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How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
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Topic: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
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trapae
Brewer
Posts: 415
How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
on:
May 22, 2016, 12:59:29 pm »
We all worry about and go through all the painstaking measures to stay sterile, and I'm just wondering how many of us have actually gotten a batch infected to the point where you had to throw it out?
I remember my second batch was a two hearted clone before I went to all grain and I ended up throwing it out. Not sure what happened but I was so new could've been anything at that point. Now my wife makes fun of me because after flameout, I put on a hairnet, close all the doors in the garage, sweat my balls off and act like I'm in a surgical suite until I close up the fermenter.
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I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.
denny
Administrator
Retired with too much time on my hands
Posts: 27364
Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #1 on:
May 22, 2016, 01:06:13 pm »
I've had a few infected to the point I tossed them, but I would never go to the lengths you do. That destroys the fun for me. And losing maybe 3 batches out of 500 is a pretty good average. So I'm careful, but not obsessed.
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Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!
www.dennybrew.com
The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell
HoosierBrew
I must live here
Posts: 13031
Indianapolis,IN
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #2 on:
May 22, 2016, 01:15:37 pm »
I've dumped two in over 20 years from infection. Friends thought I was overreacting as both were pretty low level infections - but I could tell it and that's all that mattered. Like Denny said, that's a pretty decent batting average. I don't go to extremes with sanitation, but I've done it enough times to have a good routine.
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Jon H.
trapae
Brewer
Posts: 415
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #3 on:
May 22, 2016, 01:19:23 pm »
500 batches,,, 20 years,,, just when I start feeling like I'm getting the hang of things, I get humbled. Tons of good well-earned knowledge on this forum!
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I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.
tommymorris
Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
Posts: 3873
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #4 on:
May 22, 2016, 01:20:14 pm »
I don't worry too much about infection from airborne yeast or bacteria. Yeast pitch quantities are designed to quickly overwhelm the small quantities from that vector. I worry more about lingering bacteria in a piece of tubing or in the fermenter. Both get put up slightly wet in a warm garage and seem like they would be good environments for bacteria to grow. Of course, I clean those before use.
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Hand of Dom
Brewer
Posts: 372
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #5 on:
May 22, 2016, 01:24:46 pm »
I've had one that turned a batch of raisin dubbel (from BLAM) into vinegar. Touch wood, that's been it.
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Dom
Currently drinking - Amarillo saison
Currently fermenting - Pale ale 1 - 2017
jweiss206
Assistant Brewer
Posts: 109
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #6 on:
May 22, 2016, 01:35:54 pm »
For my first lager I used 6-row as the base malt. I didn't boil it vigorously enough and the whole batch tasted of creamed corn. That's was procedural error rather than an airborne infection, but it's the closest I've come to tossing a batch. I still managed to drink it all down....quietly...in the dark.....alone....with my eyes shut
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brewinhard
Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
Posts: 3272
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #7 on:
May 22, 2016, 02:26:25 pm »
I have had a few in my years of brewing, but none in the past 6. Mainly when I first started brewing and was unaware of proper chemicals for sanitizing. I used to only use bleach and one-step. Man, how my brewing has changed.
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erockrph
I must live here
Posts: 7845
Chepachet, RI
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #8 on:
May 22, 2016, 04:37:09 pm »
The only batch I lost to infection was after I threw a couple of cinnamon sticks into secondary on a batch of winter warmer. Any other infected batches have been intentional
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Eric B.
Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog:
The Hop Whisperer
yso191
Senior Brewmaster
Posts: 1816
Yakima, WA
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #9 on:
May 22, 2016, 05:24:36 pm »
I've only been brewing a few years, but the answer for me is never. My neighbor had an infection once but it turned out a very tasty sour, so no dump there!
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Steve
BJCP #D1667
“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton
BrewBama
Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
Posts: 6196
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #10 on:
May 22, 2016, 05:40:11 pm »
I've had a cpl dumpers but not due to infection. I've found I do not like certain beers.
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ibrubeer
1st Kit
Posts: 1
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #11 on:
May 23, 2016, 04:48:47 am »
Ironic topic! I currently have a batch in the fermenter that I need to dump. 3rd batch in over 20 years. Mine is due to a persistent infection in my minibrew conical though, I believe. Now I just need to figure out a way to ensure that I have eradicated the infection from the conical!!!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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rob_f
Assistant Brewer
Posts: 135
Corcoran Brew Works, Maryland
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #12 on:
May 23, 2016, 07:12:19 am »
I've dumped a couple of batches long ago for band-aid wild yeast flavor. Lately I'm seeing a lacto sourness showing up in some kegs after several months and I keep drinking those until I need the keg. Right now I have and English Pale that is starting to sour and I like it. I am working on isolating the problem.
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Rob Farrell
AHA
CRABS
pete b
Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
Posts: 4198
Barre, Ma
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #13 on:
May 23, 2016, 08:07:22 am »
I recently dumped my first batch but it wasn't due to infection, it was because I pushed the limits with too many variables on an English pale Ale and ended up with a beer I simply didn't want5 to drink. I have had 2 infections that I know of, neither a dumper, one arguably an improvement.
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Don't let the bastards cheer you up.
reverseapachemaster
Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
Posts: 3831
Re: How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection
«
Reply #14 on:
May 23, 2016, 09:04:55 am »
I've dumped a few due to infections. It happens.
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Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing:
Brain Sparging on Brewing
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American Homebrewers Association | AHA Forum
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How many of you have truly gotten a batch destroying infection