Infected Fermenters / Taps

[Triple B Brewing]

8 hours ago, glivo said:

What is all this crap that precipitated out of the Iodophor solution from "clean" FVs?

Yep, that's weird...

Could it be from what you might have been using to wash (or dry in between treatments) the FV out with, eg: "Chux cloth, scourers, sponge, or other"

If I look closely to the photo of the FV with the gunk in the solution at the bottom of the FV, there are particles that look exactly the same on the wall of the FV as well - see below circled in red in the enlarged snippet.

I'm thinkin' these "floaties" you are seeing are a result of a breakdown of the material you may have used to scrub the FV with - just a thought ...

Hang in there and good luck @glivo

[glivo]

Those pictures are the used Iodophor solution in a spotlessly clean white plastic bucket after I tipped it out of the FVs. I made 27 litres and took 25 out into a drum and the last 2 litres went into that white bucket.  That is the sediment after both FVs were soaked for 20 minutes each.  The only other object used was a flat blade plastic stirrer to get rid of the thousands of tiny air bubbles.  The chux cloth was used around the top only.  Nothing else in there and the water passed through a 5 micron filter.  I had already hot cloth washed them in alkaline bottle wash detergent, rinsed, cloth washed with sodium metabislfite, rinsed, sprayed with Iodophor, rinsed, soaked for hours (overnight) in acidified bleach solution and rinsed again before this Iodophor solution soak.  Yet, that sediment came out of them after all that.

They have now been treated as above including the last soak as I was concerned the iodophor solution was beading when sprayed and it requires 20 minutes contact.  They were then immersion soaked in phosphoric acid solution for 1 hour each and they also sat in direct sun for 2 hours.  This process has taken about 36 hours.  I am ready to try again but I'm going to give them another full day in direct sunshine first.  Both the new and old taps have had the same treatment as well as the Krausen Kollars and my stirrer spoon. 

What more can I do?  Possibly get some chemical shoulder length gloves and hot caustic them.  Other than that I have no other ideas.

When I try again, either later today or tomorrow, I will still go through my usual, pre-brew Stellar San treatment of the FVs, taps and all other gear.  I have in date cans of Cooper's Dark Ale and Mexican Cerveza and 2 new boxes of BE2.  Not that they are a problem, but I'm leaving the WWHB lager out.  It will be 100% Cooper's kits, FVs and kit equipment.

Edited March 6 by glivo

[Triple B Brewing]

4 hours ago, glivo said:

Those pictures are the used Iodophor solution in a spotlessly clean white plastic bucket after I tipped it out of the FVs. I made 27 litres and took 25 out into a drum and the last 2 litres went into that white bucket.  That is the sediment after both FVs were soaked for 20 minutes each.  The only other object used was a flat blade plastic stirrer to get rid of the thousands of tiny air bubbles.  The chux cloth was used around the top only.  Nothing else in there and the water passed through a 5 micron filter.  I had already hot cloth washed them in alkaline bottle wash detergent, rinsed, cloth washed with sodium metabislfite, rinsed, sprayed with Iodophor, rinsed, soaked for hours (overnight) in acidified bleach solution and rinsed again before this Iodophor solution soak.  Yet, that sediment came out of them after all that.

They have now been treated as above including the last soak as I was concerned the iodophor solution was beading when sprayed and it requires 20 minutes contact.  They were then immersion soaked in phosphoric acid solution for 1 hour each and they also sat in direct sun for 2 hours.  This process has taken about 36 hours.  I am ready to try again but I'm going to give them another full day in direct sunshine first.  Both the new and old taps have had the same treatment as well as the Krausen Kollars and my stirrer spoon. 

What more can I do?  Possibly get some chemical shoulder length gloves and hot caustic them.  Other than that I have no other ideas.

When I try again, either later today or tomorrow, I will still go through my usual, pre-brew Stellar San treatment of the FVs, taps and all other gear.  I have in date cans of Cooper's Dark Ale and Mexican Cerveza and 2 new boxes of BE2.  Not that they are a problem, but I'm leaving the WWHB lager out.  It will be 100% Cooper's kits, FVs and kit equipment.

@glivo mate wishing you 110% success - surely it would be reasonable to say the FV’s are now “ hospital theatre room clean”. 
Here’s to sweet cold beers

[glivo]

I can only hope so.  If not this time, I will willingly admit defeat.

[Triple B Brewing]

1 hour ago, glivo said:

I can only hope so.  If not this time, I will willingly admit defeat.

https://images.app.goo.gl/aVzZTJxq9GeqjFLk6

[glivo]

Well, I've chickened out and I'm only testing 1 FV.  I figure, why waste 2 cans of concentrate. If what I've just done has or hasn't worked on both then testing only one should tell me.

I've also done what I was advised to do.  The local small brewery is selling used (clean) 60 litre FVs, so I bought 1 and I'm in the process of putting together a 54 litre batch of Brown Ale.  If this works out, I'll probably go get another 2. 

[glivo]

Well, the first 2 of my other 4 FVs (air-locked) are ready to bottle.  Guess what? Perfect! No infection.  FG is down to finished and they are clear, taste fine and I'll post the photos.

What does that tell you?  Problem with these 2 FVs as I've said all along, although I didn't know it went back so far.

It's a shame I don't have the confidence to do 2 brews with these FVs.  I won't tell you exactly what the brewery guy told me today, but it was about reinventing wheels and burning stuff.

Edited March 7 by glivo

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

2 hours ago, glivo said:

Well, the first 2 of my other 4 FVs (air-locked) are ready to bottle.  Guess what? Perfect! No infection.  FG is down to finished and they are clear, taste fine and I'll post the photos.

What does that tell you?  Problem with these 2 FVs as I've said all along, although I didn't know it went back so far.

It's a shame I don't have the confidence to do 2 brews with these FVs.  I won't tell you exactly what the brewery guy told me today, but it was about reinventing wheels and burning stuff.

If that is the conclusion maybe get rid of the 2 coopers fermenters and use the other ones. I did notice that you have the old tap on the FV not the new snap ones. They were always a pain to clean and the new ones are much better. Although the first lot had some leaking problems at the start. 

In saying all of this Coopers fermenters are great and user friendly. Whatever has happened here is just either bad luck or an isolated incident.

Reminds me of someone who had nothing but bad luck re- using yeast slurry. Plenty of us successfully do it all the time with no problem.

Anyway good luck with the other fermenters and hope all brews from now on are successful. 

[glivo]

I haven't had any problems with that older tap. Well not that I'm aware of anyway.  Replacing the taps didn't solve the problem.  I put the 2 original taps in for the idophor as I figured it wouldn't hurt.  I'm using a new tap for the test brew of Mexican Cerveza.  All 4 taps went through the entire process as described above.

[glivo]

First of the Bucket FVs. I only got to bottle 1 today but as you can see, it is clean.  No infection.  It may be slightly early as it is only day 6 but it tested ok on the hydrometer yesterday and hadn't changed this morning.

[kmar92]

2 hours ago, glivo said:

First of the Bucket FVs. I only got to bottle 1 today but as you can see, it is clean.  No infection.  It may be slightly early as it is only day 6 but it tested ok on the hydrometer yesterday and hadn't changed this morning.

Yes it looks very healthy, not sure that I like the FV being opened up like that though but I guess that you were only bottling it.

[glivo]

For the 20 seconds it was off to take a picture and considering it is about to be transferred to my bulk primer, it does no damage.  I understand oxygen and kegging, but its never caused me any problems.

[glivo]

My 2nd bucket FV was bottled today.  No infection.  Clean, clear, tasty beer, as are the 2 in the old Cooper Tun drum style FVs (my mates Old Beer) at day 7.  I normally just let these go for 12 - 14 days without even checking them now.  There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the infection was, possibly still is, in the actual fermenters.  I'm about 3 or 4 days from seeing if I fixed it in at least 1 of them, but I've thrown enough work and chemical at them to kill a brown dog.

I just don't understand how my 20-year-old worn and damaged FVs are still producing good beer, when these 2, relatively new ones, are (were hopefully) throwing up crap every time.

I bought a 60 litre FV yesterday and it presently has 54 litres of brown ale (6 dozen longnecks) bubbling away nicely.  I guess it's all academic now.

