Brewing has gone downhill!

[rpt]

All equipment is fully dismantled and soaked in hot percarbonate solution overnight.

Is that sodium percarbonate as in oxi clean? I don't think it's a good idea to leave equipment soaking in that for more than a few minutes. If you have hard water it can leave a film if left for too long. I find it cleans quite quickly so there is no need for a long soak.

[DarrenSL]

Yes that's right. I use pure sodium percarbonate (i.e. no perfumes or added detergents you might find in commercial oxy-clean products). The only by-products should be sodium carbonate, oxygen and water. I rinse well then finish off with Starsan which should also neutralise any remaining Carbonate. It's a fair point though. Maybe my dilute phosphoric acid is used up neutralising, leaving a weak sterilising agent. That said the overnight peroxide soak should have done more than enough to kill anything off.

[PhilB]

Hi Darren

In this game of "Brewing Problem Cluedo" can I make my guess that it was ...

• the Straining Bag that did it, I'm not convinced a soak in StarSan will fully penetrate the material and kill all the germs I don't know how, or why, wort strained through it would penetrate the material further and get in contact with germs hidden deeper in the fabric, mind you, but it's one area you haven't altered your process for, yet
• in the process of straining the cooled wort from your boiler to your FV
• with Penicillium Camemberti, or one of the other bacteria that are used to make Brie and Camembert cheeses, that are also found all over smelly feet, and are also known to give off dimethyl sulphide (if you were (only) introducing that in your brewing process, it wouldn't be getting worse over time, would it )

... try boiling the bag before using it for straining and see if that solves your problems

Cheers, PhilB

[orlando]

Penicillium Camemberti, or one of the other bacteria that are used to make Brie and Camembert cheeses, that are also found all over smelly feet,

Well if he is sticking his feet in the brew what do you expect.

[PhilB]

Hi Orlando

Penicillium Camemberti, or one of the other bacteria that are used to make Brie and Camembert cheeses, that are also found all over smelly feet,

Well if he is sticking his feet in the brew what do you expect.

... ... it's more likely he washed the bag in a wash with his socks, or in a washing machine previously used to wash socks ... these low temperature washes are all well and good, but they won't kill the bugs ... in the end, it amounts to sticking your feet in your brew, I suppose

Cheers, PhilB

[DarrenSL]

Thanks Phil.

I don't actually wash the bag in detergent, just a soak in hot percarbonate. It's a good point though. The bag is actually the same bag that I use for the grain in the BIAB which I just dunk in star san, wring and tie around the top of my FV to filter. It think it's unlikely that this is the source of camembert bacteria, but grain is a known source of other bacteria so its probably bad practice for me to do it this way.


Thanks everyone for their input into this. I'm looking forward to my next brew with some important lessons learned:

Leave the lid off the kettle, even after flame out
boil the straining bag before use (or skip altogether and let the break etc settle in the fermenter)
I still don't trust the chiller so I'm going to flame it next time before use!

I'm pretty sure the rest of my equipment and technique is sanitary so hopefully the next brew will be something to shout about! I'll keep you posted