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Grains in your fermentation area...


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#1 Big Nake

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 12:13 PM

I had an email from a brewer I talk with occasionally and he said he had a number of bad batches that were sour and he thought he had an acetobacter infection. He laid out all of his processes, etc. and it occurred to me that he stores, measures and mills his grain in his fermentation area. This is something I briefly did when I first got my mill and sure enough I had some bad batches. I seem to remember that grain usually has some amount of lacto on it and grain dust blowing around your fermentation area would/could produce a sour beer. True?

Edited by KenLenard, 15 September 2014 - 12:19 PM.


#2 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 12:18 PM

Yup.



#3 HVB

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 12:44 PM

I store and measure my grain near where I brew and ferment, I mill in teh garage, and have not had any issues. 



#4 Big Nake

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 12:51 PM

I could see milling it making more dust than just storing or measuring. I do store in large plastic bins that are in a different room than where I ferment and I measure and mill either in the backyard or in the garage.

#5 positiveContact

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 12:52 PM

storage and measuring in a seperate location.  milling in the garage where I brew.



#6 Poptop

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 01:00 PM

Storage in the house, milling in the garage, brewing poolside. Thankfully I don't have a big house.

#7 Big Nake

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 01:54 PM

I used to keep covered bins of grain in my fermentation area and this was back when I ordered precrushed grain. I measured it out in the kitchen and never had to mill it and never ran into a problem. But when I heard that the grain could negatively impact fermenting beer, I moved it to another spot in the basement and made sure all of it was in plastic bins with lids that snap closed. Cheers & thanks gang.

#8 chadm75

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 01:55 PM

I store, measure, mill, and ferment all in the same 10x10 area and (knock on wood) have never had this issue.  But I know it's a real possibility if you're not careful.



#9 matt6150

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 01:56 PM

I store and measure next to where I brew and ferment but mill outside away from it all. No problems so far.



#10 denny

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 02:08 PM

Grains are a notorious source of lactobacillus, but I've never heard of an issue with acetobactor.  Assuming he just misidentified the infection, I'd say that the grains near the brewing area is the problem.



#11 MyaCullen

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 02:23 PM

Grains are a notorious source of lactobacillus, but I've never heard of an issue with acetobactor.  Assuming he just misidentified the infection, I'd say that the grains near the brewing area is the problem.

if it really was aceto, I'd be looking for fruit flies  :stabby:



#12 Big Nake

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 02:33 PM

if it really was aceto, I'd be looking for fruit flies  :stabby:

Oh, thanks for reminding me. He said that he did see a couple of fruit flies around his fermenting area. Personally, I don't know what this means... Are the flies attracted to the beer and then leave the acetobacter infection behind or something? Could just be some other bug too, I assume. I have plants that are out all summer and then bring them in when it gets cold and I see little gnats or something flying around. I have never attributed that to beer, brewing, etc... just something that came in from outside.

#13 MyaCullen

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 02:41 PM

Oh, thanks for reminding me. He said that he did see a couple of fruit flies around his fermenting area. Personally, I don't know what this means... Are the flies attracted to the beer and then leave the acetobacter infection behind or something? Could just be some other bug too, I assume. I have plants that are out all summer and then bring them in when it gets cold and I see little gnats or something flying around. I have never attributed that to beer, brewing, etc... just something that came in from outside.

fruit flies are attracted to the fermenting brew, and can get in through tiniest little crack, I had 2 get into and ruin a batch of wine once, just 2 had enough acetobaceter on them to ruin 5 gallons of wine



#14 Big Nake

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Posted 15 September 2014 - 02:53 PM

fruit flies are attracted to the fermenting brew, and can get in through tiniest little crack, I had 2 get into and ruin a batch of wine once, just 2 had enough acetobaceter on them to ruin 5 gallons of wine

Boo, scary.

#15 denny

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Posted 16 September 2014 - 09:29 AM

Oh, thanks for reminding me. He said that he did see a couple of fruit flies around his fermenting area. Personally, I don't know what this means... Are the flies attracted to the beer and then leave the acetobacter infection behind or something? Could just be some other bug too, I assume. I have plants that are out all summer and then bring them in when it gets cold and I see little gnats or something flying around. I have never attributed that to beer, brewing, etc... just something that came in from outside.

 

The flies are attracted to the CO2 coming from the beer as well as the sugar in it.  They're covered in acetobacter.  They're not the same as gnats.



#16 shaggaroo

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Posted 16 September 2014 - 04:08 PM

I store, measure, mill, and ferment all in the same 10x10 area and (knock on wood) have never had this issue.  But I know it's a real possibility if you're not careful.

this for me too




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