Fruit Fly found on krausen, what do I do?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Maestro0708, Jul 6, 2017.

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  1. Maestro0708

    Maestro0708 Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2015 Kentucky

    Okay so I brewed a batch of Hefeweizen on 6/22 and decide to open ferment due to what I had read about the yeast (wyeast 3068). I am using a 6.5 gallon bucket and covered the grommet with foil. Eventually, a box of fruit was brought into the house and we ended up with some fruit flies. Immediately I noticed they were attracted to the lid of the fermenter. I decided to throw a towel over the fermenter to provide an extra barrier but I opened the lid tonight to double check the beer and there was a single dead fruit fly atop the krausen. Attached is a pic of the krausen (this is now day 14) in case that will give any indication of the beers health or infection. Basically I don't know what to do from here so any help is much appreciated!

    Cheers

    [​IMG]
     
    #1 Maestro0708, Jul 6, 2017
  2. FeDUBBELFIST

    FeDUBBELFIST Pooh-Bah (1,765) Oct 31, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Personally I would just get a large sanitized and try to scoop up the fly and the Krause around it (while not allowing the fly to touch any additional krausen). Discard the fly and krausen, finish conditioning & package like you normally would. Nothing left to do except hope and consume. Hefeweizen should be consumed freshy anyway so put your drinking pants on and go to town and / or share as much as possible before the infection stares to reach flavor threshold (which honestly will probably be a nice addition to a well made wheat beer). In other words, I wouldn't worry too much....
     
    #2 FeDUBBELFIST, Jul 6, 2017
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  3. Maestro0708

    Maestro0708 Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2015 Kentucky


    Well that is good news... I was planning on adding strawberries to this beer (it's for my mom's birthday)... Any reason I shouldn't stick with that plan?
     
    #3 Maestro0708, Jul 6, 2017
  4. FeDUBBELFIST

    FeDUBBELFIST Pooh-Bah (1,765) Oct 31, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    No reason to switch up the plan.
     
    #4 FeDUBBELFIST, Jul 6, 2017
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  5. Supergenious

    Supergenious Maven (1,273) May 9, 2011 Michigan

    Yeah, you should be ok. Scoop it out as suggested. And might be a good idea to put a proper air lock on to keep anymore from getting in.
     
    #5 Supergenious, Jul 6, 2017
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  6. dmtaylor

    dmtaylor Savant (1,149) Dec 30, 2003 Wisconsin

    You're fortunate it was only one fly. If there were 10 or 100 of them in there, I would have advised you to drink all the beer as fast as possible before it goes bad. Fruit flies are nasty creatures. And they love alcohol. People tell you to use vinegar in the bottom of a jar with a funnel to capture them. I've used beer with great success. They are attracted to the ethanol.
     
    #6 dmtaylor, Jul 6, 2017
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  7. Tebuken

    Tebuken Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2009 Argentina

    I think I have been a fruit fly in my previous life,LOL
     
    #7 Tebuken, Jul 6, 2017
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