Screwup - fruit flies

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Valleyer
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Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Valleyer » Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:39 pm

So I just popped the lid off my fermenter to do (my first ever) priming/bottling and there were maybe two dozen, tops, dead fruit flies in the bucket. They were all dead and all just below the level of the liquid. It's been sitting almost three weeks now - I had a look one week in and didn't see anything. Do I just carry on? I'm not sure how they got in but they did, clearly. Tight lid/airlock, airlock still had water in it.

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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by spears104 » Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:48 pm

Keep going and hope you don't have an infection. Are you bottling or kegging?

What kind of fermenter were you using?
Primary -
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LiverDance
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by LiverDance » Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:59 pm

At this point I would just carry on if it tastes ok
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

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Keith
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Keith » Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:01 pm

Fingers crossed the alcohol killed any potential infection. I'd also not let that batch sit around too long incase there is one brewing. Get it in ya while it's young.
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Valleyer
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Valleyer » Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:07 pm

There was absolutely nothing floating on top of it except for a couple carcasses, with respect to infection, for what that's worth. Did it in a standard bucket, planning to bottle.

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Ladd
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Ladd » Thu Aug 28, 2014 6:20 pm

Fruit flies are terrible sources of acetobacter bacteria. I'd take the advice of getting it conditioned and cold as quickly as possible. Also be ultra careful not to introduce any oxygen as acetobacter use it in respiration and your batch can very quickly go to vinegar. Unfortunately they are also pretty alcohol tolerant, up to 10-15% IIRC. Crossing my fingers for you!
"If you want to make wine all you have to do is tread a few grapes. Try treading some barley and all you'll get is sore feet" - Dr. Charles Bamforth

Valleyer
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Valleyer » Thu Aug 28, 2014 6:25 pm

Well, everything's bottled. Guess we'll see. Thanks all.

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Keith
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Keith » Thu Aug 28, 2014 6:33 pm

If it goes bad, save a few bottles for the judges to help the judges.
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Woody
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Woody » Fri Aug 29, 2014 12:29 pm

Keith wrote:If it goes bad, save a few bottles for the judges to help the judges.
:lol:

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Keith
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Keith » Fri Aug 29, 2014 12:34 pm

omfg, almost as bad as my Stillwelll drunk as fuck post that made no sense. atleast we had an idea of what I meant here.
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Woody
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Woody » Fri Aug 29, 2014 12:37 pm

Keith wrote:omfg, almost as bad as my Stillwelll drunk as fuck post that made no sense. atleast we had an idea of what I meant here.
:cheers2: Your really making me look forward to Hoptoberfest. It could get interesting. ha ha

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Keith
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Re: Screwup - fruit flies

Post by Keith » Fri Aug 29, 2014 12:39 pm

Could? Fuck yea it will. I'm getting wheel chair drunk. :cheers2:
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