What causes the vingar taste?

[Toam]

I have noticed that I have a vinegary taste in my beer...

What causes it, and when is it cause (fermenter, bottle, etc)?

[Trough Lolly]

Here's what John Palmer says about vinegar in your beer:

Symptom: It smells like vinegar.
Cause 1: Bacteria In this case, it probably is. Aceto bacteria (vinegar producing) and Lacto bacteria (lactic acid producing) are common contaminates in breweries. Sometimes the infection will produce sweet smells like malt vinegar, other times they will produce cidery smells. It will depend on which bug is living in your wort. Aceto bacteria often produce ropy strands of jelly which can be a good visual indicator, as can excessive cloudiness, after several weeks in the fermentor (although some cloudiness is not unusual, especially in all-grain beers).
Cure: If you don't like the taste, then pour it out. Lactic infections are desired in some beer styles.

Cause 2: Wild Yeast/Bacteria Two other bugs are also common, Brettanomyces and Pediococcus. Brettanomyces is supposed to smell like horse sweat or a horse blanket. Raise your hand if you know what a horse smells like. From sweat, I mean. Anyone? I think Brettanomyces smells like leather, myself. Pediococcus can produce diacetyl and acidic aromas and flavors.

One man's garbage can be another man's gold though. These two cultures and Lacto bacteria are actually essential to the Belgian Lambic beer styles. Under other circumstances and styles, beers that taste like Lambics would be discarded instead of being carefully nurtured and blended over a two year period. Lambic beers have a pronounced tartness with fruity overtones. This type of beer is very refreshing and is excellent with heavy food.
Cure: Be meticulous in your sanitation or investigate Lambic brewing.

[Toam]

As they say, a prevention is better than a cure.

What is the best way to make sure this doesn't happen again?

[gregb]

Thorough sanitisation procedures.

Cheers,
Greg

[Dogger Dan]

If you have bret and using a plastic a fermentor, you may as well forget about using it for anything else but sour beer. It is pretty resilient.

Dogger

[daz]

"the old saying , cleanlinest is next to godly next" Pop was 93 when he passed away, last thing he told me #1, dont let your brother get my gear, #2 scrub your hands too boy before you make beer. I always sterilze my gear as if it had the clap, have never had a propblem, dont give infection a chance.

[FazerPete]

If you have bret and using a plastic a fermentor, you may as well forget about using it for anything else but sour beer. It is pretty resilient.

Dogger

It's not impossible to get back. I had a couple of infections earlier in the year but managed to get rid of it by soaking in a strong napisan solution for a week. Don't forget to soak the tap as well.

[Dogger Dan]

If you have bret and using a plastic a fermentor, you may as well forget about using it for anything else but sour beer. It is pretty resilient.

Dogger

It's not impossible to get back. I had a couple of infections earlier in the year but managed to get rid of it by soaking in a strong napisan solution for a week. Don't forget to soak the tap as well.

Sure it was bret? I avoid it like the plague, and have avoided it on purpose, but I have heard bret is real nasty.

Dogger

[Boonie]

I have had infections a couple of times and the Aceto Vinegar one too.

I have found that if I put Napisan with Hot water from the tap, no cold at all, but all hot and leave for 2-3 days, Wash with sterilised sponge, rinse and then sterilise the fermenter, she's right to go again.

I think I said this before, but I have gone back to neopink as I was getting infections with the other methods. I have not had one since, but then again, maybe I have tightened up on my sterilisation methods.

Cheers

Boonie

[chris.]

Firstly I'd be making sure that it really is an Aceto bacteria, Brett, or Pediococcus infection. It would be a hassle to go through a rigorous cleaning if there's no real need. Do you know of any more experienced local brewers that could taste it for you?

[morgs]

Yeah sure its not a cidery taste?

[Toam]

So if it is gonna hang around in the fermenter, am I gonna have the same problem with the bottles?

[hbg]

Did you use normal Sugar instead of Dextrose?

[Toam]

No.


Also it seems to have decreased significantly with time so I am assuming it was a cidery taste due to using shitty yeast and high temps.