12 replies to this topic

[VirginiaBeach]

Gentlemen, I recently purchased a Bayou Classic burner and have been giving it some test runs to burn off the black paint before I actually brew (sometime this week.) I put my brew pot full of water to test the boil time and on one occasion I saw a small fruit fly floating dead in the water. Has this ever been a concern for anyone else brewing outside? I don't have the means to brew inside but I figured I'd ask if anyone had any insight or suggestions? I suppose it would be sanitary considering the wort will be boiling if a fly does get in, but it's pretty nasty to think about nonetheless...Thanks.

[ncbeerbrewer]

You are right flies are definitely not wanted insects even around beer. I brew outside myself so I can understand your feelings. My thought is that if you get them before you are done boiling I would not worry about it as you said the boiling would sanitize your wort. Once you get past your boil for cool down and transfer I would just try to keep it covered a bit just to minimize any future fly landings. I would think that once you pitched the yeast if you had a fly get in there after your boil it would get killed off as the yeast take over and start fermentation. I have not really had much of a problem with this myself but I would think with the cooler temps now the bugs should die down and hopefully clear up for you for awhile too. Good Luck.Edit: Don't worry this question has been brought up here recently and I think the consensus was drink up!! You will be alright.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

You are right flies are definitely not wanted insects even around beer. I brew outside myself so I can understand your feelings. My thought is that if you get them before you are done boiling I would not worry about it as you said the boiling would sanitize your wort. Once you get past your boil for cool down and transfer I would just try to keep it covered a bit just to minimize any future fly landings. I would think that once you pitched the yeast if you had a fly get in there after your boil it would get killed off as the yeast take over and start fermentation. I have not really had much of a problem with this myself but I would think with the cooler temps now the bugs should die down and hopefully clear up for you for awhile too. Good Luck.Edit: Don't worry this question has been brought up here recently and I think the consensus was drink up!! You will be alright.

I scooped a bee out of my chilled wort once. Beer turned out fine

[beach]

I brew in my garage with the door up in warm weather and this entered my mind also. I found one of those splatter screens, like you use to keep bacon grease from splattering all over, bent the handle out of the way and use that. It keeps the bugs and spiders out and lets the steam escape.Beach

[BarelyBrews]

This is why i don't like to leave my beer when im making it . Also is not uncommon to fetch a maple or oak leaf out of the boil.The Heat of the boil ,and burner will keep most stuff away when you get going .IMHO.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

This is why i don't like to leave my beer when im making it . Also is not uncommon to fetch a maple or oak leaf out of the boil.The Heat of the boil ,and burner will keep most stuff away when you get going .IMHO.

I've also had those little helicopter things from the maple trees end up in there I think. Also that light fluffy fuzz that floats around in the spring (I think it's from some sort of flowering tree).

[Big Nake]

I brew in the garage all year long. If something has landed in my brewpot, I haven't noticed it. My biggest concern is windy days when something could blow into the brewpot once it's been chilled. Generally, I think that you're safe all the way around unless you are careless. I keep my overhead door open about a foot or so, and if I open the backdoor in my garage and the wind blows through, I get a little nervous. But hundreds of batches have been brewed this way in the garage over the past 5 years and it seems pretty safe. Cheers.Ps. I once brewed a batch of beer with pilsner malt that was infested with live grain bettles. They certainly passed in the mash and it ended up being a delicious batch of West Coast Lager! Cheers.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Ps. I once brewed a batch of beer with pilsner malt that was infested with live grain bettles. They certainly passed in the mash and it ended up being a delicious batch of West Coast Lager! Cheers.

free protein

[Big Nake]

free protein

Right. I think I told this story already, but the LHBS was having a huge "fire sale" to get rid of their grains because of the beetles. I got something like 20 lbs of Pilsner malt for $5 and they milled it for me too. At the store, I inspected it carefully and saw no bugs. But when I measured it out, there were a few here and there. Grain beetles be damned! I made the beer anyway and it was delicious! Don't fear the bugs or outside brewing. I also mentioned once that I was at a friends house brewing during the winter and when the boil was over, he left the brewpot in a snow bank for a few hours while we all sat around drinking beer. I wondered about the sanitary aspect of that, but the beer was fine! Cheers.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Right. I think I told this story already, but the LHBS was having a huge "fire sale" to get rid of their grains because of the beetles. I got something like 20 lbs of Pilsner malt for $5 and they milled it for me too. At the store, I inspected it carefully and saw no bugs. But when I measured it out, there were a few here and there. Grain beetles be damned! I made the beer anyway and it was delicious! Don't fear the bugs or outside brewing. I also mentioned once that I was at a friends house brewing during the winter and when the boil was over, he left the brewpot in a snow bank for a few hours while we all sat around drinking beer. I wondered about the sanitary aspect of that, but the beer was fine! Cheers.

Lid on right?

[Big Nake]

Lid on right?

Lid on. But still... many of us thought, Is that safe? and the brewer said that he did it all the time in the winter without problems. I once read something about how people who brew in the summer outdoors are asking for trouble because there is all kinds of stuff blowing around. So far, so good. Cheers.

[boo boo]

I brew outdoors all the time and have never worried about anything getting in my brewwhile it is boiling. Granted, tempertures are a bit cooler here in the summer thanon the mainland, with a temp of 72f being a hot day. I do seem to not notice anyflys around when I'm brewing. Only a few wasps and hornets attracted by the sweetsmell of wort.Once my wort is cooling, I worry about anything falling in, but by that time Ihave the kettle covered, and I don't leave it long after the wort is cooledbefore I rack into a fermenter.

[MolBasser]

Dude, it isn't like a diaper fell in the wort!A little pre boil fly is just extra flavor.I would be much more concerned with a chilled wort fly as in the aerated state it can be a substrate for acetobacter.Meh.Its home brew!MolBasser