Edited March 9 by glivo

[glivo]

On 3/5/2024 at 1:10 PM, Coopers DIY Beer Team said:

A few questions for you glivo.

What were these brews and what were the BB dates on the base of the cans? 

What temperature are you fermenting your beer at? (Do you have temperature control?)

How long were the brews in the fermenters when these pellicles formed? 

Cheers, Frank.

Just out of interest Frank, any ideas from the answers I gave or are the FVs just rooted?

For the purpose of being thorough and in the future someone else (a newby perhaps), might benefit.

 

Edited March 9 by glivo

[Pale Man]

16 minutes ago, glivo said:

 any ideas from the answers I gave or are the FVs just rooted?

 

I'm not Frank but. Youre fermenters probably are. Who knows why and your brewing practices.

As a product, I and many others will testify they are super good fermenters.

This thread is getting exceptionally boring now.

 

[kmar92]

1 hour ago, Pale Man said:

 

This thread is getting exceptionally boring now.

 

So why do you keep coming back and commenting. And throwing out negativity?

[Pale Man]

2 hours ago, kmar92 said:

So why do you keep coming back and commenting. And throwing out negativity?

And also because I know what im doing. Nothing wrong with that.

[glivo]

Pale Man, nobody is forcing you to read anything.  As far as Im aware, this is a public forum where people discuss things Home Brew related.  I'm reporting on a problem I've been experiencing and the steps I've taken in trying to remedy it.  It is about Home Brew and in particular, Cooper's Home Brew products.  You can't be too bored if you keep coming back.

I will continue to post here as often and as long windedly as I wish (and on AHB), until I'm barred or have nothing else to say.  You can do whatever you want.  Read it, don't read it, post "Boring!" as many times as you like.  I don't care!  You have the gall to label me a troll.  What is it they say about pots and kettles?

Edited March 9 by glivo

[iBooz2]

14 hours ago, Pale Man said:

Over at AHB very experienced mod told him to ditch the fermenters..............so lets drag this on. and on and on and on and on and on.

and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.

F Me.......its n ot that f ing hard.

Settle down PM.  The ABID not working on your keyboard again?  Relax.

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

Just block the idiot like I did. I can only see what he is saying when others tag him. Always accusing of being a troll yet he only has negative things to say and jump on people.

What a flog. The quiet man did not stay so very long after his warning. 

Very surprised it was only 3 responses in between other comments usually about 10

 

Edited March 10 by Uhtred Of Beddanburg

[Back Brewing]

at the ready

[glivo]

I've been involved in a few internet forums over the years, and I've been barred from 2 for speaking my mind while truthfully and correctly calling out "others" when they were obviously wrong.   On both occasions these "others" just happened to be personal friends of the Site owners.  It was amusing to see the responses from these people when I pointed out their errors, and I figured being barred by Admin was just like an upset kid taking their bat and ball and going home.   I've seen others barred from sites for doing the same and it is often a big loss to the forum community.  I have never blocked anybody, as it is everybody's right to have an opinion, even if I think it's wrong.

I wish Pale Man no ill, and I accept his opinion.  He was bored.  Change the channel mate.

[Classic Brewing Co]

5 hours ago, Back Brewing said:

at the ready

Better get more.

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@glivo it's a similar thing around here with members and admin etc. The ones who live in SA and post constant repetitive pics of coopers beer get leeway for abuse.  They stir up trouble and seem to get away with it. 

[Pale Man]

On 3/10/2024 at 8:16 AM, glivo said:

Pale Man, nobody is forcing you to read anything.  As far as Im aware, this is a public forum where people discuss things Home Brew related.  I'm reporting on a problem I've been experiencing and the steps I've taken in trying to remedy it.  It is about Home Brew and in particular, Cooper's Home Brew products.  You can't be too bored if you keep coming back.

I will continue to post here as often and as long windedly as I wish (and on AHB), until I'm barred or have nothing else to say.  You can do whatever you want.  Read it, don't read it, post "Boring!" as many times as you like.  I don't care!  You have the gall to label me a troll.  What is it they say about pots and kettles?

Ok, ive taken a deep breath. I feel your pain.