Gnat in my starter :(

Sat Mar 08, 2014 4:01 pm

Just looked at my starter and I see and gnat floating around in it. Definitely a gnat and not a fruit fly, would you still pitch it?

Sucks, this was a two yeast vial starter so I'd had to dump it, but this beer is going in a barrel so I'd had to infect it too.
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NervousDad
 
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Re: Gnat in my starter :(

Sat Mar 08, 2014 4:11 pm

Dumped it, didn't want to do anything stupid :)
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NervousDad
 
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Re: Gnat in my starter :(

Sat Mar 08, 2014 5:40 pm

Good move. There is absolutely no reason to knowingly throw bad bacteria into your beer.
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BDawg
 
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Re: Gnat in my starter :(

Sat Mar 08, 2014 10:15 pm

That's why I never leave my starter so they'd have access. Cheesecloth, or perforated foil rubber banded in place, then loosely covered in foil.
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spiderwrangler
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Re: Gnat in my starter :(

Sun Mar 09, 2014 12:08 am

Just take the gnat out and pitch it, who's to say the gnat would have infected it anyways, guess you'll never know now Tecumseh

But I guess better safe than sorry though huh
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ScottyB-Brewing
 
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Re: Gnat in my starter :(

Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:03 am

Cheese cloth is a great idea.

I can't belive that gnats are out. One day in the 50s and they're back. My wife decided to air out the house by leaving the garage door open, which is right in front of my starter. I had another starter going so I'll just step that one up and brew tomorrow.
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NervousDad
 
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Re: Gnat in my starter :(

Sun Mar 09, 2014 6:10 am

ScottyB-Brewing wrote:Just take the gnat out and pitch it, who's to say the gnat would have infected it anyways, guess you'll never know now Tecumseh

But I guess better safe than sorry though huh


Chances are extremely high that it would have been infected.
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Ozwald
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Re: Gnat in my starter :(

Sun Mar 09, 2014 6:38 am

I use the little foam stoppers in mine, and they seem to keep all the critters out, while allowing in oxygen.


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