adamjohnson wrote:I'm getting real tired of drinking "sour" homebrew.
It's not likely to be the fault of my contents: I'm just a newbie, so I'm doing nothing but kits....some with grains, some not.....but all from well-known suppliers like Coopers and America's Best.....but EVERYTHING seems to be coming out SOUR.
I'm mostly using either boiled water or RO bought water, so I don't think THAT's the problem.
My cleaning and sanitation is pretty intense, so I'm at the point where I'm MOST suspicious of my PLASTIC PRIMARY.
Anybody had or heard of problems with that "device"??
It's about the only thing I HAVEN'T changed.....and I'm wondering if it's the culprit.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks for anything, guys.
What kind of sanitizer and cleanser are you using? If you are using something like one-step, I would be a little wary. It claims to be an all in one and from what I have learned, it does not do a great job. If you are using PBW and Star san and you are confident in your regimen, then that probably isn't the issue.
It definitely could be your plastic fermenter. While plastic has many awesome things about it (I only use plastic), it does have some draw backs. It is much more susceptible to scratches which can harbor bacteria. No beer is ever trust sterile going into the fermenter from the kettle and so if there was a large or aggressive colony of bugs or a mistake was made, your carboy could be harboring the bugs. A good step if you have made sure your methods are sound is to replace your plastic equipment. I worry so much about my plastic carboy and bucket that I don't touch the insides at all and only clean with chemicals.
Luckily, a plastic bucket or carboy is pretty cheap. It may be worth it to just do your next batch in a new one and see what happens. You won't be out much more than $20 if something is still wrong and then you still have a new fermenter.