Infection and how to remove

[Sandimas]

Liquid malt extract kits

Like others, I don't think it's an infection.

It could be the quality/age of the liquid malt extract. There were some threads on here a few years ago and we concluded that liquid malt extract was much more susceptible to off flavours than dried malt extract. Really hard to pin down why, some was fine, some wasn't, so like your experience some brews were OK and then others weren't.

Many of us gave up on liquid malt extract after that, because you could never guarantee quality. Although we were brewing with pure LME and adding hops in a boil, rather than pre-hopped kits, which is what I think you're brewing. It might be worth changing the source of your kits, maybe they've been hanging around on the shelf too long?

Alternatively, if you have a decent sized stockpot or can get one off eBay, give something like this a go: these kits use dried malt extract and aren't re-hopped, so you need to do a boil, but I bet you get better beer, never had a bad one with these
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/beerkits/craftybrews/brewextract.html

 

[Elliott 22]

Like others, I don't think it's an infection.

It could be the quality/age of the liquid malt extract. There were some threads on here a few years ago and we concluded that liquid malt extract was much more susceptible to off flavours than dried malt extract. Really hard to pin down why, some was fine, some wasn't, so like your experience some brews were OK and then others weren't.

Many of us gave up on liquid malt extract after that, because you could never guarantee quality. Although we were brewing with pure LME and adding hops in a boil, rather than pre-hopped kits, which is what I think you're brewing. It might be worth changing the source of your kits, maybe they've been hanging around on the shelf too long?

Alternatively, if you have a decent sized stockpot or can get one off eBay, give something like this a go: these kits use dried malt extract and aren't re-hopped, so you need to do a boil, but I bet you get better beer, never had a bad one with these
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/beerkits/craftybrews/brewextract.html

I am hoping to go all grain when I move house, but at the moment no space + my kits are all well within date by at least 12 months some even longer
All sources from brew2bottle who I have always used so can’t see that being the case as would be an easy fix,
Also all the last 6 brews have had the same off flavour so can’t see that being anything other than an infection somewhere I’m thinking maybe Lactobacillus as that could fit the bill but have never done a sour and I guess harsh bitterness could describe sour.

was hoping someone should of just said this is the answer but unfortunately looks like I need to strip everything again
This time clean everything with keg cleaner using either chemclean or Sodium Percarbonate (brewsafe) rinse with keg cleaner and clean water thoroughly.
Dissemble everything toss tubing for new
Then a diluted thin bleach solution soak for 15 mins guessing 10ml per 5litres?
Then rinse thoroughly with clean water and then maybe another circulation clean and rinse
Then vwp circulation clean with keg cleaner, rinse with water and then one final circulation with chemsan (starsan alternative)

basically 12hours of cleaning
Fml so fed up

 

[Elliott 22]

I did everything above before just not bleach and vwp

 

[Sandimas]

Bleach on it's own (diluted) will sort out any infection, no need for the rest of it.

I'd be tempted to just get a cheap plastic FV and do your next brew in that, save the time, and then move on from there. You can end up chasing your tail trying to pin down infections (been there, on and off for 18 months).

 

[Elliott 22]

Bleach on it's own (diluted) will sort out any infection, no need for the rest of it.

I'd be tempted to just get a cheap plastic FV and do your next brew in that, save the time, and then move on from there. You can end up chasing your tail trying to pin down infections (been there, on and off for 18 months).

What dilution would you use? And for how long?
I’ve got 3 cornys and a 10litre corny
Nukataps flow control and fermzilla and keg king chubby, spunding valves duotight fittings etc all of which I don’t want to get rid of as looking close to a grand of kit so hoping can get rid of infection

also cheap buckets etc
Not bothered about

 

[phildo79]

Remove the gas from the keg and Attach a spunding valve. If the pressure increases, it's an infection.

 

[phildo79]

Or the fv, if that's where the latest beer is and has finished fermentation.

 

[Elliott 22]

Remove the gas from the keg and Attach a spunding valve. If the pressure increases, it's an infection.

Will i need to leave in fridge on the keg or leave at room temp

 

[phildo79]

You can leave it in the fridge. In fact, if the pressure increases while the beer is cold, it is definitely an infection.

 

[phildo79]

Have a look at this. Might help determine the off flavour.

 

[Elliott 22]

You can leave it in the fridge. In fact, if the pressure increases while the beer is cold, it is definitely an infection.

Wow did not know that
Thanks @phildo79

what’s the reason it continues to increase in pressure?

 

[Elliott 22]

You can leave it in the fridge. In fact, if the pressure increases while the beer is cold, it is definitely an infection.

here we go starting psi
In fridge
When should I recheck

 

[Leon103]

Wow did not know that
Thanks @phildo79

what’s the reason it continues to increase in pressure?

It still fermenting. An infection will eat through all sugars. So your FG should have been lower than what you said.

You could pour off a sample from the keg, let it warm, stir out the co2, and then test the FG, if it's gone down it's likely a infection.

 

[Elliott 22]

It still fermenting. An infection will eat through all sugars. So your FG should have been lower than what you said.

You could pour off a sample from the keg, let it warm, stir out the co2, and then test the FG, if it's gone down it's likely a infection.

Thanks @Leon103
My fg was either 1010 or 1012 but guessing it will drop by quite a bit if it’s an infection

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Can you caustic soda use on steel and plastic?
also isn’t that very dangerous stuff, I have a 4year old in the house.

is there anything else less dangerous?

There are many things less dangerous than a four year old

 

[phildo79]

here we go starting psi
In fridge
When should I recheck

Check it every hour or so. I mean depending on how long it was in the fv for and how cold your fridge is, fermentation really should be finished or stalled.

This is something I only foun out when I got an infected batch. I thought it hadn't finished fermentation because the infection was causing co2 to release.

Your spunding valve might not budge but if it does, you can almost guarantee its infected.

 

[Elliott 22]

Check it every hour or so. I mean depending on how long it was in the fv for and how cold your fridge is, fermentation really should be finished or stalled.

This is something I only foun out when I got an infected batch. I thought it hadn't finished fermentation because the infection was causing co2 to release.

Your spunding valve might not budge but if it does, you can almost guarantee its infected.

Thanks @phildo79
Does this show all infections

 

[Leon103]

Thanks @Leon103
My fg was either 1010 or 1012 but guessing it will drop by quite a bit if it’s an infection

Yes it should do.

 

[Neale]

This might be rubbish but I figured I'd throw it out there.

Could it be a problem with the CO2 itself? I don't keg and don't use CO2 so have no experience but could an off flavour come from a contaminant in the CO2 cylinder? was it refilled recently?

 

[phildo79]

Thanks @phildo79
Does this show all infections

That I don't know. I THINK there may be infections were it doesn't happen but...