Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Lacto Bacillus in Bottling Line! HELP!!!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    I actually have told them everything that everyone has suggested, including the fact that I am not putting my name on the approval to send anything out of this brewery until I know that we're clean. But they said to go ahead and I'm just doing as told.

    Had the tech in to do some adjustments on the bottling line and even he said a heat treatment needs to be done everytime...these guys weren't even using hot water with the caustic they were using. But as the boss said, 'that costs money' and then he's done with it.

    There is no running water coming from anywhere in the brewery, we use whatever hot water we can get from the liquor tank when it's available.

    And to cap it all off we filtered beer yesterday and even after I've pointedly told them I have no filtering experience, they left me to 'figure it out' and when I had issues and called the boss, he dind't know how to do it either.

    I think when my month trial is up I may have to give it up. Like was said, there's not much that I've invested in it yet (although the 'standard' sixty hour weeks are there) so it will be easier to walk away.

    Thanks so much to everyone who has tried to help, and I'm sorry that all of your wonderful suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. (If anyone knows of a brewery in the UK looking for a brewer, let me know!:-)

    Cheers!!
    Mel

    Comment


    • #17
      Cold caustic???

      Wow.

      Sounds like you're planning to go at the end of your trial. Good move. It's hard to deal with such cluelessness on a daily basis.

      Good luck!

      Comment


      • #18
        that sounds very sad...

        I know you are frustrated now, but maybe the owners really just don't have a good understanding of the trade and expect YOU, the brewer, to take charge. You may have a lot more power to make the right change than you think.

        just monkey around and make good beer. that's the bottom line isn't it?

        Good luck!

        Comment


        • #19
          get the numbers, predict and never react, never give in

          1. Even with Lacto, there's a shelf life's worth of difference between 10 and 10,000 Colony Forming Units(CFU)/ml. Granted, if you're packaging you may not want Lacto inoculated bottles out there. However, if the lab is doing membrane filtration and giving you numbers that are CFU/10ml or CFU/100ml, you have plenty of room before batches are dumped. No need to get on a high horse of quality- indignation. You're paid to make improvements, not protestations. Keep it positive and keep your job.
          2. That said, Lacto (and every non-Saccharo life form) must be eliminated. Complement the lab work with in-house ATP swabs or Petrifilm from 3M. Move up the process chain. Define HACCP. Be a Quality Ninja and use your lab for confirmation.
          3. Relax. Continuous improvement is Zen like. Gently nudge the ecosystem in the direction of your intent, but don't hesitate to whack with some good old oxidizers.
          4. Mold is not Lacto and Lacto is a refined, albeit competitive, organism. Look at your yeast, first.
          If we can help, let us know,
          Regards,
          Scott Bruslind
          Analysis Laboratory
          “We’re your friends,” said my attorney. “We’re not like the others.” HS Thompson (1937-2005)

          Comment


          • #20
            If a filler is cleaned properly (and the beer is clean coming in and proven), the capper is chronically the # 1 source of bacterial contamination. Envision a deep, wet, recessed sleeve where sticky grease is (or should be) applied regularly and fobbing beer builds up in it daily.

            I had a brand new Krones filler just prior to the CIPable crowning head (which they subsequently dropped) and could prove daily that we were feeding the crowner clean product and contaminating it there. We then took the crowning elements (10) apart daily (just the head) and the counts disappeared.

            I have a feeling that you may have other issues but it certainly is worth looking at (especially if you're running out of options). Good luck.

            Comment

            Working...
            X