Just dumped my first infected batch :(

[HarryFlatters]

Just threw a keg of APA down the sink, my first infected batch. Feelsbadman.jpg

My own fault, obviously. I was getting cocky and a bit lax with cleaning. I REALLY hope that the problem was the keg, because I threw a batch of stout onto the yeast cake from the APA, so my laziness might have effed two batches.

Live and learn.

 

[Gerryjo]

Just threw a keg of APA down the sink, my first infected batch. Feelsbadman.jpg

My own fault, obviously. I was getting cocky and a bit lax with cleaning. I REALLY hope that the problem was the keg, because I threw a batch of stout onto the yeast cake from the APA, so my laziness might have effed two batches.

Live and learn.

That's a kick in the ghoolies but a lesson you can learn from.Hope the stout is ok.

 

[HarryFlatters]

Yup, my fault. Currently stripping down all my kegs, replacing all the O rings and deep cleaning them and my fermenters and kettle.

Stupid boy.

 

[HarryFlatters]

Just opened the fridge where the stout is fermenting... same sickly smell.

Effed it

 

[Gerryjo]

Just opened the fridge where the stout is fermenting... same sickly smell.

Effed it

Time for a thorough deep clean for sure.Get the unscented bleach out but make sure to rinse well with hot then cold to get rid of any residue.

 

[HarryFlatters]

Everything plastic is getting bleached, everything stainless steel is getting VWP. All the Starsan I'm using in my bottles and line cleaner is getting ditched and replaced, and all the kegs sitting about waiting to get filled will get recleaned, rinsed, sanitised and then purged.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Oooooff - so sorry to hear

 

[An Ankoù]

Just opened the fridge where the stout is fermenting... same sickly smell.

Effed it

What does it smell of? BAD SMELLS DON'T NECESSARILY MEAN INFECTION.

 

[An Ankoù]

Time for a thorough deep clean for sure.Get the unscented bleach out but make sure to rinse well with hot then cold to get rid of any residue.

There was a time when 50% of my beers would stink something like bad drains. This would taint the beer and make it undrinkable. i thoroughly cleaned everything and pitched new yeast with each batch, but the smell kept coming back. it was horrible. BUT after several months or even a year in the bottle the beer was drinkable and the off-flavour had gone. The yeast had cleaned it up. I've started adding a teaspoonful of yeast nutrient to every new batch and I've never had the bad smell since.
I'm not talking about a bit of a whiff here, I'm talking about something that would stink out the entire room.
Don't chuck your stout just yer.

 

[Gerryjo]

There was a time when 50% of my beers would stink something like bad drains. This would taint the beer and make it undrinkable. i thoroughly cleaned everything and pitched new yeast with each batch, but the smell kept coming back. it was horrible. BUT after several months or even a year in the bottle the beer was drinkable and the off-flavour had gone. The yeast had cleaned it up. I've started adding a teaspoonful of yeast nutrient to every new batch and I've never had the bad smell since.
I'm not talking about a bit of a whiff here, I'm talking about something that would stink out the entire room.
Don't chuck your stout just yer.

Stressed yeast with a sulphuric gut can stink to the high heavens.I have got into the habit of adding nutrient but I went back to basics yesterday on a Citra SMaSH to see if there is anything I can detect even as far as fermenting in a rather steady but uncontrolled environment.

 

[HarryFlatters]

What does it smell of? BAD SMELLS DON'T NECESSARILY MEAN INFECTION.

It smells like sweet milky baby puke (butyric acid?), the same smell as the APA. They APA started to smell worse as time went on, and wasn't clearing even with finings added to the keg.

Now you mention stressed yeast, the APA had a problem where the heat belt failed and I didn't notice until the temp was down at 12 Celcius, so it could have been that.

I might bottle the stout to see what happens but I ain't holding out much hope.

 

[Gerryjo]

It smells like sweet milky baby puke (butyric acid?), the same smell as the APA. They APA started to smell worse as time went on, and wasn't clearing even with finings added to the keg.

Now you mention stressed yeast, the APA had a problem where the heat belt failed and I didn't notice until the temp was down at 12 Celcius, so it could have been that.

I might bottle the stout to see what happens but I ain't holding out much hope.

Bottle the stout as it is usually more robust with the roasted grains and don't be tempted to drink it too early..

 

[An Ankoù]

It smells like sweet milky baby puke (butyric acid?), the same smell as the APA. They APA started to smell worse as time went on, and wasn't clearing even with finings added to the keg.

Now you mention stressed yeast, the APA had a problem where the heat belt failed and I didn't notice until the temp was down at 12 Celcius, so it could have been that.

I might bottle the stout to see what happens but I ain't holding out much hope.

It doesn't sound good. Bottle the stout and wait. It does sound like a bacterial infection so don't neglect your deep cleaning regime. Hope it isn't the clostridium bacterium as these monkies produce airborne spores and you'll need to clean more than just your kit. Clean the interior of the fridge with bleach, too.
Fingers crossed.

 

[bobukbrewer]

I ferment in 13L and 9L stainless steel pans with saucepan style lids. I rinse well under the hot tap after brewing, and again before brewing. I make yeast starters from dried yeast with added brewing sugar, vitamin C and yeast nutrient. Never had other than "good" smells and my last infected beer was over 40 years ago. No temperature control during fermentation or bottle conditioning. I do bleach bottles "sometimes". Six day fermentation and straight into bottles (including two 1 litre PET bottles as pressure indicators. I guess I am lucky...........

 

[HarryFlatters]

What does it smell of? BAD SMELLS DON'T NECESSARILY MEAN INFECTION.

I just stuck my nose inside the fridge, didn't smell at all. Maybe what I was picking up yesterday was CO2 buildup...

Maybe all is not lost after all.

I'll bottle this up on Friday and see what happens.

 

[BeerCat]

I doubt your keg would infect anything in a hurry. I always taste the beer before pitching on the cake as I have done as you before and it had to be dumped.

 

[HarryFlatters]

I've had some time to digest this, and a bit of an epiphany... I don't think this was infected, I think it was oxidised.

I was using my auto siphon to dump VWP solution from a tapless fermenter to the sink, and I noticed that the flow was poor and the siphon would break quite quickly. It was apparent that air was being sucked through the gap where the tubing joins to the siphon wand. I tightened this with a jubilee clip and boom, laminar flow, no bubbling or breaks, job jobbed

It keeps you thinking, this brewing malarky.