Comment - from time to time a Brewer may experience an infected brew. Fact - all non-commercial beer carries some level of infection. Fortunately, infection is only apparent once the off flavours and aromas reach a certain threshold (perceivable level). Some of us are more sensitive to this than others. An infected brew may produce the following symptoms:Appearance; a scum ring inside the bottle and haziness (not due to yeast)Aroma; vinegar, medicinal or solvent smell.Taste; sour, sharp or harsh flavour.Remedy - clean and sanitise all equipment that will come in contact with the brew to minimize the symptoms of infection.
To clean:Soak equipment in water until caked on residue is softened.
- Remove residue with a soft cloth and rinse thoroughly.
- Pay attention to ‘hard to get at’ areas.Remove and clean the tap, particularly the threads.NOTE: Do not use any cleaning aid that may scratch the plastic.
To sanitize using Coopers Sanitizer:
- Dissolve 4 capfuls of Coopers Sanitizer in the fermenting tub with a litre of hot water.
- Place all equipment in the fermenting tub, fill to the brim with cold water and let soak overnight (or at least 2 hours).
- Drain the fermenting tub through the tap and rinse all equipment with hot water.
- The fermenting tub lid need only be cleaned then rinsed with hot water.
To sanitize using Unscented Household Bleach:
- Add ¼ cup of unscented household bleach to the fermenting tub.
- Place all equipment in the fermenting tub, fill with cool water and let soak overnight.
- Rinse out with hot water to remove all traces of chlorine smell.
- The fermenting tub lid need only be cleaned then rinsed with hot water.
Bottles – Clean bottles may be filled with sanitizing solution drained from the fermenting tub after soaking for 2 hours, left to soak for a further 2 hours, then drained from the bottles. Coopers PET bottles and soft drink bottles should be sanitized and rinsed with cold/warm solution.