Cleaning...

MaxStout said:
Separate solutions--don't mix the two. :eek:
Click to expand...
It works :rolleyes:

Hey I'm glad someone mentions This every time I say it what's it chlorine gas.
My old man actually years ago used to work at a major chemical plant here in Aus making plastics.
He likes to run a few deadly concoctions past me from time to time.
Sux his memory is fading I'd love to know more:D
 
It is HDPE, Ben, but the manufacturer says max temp of 60 oC, so I am not going to chance it.

I have no idea where the infection is sitting, but spigot actually seems unlikely as I don't use it. Only to block the hole.
I did use it with the last batch to avoid using the racking cane so it's being thoroughly cleaned.

Test run this afternoon...
Fingers crossed

(corrected spelling of hdpe)
 
Last edited:
Zambezi Special said:
It is HDP, Ben, but the manufacturer says max temp of 60 oC, so I am not going to chance it.

I have no idea where the infection is sitting, but spigot actually seems unlikely as I don't use it. Only to block the hole.
I did use it with the last batch to avoid using the racking cane so it's being thoroughly cleaned.

Test run this afternoon...
Fingers crossed
Click to expand...

What size batches are you making? When I was experimenting with cider I ound 5lt water containers really useful for fermenting. They have to be sterile when they're new so I would just use the water up and stick a bubbler through the lid. Got some pictures somewhere.

Infections are quite distressing, there's nothing to be done once they set in and it's just a horrid sinking feeling when you first notice them.

Good luck for the current batch; fingers crossed.
 
Been there, done that.
I used 4 litre water bottles with stopper & airlock. And even aplastic cookie jar ;)
This cider batch is just a test case. Making simple cider is nothing more than sanitising, then pouring apple juice into the fermenter, pitch yeast & wait.
If that's succesfull, then next batch is milling, mashing, boiling and all of that :)
 
Zambezi Special said:
I have no idea where the infection is sitting, but spigot actually seems unlikely as I don't use it. Only to block the hole.
I did use it with the last batch to avoid using the racking cane so it's being thoroughly cleaned.
Click to expand...
If wort can get inside it, it can get contaminated. If it can be disassembled, do so and scrub it. Just running bleach (or whatever) through it cannot sanitize it if it isn't "clean" first.
 
Donoroto said:
If wort can get inside it, it can get contaminated. If it can be disassembled, do so and scrub it. Just running bleach (or whatever) through it cannot sanitize it if it isn't "clean" first.
Click to expand...

Plus one on the spigot as a hiding place......hop gunge sticks to the inner side of the threaded tap. A small brush ...think recycled toothbrush is real handy to clean it if you are not going to tear things down to clean it.
 
Test tube brushes are great for cleaning small openings, and the bristles aren't so stiff as to scratch plastic.

After I clean the plastic spigot on my bottling bucket, I store it in a jar of Starsan until next time I use it.
 
MaxStout said:
Separate solutions--don't mix the two. :eek:
Click to expand...
Zambezi Special said:
It is HDPE, Ben, but the manufacturer says max temp of 60 oC, so I am not going to chance it.

I have no idea where the infection is sitting, but spigot actually seems unlikely as I don't use it. Only to block the hole.
I did use it with the last batch to avoid using the racking cane so it's being thoroughly cleaned.

Test run this afternoon...
Fingers crossed

(corrected spelling of hdpe)
Click to expand...
Cool well that rules out the tap :).
I'm sure "that" was a major cause of my infections early on in my brewing you just can't easily clean the barrel.

Had a quick HDPE plastic search yup there are different containers for HDPE the humble milk bottle being one of them.

I guess the Cube containers we use IN Aus are designed with a thicker plastic skin do that they can withstand the high heat.

I'd imagine Africa would be full of them too
We call em Jerry cans here as well some for transporting fuel and such.

Anyhow I feel for you Zambezi and I've definitely been there more than once before double thinking trying to track down the source of an Infection In my brewery.

Good luck:).

Hey last thought you also ferment in an old stainless milk churn/container right?

You get any infections from batches fermented in there?

Could be the racking cane ...?
I remember a hornet made a mud nest in it awhile ago? Lol sorry
 
Thanks all
It was a first ever infection, only in the speidel fermenter.
It's been taken apart, inclusive of spigot etc, as I always do.
Cleaned withhot water
Cleaned with hot water & teepol.
Rinsed thoroughly
Sprayed with food safe sanitiser (decyl dimethyl ammonium chloride)
Rinsed
Soaked in chlorine (5 ml/ltr, 20 minutes)
Rinsed
Sprayed with isopropyl alcohol / ethanol
Drip dried
Sprayed with star san
(All for all parts incl stop, spigot, lid)
Now it's hopefully cleanly fermenting away with cider

The infected batch looked to have a kaam (kahm?) Infection, slightly whitish pellicle like you can get with lacto fermentation. It didn't taste too bad. Not sour, more a bit hot going down, like high alcoholic.
I didn't use the racking cane to bottle, but will obviously give it an extra clean before using next time
@Ben, it's a replacement for the o e with the hornet's nest ;)

This batch (the infected one) had temperature control. Only thing different is that I let it cool outside in the pot for longer than I've done before.
Yeast was left over slurry from a previous batch (that's not infected and tastes very nice). Wort was pitched onto this slurry still in the fermenter.

