My partner and I have been brewing several batches to prepare for our opening. We're using 3, 1-bbl systems. We've brewed 10 batches (1, 2 and 3 bbl batches). We've had the same problem with 5 of the 10 batches--sour apple taste during primary fermentation. We've gone to pretty great lengths to address potential sanitation issues (scrubbing, cleaning and sanitizing our brew system, hoses and other transfer equipment, and conicals). We've also tried to limit any exposure of our wort to air during our cooling and transfer. We use a plate chiller and we cool pretty quickly. We don't yet have an in-line oxygenation system, but may at some point soon.
We have had some of the bad beer tested (with a plate) and it appears we may have a lactobacillus issue. At first I thought this might just all be a acetyldahyde problem that would go away--with time and better regulation of temperature during fermentation. Neither of these strategies (waiting and more carefully regulating pitching and fermentation temperatures) seem to have worked.
Any suggestions? Our next move is to purge conicals with CO2 prior to filling. (We've been using US-05 and pitching at a rate of 80g/bbl.) Wondering if we might just have lots of bacteria in the air at the new brewery.
Cheers,
Tim
We have had some of the bad beer tested (with a plate) and it appears we may have a lactobacillus issue. At first I thought this might just all be a acetyldahyde problem that would go away--with time and better regulation of temperature during fermentation. Neither of these strategies (waiting and more carefully regulating pitching and fermentation temperatures) seem to have worked.
Any suggestions? Our next move is to purge conicals with CO2 prior to filling. (We've been using US-05 and pitching at a rate of 80g/bbl.) Wondering if we might just have lots of bacteria in the air at the new brewery.
Cheers,
Tim
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