Home of the BrewNosers

So my last two batches of same recipe have come out bad.

In the first batch I used second generation yeast that had been in the fridge for about 3 weeks. Attenuation was good but ended up with scum on top of the beer in the secondary. Has a plastic taste classic contamination taste. Very cloudy even though I cold crashed and filtered with 5 micron filter.

Used new yeast, two packs of of US-05 in the second (5 gallon) batch. Vacation plans got in the way this beer ended up in the primary for 13 days. This batch tastes like dead yeast.

Both are all grain recipes with 10 lbs two row and about 2.5 labs of speciality grains, chocolate, Munich and crystal 60. Only 2 oz of early hop additions.

My set up us is a single tier, 3 keg brew system with propane burners and a pump for transferring wort. I have been cleaning my boiler with scotch brite pads....

I fermented both times in a plastic bucket. Used plastic auto siphon for transferring from primary to carboy. Plastic bucket had about 3 batches in it before the first botched batch.

Hops were bough in 1 lbs bags from Ontario beer kegs.

I use starsan in a spray bottle and only let things sit for about 1 min before I use them. I haven't been rinsing the starsan off much.

My question is, what is your thoughts on the probable cause of the botched batches. I obviously need to make some changes in process and / or equipment.

Having the wort in primary for 13 days should not be an issue if fermentation temps are in check. How long did you leave in secondary? Also, if you are getting the same plastic phenol taste in the second batch? Are you using chlorinated city water? Any chlorine sanitizers? This can give phenolics like plastic but the film on top usually means infection. Do you use your pump to move chilled wort to primary? If so it may be suspect if you are not thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing prior to use. What kind of lid do you use for primary? It's fruit fly season and those buggers can get through very small spaces. Lots if reasons for infection.

Are you cleaning and then sanitizing? That's important. You can't effectively sanitize dirty equipment.

Just throwing out some suggestions for you at this point. Unintended beer infections are frustrating.

Here are a few troubleshooting questions for you to get started:

- 13 day primary doesn't pose any issues (most of mine are 21)
- Hops don't cause contamination; they are a preservative.
- Is it possible that the buckets were scratched somehow? How are you cleaning them?
- The kettle shouldn't be a problem as it would be heat sanitized.
- How do you clean the siphon/tubing. I had an early infection that was caused by crud in the transfer tubing.
- How do you clean your kegs? Do you break them down completely each time?
- How do you clean and sanitize your pump?

I only use the pump to move hot wort and sparse water. I chill wort with a coil of copper then let free fall into the plastic fermenter.

I have been careful not to scratch the plastic fermenter.

My sanitization method is to spray starsan on all surfaces and let set for about 1 min.

Kegs get the same treatment and I break them down to sanitize. Bad taste is noted when I transfer to the keg from the secondary.

The first batch was in the secondary for two weeks, the second batch was in the secondary for 1 week.

Are you using water from a garden hose and what is your primary source for water? City or well?

What temperature are you fermenting at?

You say you are sanitizing, but are you cleaning first. Seems like you are only relying on the star san to clean with, which isn't good enough. You have to clean really well before you attempt to sanitize.

Was the filter sanitized. There is so much to look at that you really have to look closely at your method of cleaning and sanitizing.

Sobeys wrote:
My sanitization method is to spray starsan on all surfaces and let set for about 1 min.

Kegs get the same treatment and I break them down to sanitize. Bad taste is noted when I transfer to the keg from the secondary.

Sounds like the secondary to keg is where you are picking up the infection to me (most likely the keg) . I generally break down my kegs, put a scoop of unscented Walmart brand oxiclean and hot water in it and let it sit for an hour then rinse well, star San, and pressurise to line pressure (10 psi or so). I also drop depress the poppet on the beer out side to get sanitizer up inside the do tube. I leave them until it's time to fill, dump the star San and keg. Hope this helps.

Have you disassembled your kegs and cleaned them yet?

Does the Starsan spray get everywhere it needs to or would it be better to soak things with Starsan? Do you wash your hands (+scrub under fingernails) and dip them in a Starsan bucket? The syphon is soaked in Starsan inside and out? Are you using an immersion chiller? (I dump the top half of mine in the Starsan bucket and put it in 15 mins before the end of the boil) Do you have a spigot on your plastic bucket? those things are a huge source of infection issues unless they can be taken apart and cleaned/sanitised ...sorry dumb questions like that must be really frustrating.

Hearing your story, and seeing how difficult it is to sort this one out, I’m glad I ferment in the kettle. Everything is sanitised by the boil and I only have to worry about the kegs and the tube I use to run the beer into them. The more complicated things are, the harder it is to track down problems, and the more likely it is that problems will occur. I have no idea what the trouble is, but I expect the experts on this site will help you sort it out toute suite.

This recent post by an Australian BIAB expert/pioneer, highlights the problems of tracking down the source of a problem: http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php ... rms#p31316