Anyway, I'll know in a couple of days
Fingers crossed
It's in pet bottles
 
Zambezi Special said:
This batch (the infected one) had temperature control. Only thing different is that I let it cool outside in the pot for longer than I've done before.
Yeast was left over slurry from a previous batch (that's not infected and tastes very nice). Wort was pitched onto this slurry still in the fermenter.

Anyway, I'll know in a couple of days
Fingers crossed
It's in pet bottles
Click to expand...

One other thought from that. My brewing guru told me that the wort is at it's most vulnerable between the end of the boil and the start of fermentation so our priority here once the boil is finished is to get it down to pitching temp and get a lid on it.
 
Actually, when you get a little down in temp you can cover it up as DMS precursors are done.
 
Thanks,
The pot has a lid on as soon as I take it off the stove.
I cool in the sink, filled with water. Stiir water a bit. Remove pot when surrounding water gets hot. Drain hot water, fill with cold, put pot back, repeat till water hardly heats up.
I have an immersion cooler but it's to big for the pot
The lid is a little wonky though
 
The Brew Mentor said:
Actually, when you get a little down in temp you can cover it up as DMS precursors are done.
Click to expand...

DMS is the only worry? No concerns around bacterial infections before fermentation is established?
 
Zambezi Special said:
Thanks,
The pot has a lid on as soon as I take it off the stove.
I cool in the sink, filled with water. Stiir water a bit. Remove pot when surrounding water gets hot. Drain hot water, fill with cold, put pot back, repeat till water hardly heats up.
I have an immersion cooler but it's to big for the pot
The lid is a little wonky though
Click to expand...

It's just a thought, we had a terrible time with infections and that was one of the areas we really tightened up on. I used to get really upset around the wasted cooling water but, again, there's not much more upsetting in brewing terms than dumping infected beer.
 
Zambezi Special said:
I cool in the sink, filled with water. Stiir water a bit. Remove pot when surrounding water gets hot. Drain hot water, fill with cold, put pot back, repeat till water hardly heats up.
Click to expand...

Hey Z....is there a possibility that some of the cooling water got splashed up in or around the rim of your kettle and made its way back into the wort? Any steam will form condensation and a pathway that would allow anything that got into the rim to seep back into the wort at the point, as Steve points out, the wort is at its most infection vulnerable stage?
 
Ward Chillington said:
Hey Z....is there a possibility that some of the cooling water got splashed up in or around the rim of your kettle and made its way back into the wort? Any steam will form condensation and a pathway that would allow anything that got into the rim to seep back into the wort at the point, as Steve points out, the wort is at its most infection vulnerable stage?
Click to expand...

I am real careful doing this, but I can't rule it out 100 percent.
I got a feeling it is the longer period outside the fridge or the tea towels I used to try cover the lid to minimise air being drawn into the pot.
I sprayed the tea towels with starsan, but I think I should have soaked them in it (and perhaps a more thorough wash before that)

I'll never know for sure, but tightening up on everything.
 
That's the time I'm the most nervous, from when I start chilling the wort until it's buttoned up inside the fermenter, safe and sound. While chilling with the IC I keep the lid covering as much of the kettle as possible. Maybe it's overkill, but I want to limit the amount of stuff that could drop inside.

I had two really bad infections early on in my hobby. It didn't show up until the bottles were conditioned and I had volcanoes of foul-smelling swill gushing out. I had to pour 50 or so bottles down the drain. Then the same with the next brew. Two batches in a row, I was discouraged. Turned out the culprit was bottling bucket spigot and/or plastic tubing. And me, not being careful. I replaced those plastic items and really stepped my sanitation. Haven't had an infection since, knock on wood.

Twice bitten...
 
Zambezi Special said:
I am real careful doing this, but I can't rule it out 100 percent.
I got a feeling it is the longer period outside the fridge or the tea towels I used to try cover the lid to minimise air being drawn into the pot.
I sprayed the tea towels with starsan, but I think I should have soaked them in it (and perhaps a more thorough wash before that)

I'll never know for sure, but tightening up on everything.
Click to expand...

Tea towels could be it. Hard to sanitize porous items like that. Can you use something smooth (and easy to sanitize) for covering, like some aluminum foil?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Copyright © 2007-2024 Brewer's Friend, Inc. - Send Feedback - Terms - RSS Feed - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Back
Top