I've got a yeast infection... Please help. No really

Hi all. I’m just cracked open a batch that I bottled 3 weeks ago and I’m getting gushers and very unflavored bland and a bit funky beer. I’m pretty sure I got a wild yeast infection. My questions are, would you dump the bottles or just PBW them good, same question for equipment? The whole batch seems to be affected so I’m guessing it was either in the fermenter or some stray yeast go into my bottling bucket. I’m thinking that wild yeast shouldn’t be cause to replace equipment but I’m looking for opinions from those who’ve been through it.

Thanks!

Stevo

I would be reticent to reuse those bottles, but not so much with the equipment.  Bottles are free, mostly.

You should review your yeast management practices in addition to reviewing your sanitation and wort handling practices.  The airborne wild microflora count is much higher in the spring and summer than it is during the cold months.  I am willing to bet that the infection was pitched with the yeast culture.

the local “fizzy bug” in my parts sticks to the sides of the bottle even better than just about any pesky Belgian yeast.  Someone with suspect sanitation practices brings such a bottle to just about every club meeting I go to. 
If it doesn’t rinse off, I have soaked/scrubbed and re-used bottles, but it’s generally not worth the effort for me to scrub with so many bottles on hand.  YMMV.  So, if you want to do the work, I would not worry about being able to sanitize your bottles again.

You should also not have a problem sanitizing any equipment that came in contact with it, but then again, how expensive is a little tubing and a new bottle filler?  $5?  And review all sanitation practices, as usual.

Look up the time temp profile to sterilize the bottles. Put foil over the opening, something like 375F for an hour and they are sterile. Leave the foil on , cool slowly so that the glass does not become brittle.

Or just pitch them and get new ones.

I typically PBW my bottles a week or prior to bottling, store them upside down in a fast rack and cover them with a new trash bag. I have to admit I do not Rerinse them before hitting them with star San so there could be a vector there. The other could be an older PET fermenter. I did rinse it and star San it before I used it but it had been easily 6 months since I used it last. I typically soak all my bottling equipment including dismantling my bucket spigot, for an extended time in starsan. I suppose something could have wafted into my bottling bucket. As far as pitching, this was a direct pitch from a white labs vial into a 2.5 gallon batch. FG was spot on, and I sprayed the vial with starsan. It’s just that in the past when I’ve encountered a suspect wild yeast infection, it took a month or two to affect the beer. This one blew through my brew in a little under 3 weeks. Could have been a very hungry yeast infection I suppose.

I do believe that will be my immediate course of action. rather not take a chance

Contaminated brews don’t typically give you gushers that quickly. To me, my first thought is that the beer wasn’t completely finished at bottling time, or maybe overprimed. Is every bottle a gusher, or just certain ones? Incompletely mixed priming sugar is another possibility.

That is always a possibility. The recipe was a mild using WLP007. I primed 2.25 gallons with 1.6 ounces of corn sugar. After carefully reviewing my notes, I was a little off on the time frame. I bottled on 6/7/14 so it’s been about a month. I should also clarify, my beer is in fact not gushing at this time but when I pour it, it has A LOT of carbonation and is starting to taste a bit sharp, tart. All of the bottles I’ve tried so far seem to have the same problem. Could I have gotten some stray yeasties in the fermenter, possible when I was chilling?
Thanks again for all the suggestions.

I’m likely in the minority here but my best guess would be the beers are just over-carbed.  The tart flavor can be caused by the CO2.  And the CO2 could be masking any other flavors making them seem bland.

I’d also reuse the bottles.  Clean them well, run them through the dishwasher and dry at the highest temp it has.  They are glass so the can be cleaned up.  Sanitize normally before the next use.

Good luck with the next batch.  I’m sure it will turn out fine.

Paul

I wouldn’t dump the bottle. Heat sterilize them like Jeff mentions.

This sounds like a good idea. I’m all for every ounce of prevention I can manage. I believe I’m going to go ahead and replace my bottling bucket as well although I think I’m going to use a ported carboy instead. Much smaller chance of airborne buggies getting in there. I’m also quite intrigued with the Better Bottle closed loop, O2 free transfer system I’ve been reading about. It’s a bit pricey, but for a guy who can’t keg, it might give me one more advantage in controlling staling, and bugs. But definitely gonna step up my bottle cleaning awareness. I thought I was doing good by PBWing the bottles, then rinsing and sanitizing. Although as I said earlier, There is a few weeks in between cleaning and bottling so maybe I should clean and possibly heat sterilize the day before.

I would always opt for sanitizing just prior to bottling…I know that bacteria doesn’t fall upward, but it can be blown in past or at least onto the lip of the the bottles.  I am guessing that it is acetobacter or lacto contamination based on the sour indicator, but unless you have a microscope, you probably will never know.  A PBW soak and a rinse, then a sanitizer should make your bottles fine to use again.

Interesting followup. I may have been wrong about an infection. erockrph may have indeed been right about this being a carbing error on my part and I just overcarbed the beer. That in combination with some green flavors possibly. This was the first beer I’ve brewed with WLP007 so I am definitely unfamiliar with it’s flavor characteristics. When all is said and done, the beer is starting to mellow out. I’d have bet money that the off flavors we’re some sort of bug… but I thought that type of issue doesn’t typically fade with time. Anyway gonna let them ride, and see what they turn into. :slight_smile: