Fruit fly and hot weather, a bad combination :(

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Strollon15

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A couple of weeks ago I did a Darkstar Hophead clone BiaB, everything progressed well, 11 lts of lovely beer, however somehow a lone fruitfly managed to find it's way in despite my ultimate care and almost over night it's turned to undrinkable vinegar, my first ever failure :(

Such a shame as I planned to bottle in a couple of days............I think i'll wait to brew again until the weather cools down a little.

Stroll.

Looks like a picture of an alien planet :doh:

brew1.jpg


brew2.jpg


brew3.jpg
 
My latest brew, an oatmeal brown ale, was covered in a white scum on the surface of the FV, with little rod-like structures in it like you'd associate with microscope pictures of bacteria. However the beer still tasted of beer so I bottled it anyway.
Drinking it now and it tastes fine so I'm assuming the white stuff was wild yeast that got in some time when I was taking a peek in the FV. I'm having to refrigerate the bottles though as at room temperature they're pretty violent gushers. Refrigerated they're fine.
 
I've also had two batches contaminated and turned to vinegar. It's a pain in the **** to wait so long for that first bottle, just to find all your hard work and money has been wasted!
 
I had a load of problems this time last year, multiple infected brews. Got back to normal in the winter but now have my first infection of 2016. I've been incredibly thorough with cleanliness so can only assume it's some airborne infection. Also found a ### fruit fly trying to get down the airlock of my latest brew. Seriously think of giving up brewing June-Sept.
 
darrellm said:
I had a load of problems this time last year, multiple infected brews. Got back to normal in the winter but now have my first infection of 2016. I've been incredibly thorough with cleanliness so can only assume it's some airborne infection. Also found a ### fruit fly trying to get down the airlock of my latest brew. Seriously think of giving up brewing June-Sept.
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Plenty of people do.
 
darrellm said:
I had a load of problems this time last year, multiple infected brews. Got back to normal in the winter but now have my first infection of 2016. I've been incredibly thorough with cleanliness so can only assume it's some airborne infection. Also found a ### fruit fly trying to get down the airlock of my latest brew. Seriously think of giving up brewing June-Sept.
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I suggest not even bothering to take a reading after your OG reading. Leave the bucket for 2 or 3 weeks and take a FG at bottling or kegging. After a couple of weeks whats in the fv is more able to shrug off infections.
 
dad_of_jon said:
I suggest not even bothering to take a reading after your OG reading. Leave the bucket for 2 or 3 weeks and take a FG at bottling or kegging. After a couple of weeks whats in the fv is more able to shrug off infections.
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That's what I do - OG reading, yeast in, lid on, then 2-3 weeks later take FG reading and bottle/keg. Still got quite a few infections last year and one now :-(
 
darrellm said:
That's what I do - OG reading, yeast in, lid on, then 2-3 weeks later take FG reading and bottle/keg. Still got quite a few infections last year and one now :-(
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Have you put fruit fly traps out? I dont seem to seem many fruit flies around at home but my trap seems to catch quite a few. I've just replaced the cider vineger as it evaporats over time
 
I'm starting to think my goose island clone got an infection, I'd originally put it down to my yeast reuse but the sour taste suggests an infection over stressed yeast?
 
MyQul said:
Have you put fruit fly traps out? I dont seem to seem many fruit flies around at home but my trap seems to catch quite a few.
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Same here, the little feckers are tiny and if you have dark walls and surfaces where you brew you will struggle to see them, i don't get as many as some here but can vouch for the home made traps as mine has caught a few.
 
I had this with my latest brew. sample I took at bottling tasted fine, been in the bottle for a week and had an early taste and it was still drinkable. Pretty sure it's going to turn to vinegar eventually but between now and then I'm going to drink a "healthy" amount.
 
Mine went from drinkable (ish) to vinegar almost overnight.

As the weather has turned a bit cooler i'm going to brew tomorrow but I worry that at this time of year there are so many chances of something getting into the brew, from the cooling process to the aerating, from pitching the yeast to dry hopping.

I'm certainly going to surround the area with cider vinegar traps, they seem to work really well.

Fingers crossed, just looking at the weather forecast looks like its going to get hot again from Tuesday, I just know those squadrons of fruit flies are readying themselves :lol:

Stroll.
 
I saw one earlier and it put me off my plan to clear a couple of DJ's of wine, i later realised i had not seen it for a while and checked my home made trap, result there it was submerged in the fruit juice and sugar mix, looks like the drop of detergent does its job of removing the surface tension so they land then drown.
 
Brew day went well yesterday, all windows and doors closed so pretty hot but not a fruit fly in sight.

The FV is happily fermenting right now surrounded by 3 traps consisting of cider vinegar and as Chippy says a drop of detergent to break the surface tension.

Feeling 'quite' confident............(famous last words) :doh:

Stroll.
 
You won't know if it's infected for a while, all my infections seem to take 8-10 weeks to manifest themselves. Beer tastes fine initially, then starts to taste off and produce vast amounts of CO2 - it's only after this stage that they start to taste really bad.

Caught a fruit fly in the airlock of the FV carrying the latest brew the other day :doh:

Speaking to the owner of the LHBS today, there are a lot of infections about this year, one customer has just lost 3 batches.
 
'Speaking to the owner of the LHBS today, there are a lot of infections about this year, one customer has just lost 3 batches'.

Oh thanks for that, i'm already having sleepless nights, that's all I need to hear :lol:

So far my traps have caught precisely zero between them, a good sign I believe.........

Stroll.
 

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