer ale and I noticed some yellowy white things on the inside of the carboy in the headspace. At first I figured it was pieces of pulp from the lemons I used but then I remembered that I only used the zest from them. Then I thought I saw one of them move and couldn't believe it. So I stared at it some more and what do you know? I got these little yellow white things about 1/4-1/2 a centimeter long crawling around on the inside of my carboy. :eek:

Then I noticed they were stuck to my wine thief from pulling a gravity sample. They kind of move like inch worms. What the hell are they? I've brewed about 40 batches of beer and I've never seen nor heard anything like this. Weird krausen and possibly infected batches I can deal with but I think this sucker is going down the drain. :mad:
 
Oh yeah one more thing I wanted to add. I used tinfoil instead of an airlock on this brew. I've done it once before and it worked fine so I figured I'd do it again when I couldn't find another airlock. Maybe something crawled up in there and go in the beer?
 
Aw dude, that sounds alot like maggots. If some flies got in there to get to the sweet wort, they might have laid eggs. Sorry, but if anything was moving around in my beer, I wouldn't hesitate to dump it. Clean the hell out of that carboy!
 
I'm betting this one meets the "Satan's Anus" standard.

Please tell me you tasted it. Then again, we'd prolly see you on the "Monsters Inside Me" show on Animal Planet.
 
Can't get any good pics. There's too much glare on the carboy and so I tried to corral a few onto a plate but they're too small and it just comes out blury.

Yeah, maggots, awesome. **** tinfoil, only airlocks from now on.
 
smizak said:
I'm betting this one meets the "Satan's Anus" standard.

Please tell me you tasted it. Then again, we'd prolly see you on the "Monsters Inside Me" show on Animal Planet.
Click to expand...

I was seconds away from tasting my gravity sample when I saw some of the "lemon pulp" move. Then I saw some **** moving on the wine thief. Ugh, five gallons down the crapper.
 
Jujst sat down to my desk with my freshly heated up lunch to see the first reference to yellow maggots. Can't wait to dig into my mac'n cheese. Thanks guys!
 
.....and they (the eggs or larve) may have been in there before you even racked your brew. Very hard to spot and difficult to clean out also.
 
Ack! I normally don't advise dumping beer, EVER, but this time... dump it!
 
Oh yeah found the culprits. Two muthafuggin' fruit flies floatin' belly up in my brew. Bastids got free beer and I didn't even get to try it. Here's your one reason to never use tin foil instead of an airlock...
 
DrinksWellWithOthers said:
Can't get any good pics. There's too much glare on the carboy and so I tried to corral a few onto a plate but they're too small and it just comes out blury.

Yeah, maggots, awesome. **** tinfoil, only airlocks from now on.
Click to expand...


set your camera to macro and point to one with your finger or a pencil the camera will focus on the larger object and will get the little buggers .
 
i would think a nice long soak with star san would do the trick. Also make sure to soak that wine thief is you plan on using it again.
 
springer said:
set your camera to macro and point to one with your finger or a pencil the camera will focus on the larger object and will get the little buggers .
Click to expand...

Ah too late. Just gave the beer the ol' 21 gun salute and dumped it. First batch I've ever had to dump. Ah well, I've got a blonde I was going to keg so I guess I can do that this afternoon. And I checked, that one's maggot free.
 
Condolences. That really sucks. After that I'd probably be studying my carboys with some paranoia for a while.
 
now you got me worried about the Saison I just brewed. I did it outside and when I was transfering to fermenter there were a few flies in the area. Damn you :D
 
I would also put a little bleach into the drain they breed in the traps. maybe do all the traps and clean up any fruit that is laying around. I am sure everyone has eaten a few of these when you eat some overly ripe fruit . :D


You can all thank me later for that thought...
 
This is why I always make everything air tight this time of year, I sometimes find a few of those dead bastards floating in the airlock.
 
I'd do a double-soak with the Oxy (or a bleach then oxy soak) with a long good rinse & then an extra long Star-San soak.

Yup.. I got a couple in the airlock of the last beer I transferred and scolded my wife for leaving those gd damned limes out for two weeks..

Cheap hooch in the airlock does the trick.
 
If you do a bleach soak, follow it with a little vinegar and water, then rinse with water.
 
Ok this is hard to understand. You have a carboy which has beer in it. It seems that the co2 or alcohol should kill most anything.
You say you did not use a vapor lock and used tinfoil for the entire time. So maybe you let some bugs in by not using a vapor lock. That’s a good lesson for me.

Ok I say bottle the batch and don’t worry about it.
If anyone asks tell them they are hops flees and are added for special flavor.

I am looking for pictures
Good Luck
 
I say bottle it and give is a Spanish name. Give it to some jerks you know and tell them it is beer tequila.

Nick
 
DrinksWellWithOthers said:
Oh yeah found the culprits. Two muthafuggin' fruit flies floatin' belly up in my brew. Bastids got free beer and I didn't even get to try it. Here's your one reason to never use tin foil instead of an airlock...
Click to expand...

Damn. One male and one female. What are the odds?

33.33% I guess.

People eat fruit flies all the time without knowing it. Just go to a bar and hold a flashlight under any fruity liquor bottle with an easy-pour spout on it. You'll see plenty of dead fruit flies hovering at the bottom. Vermouth is a fruit fly favorite.
 
Although you will not get to enjoy your beer, know that two of God's creatures consummated their love in your carboy. As their bodys succumbed to the alcoholic, oxygen-less environment, their passion spired wildly. The product of their love-struggle squirms before you.

There's always a silver lining.
 
DrinksWellWithOthers said:
Ah too late. Just gave the beer the ol' 21 gun salute and dumped it. First batch I've ever had to dump. Ah well, I've got a blonde I was going to keg so I guess I can do that this afternoon. And I checked, that one's maggot free.
Click to expand...

I play taps in my head every time i hear about a dumper....
 
smizak said:
I'm betting this one meets the "Satan's Anus" standard.
Click to expand...

Heeeyyyy!! Easy man.. Satan's Anus is a family brewery! We've never seen any yellow maggots!:cross::D

Satans_Anus_AA2.png
 
Wow, and I thought it was awkward ordering an Arrogant Bastard whilst dining with my GF and her conservative, evangelical Christian mother.

"Hmm, I think I'll try a taste of Satan's Anus. Do any of you want to taste Satan's Anus?"

BTW, did I miss Revvy giving the "time heals all things, even beer" speech and telling the OP to bottle it?
 

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