what went wrong

[Mark1964]

Had a pilsner fermenting at 11 deg c been going for 2 weeks now. Checked it today and this is what it looked like.

Not good, think a wild yeast has got in some how it smelt like vinegar and had a thin white film on top.

Good job ive got another brew to keg soon :thumb:

 

[Moley]

Sorry, from the photo and your description I'd say acetobacter.

Move it to a shed, use it on your chips and buy a new FV.

 

[doghouse gav]

Why buy a new fv moley? Are they no good once you've had an infection? :wha:

 

[Swift Pint]

I guess the worry is that your fermentor has a scratch or something hard to clean which is harbouring the bacteria.

You could probably risk it with a good ol' clean, give it a long soak in bleach and hope for the best, but the price of a new fermentor will be less than the cost of your next batch... so would be cheaper to replace than risk dumping further batches.

 

[doghouse gav]

When you put it that way it makes sense :clap:

Cheers :

 

[Wez]

Yep, use it as a grain store or something.

 

[Mark1964]

How is this cured. Its not simple because through the lid of the fv are 2 holes where the pipes from the chiller go in. Then sitting in the wort is a stainless steel coil which regulates temp from the chiller. Would i have to throw that too????

 

[Moley]

sitting in the wort is a stainless steel coil which regulates temp from the chiller. Would i have to throw that too????

No, just soak that in a strong cleaner/steriliser solution.

Stringy got my meaning just right about the scratches etc. and the cost of a brew vs. the price of a bucket.

 

[Wez]

Are you sure that nothing could have gotten in through the drilled holes, condensation on the coil tops etc...

 

[rickthebrew]

unlucky I had a few bad brews last year that was down to a large pack of dried yeast that I split and froze - took a few brews to work out the problem and lots of wasted time and effort

 

[Mark1964]

I was thinking the same. It was in the fv 2 weeks as it was low temp ferment. On the next fv will seal the holes on the outside with clear silicone