Freaking Bacteria Everywhere!

[Westco]

So a while ago I posted about a starter that I had made that went sour on me. Yes thats right a starter that went sour in just a matter of 48 hours or so. It was the first starter that I have ever made that got infected. It had a bunch of Belgian flavors when I tasted the starter. Well since then I had made and fermented a couple more batches and guess what? ITS FUCKING EVERYWHERE! I cracked open a Oktoberfest the other day and guess what? Slight bubble gun starting to get a bit tangy already and I just bottled it a week ago.

I had another lager fermenting away in my fridge, it completely finished out and was very clear, so I took it out for a gravity reading and it was perfect. I then put it back into the fridge till I had some time to bottle/keg it. Well 2 days later and it fucking has a layer of white stuff and its acting like its starting up again.

I have been brewing for 2 years now, we can safely assume that its not me and my practices of keeping things clean and sanitized. Also I sat out overnight a pot with some black beans to soak to cook the next night, well things did not go as I planned and I did not get to the beans until about 30 hours instead of the normal 24. Well it had a thick layer of white foam and it smelled just like all of my beer BELGIAN! The pot was covered too.

WTF is going on? Am I going to have to move? I can't brew, ferment, bottle in my home. I am not sure exactly why I am posting this but I am just curious as to what people think is going on and if there is anything I can do about it. I really don't want to make Belgian beers with wild yeast from my apartment forever.

[jomebrew]

Maybe your water filter is fracked?

Have you checked your wife/GF? Is she starting to foam up too?

[Westco]

It has nothing to do with a water filter beings I don't add water after flame out on my brews. My starters the same thing boil for 15 min in a flask, I don't even transefer it to another vessel I just cool it and pitch. It's something else

[bikefoolery]

Start with all things in common after the boil: tubing, siphon starter, sanitizer. Replace the tubing and other plastics. Toss the sanitizer you have now. Get a new bottle or change to a different type. Meticulously scrub everything, soak in PBW/Oxiclean (except Alu bits) to loosen soil. Close the windows when bottling or transferring. Don't do it within 24 hours of the vacuum running. Don't mill grain in the same area you bottle/transfer/ferment. Get mid-evil on those bugs!

Or go the Jamil route and put the family in Haz-Mat suits with respirators and brew in a positive pressure HEPA filtered room.

Or enjoy your new Lambic brewing tradition. Some folks might enjoy the new house flavor.

The Fool

[BayouBrew]

Ditto on all of the above. Your transfer tubing, stopper, airlock, siphon starter, plastic spigot on your bottling bucket, the bucket itself, or any other plastics that you use could have scratches, even if not visible, which would give bugs a place to hide and prevent proper satitation. That still doesn't expain the beans though. Maybe you should tear out your walls, ceiling, and A/C system and replace all of that too while you are at it . Good luck and keep us posted.

[Westco]

No it doesn't explain the beans or my starter. I know its not my tubing because my old set cracked a week ago so i had to buy a new racking cane and while I was there I bought 3 Feet of new tubing. I transfer my shit in a closed system from carboy to keg using air and a carboy cap.

it has to be my apartment, how else could you explain the beans? Also I never transfer my starters they are boiled in a flask and cooled while being covered the entire time. I don't know if this makes a difference but I brew at my parents place and ferment in my apartment.

[Westco]

Fuck it! Okay so this is what I am going to do. i am going to make a starter and grow the bug myself and brew up some good beer with it. I will naturally catch the bug just leaving it exposed. I will take pictures of everything myself and post them later.

[TimmyR]

That's crazy!! Good luck at West-Cantillon!