Do flies bugger up beer?

[the Baron]

G'day, was just racking from one fermentor to another and during the process two little flies (presumably fruit flies as I was near the compost bin) got into the wort, and as I had dirty hands I didn't bother to scoop them out (they landed on the surface and sank and so I didn't want to run my hands through the whole wort trying to find them), Will these little pricks spoil the whole show? Just incase I bottled half. Does misery lie ahead? I was hopeing that the yeasts would have grown to such big numbers that they wouldn't let any bacteria on the fly get a foothold, is this right?? I will be at home listening to Leonard Cohen with a box of tissues, hoping all is not lost so if someone can help put me out of my misery please do so. Thanks

[gregb]

Drinking that batch could be like Tequila - you get the worm (or in this case fly) in your cup and you win a prize.

I'd bottle the lot and take an early sampler in in 3 weeks or so, if it is cactus ditch it.

Cheers,

Greg.

[Pyssedas Heavy Industrial]

i would fancy your chances of getting away with it - if not let us know if you cant get away with a vinegar fly then i have no chance of surviving the chicken beer experiment

[Evo]

I was going to suggest maybe throwing in a spider.

[grabman]

if that doesn't work you could try chucking in a bird!!!

mmmm sounds like we're heading back to the chicken beer idea.

Which came first? The chicken or the egg!!!!!!

[Kozzi]

In relation to the chicken beer (sorry to go off topic but what i found out is most interesting) apparently were going back on a historical tangent here.

Apparently if we go back to medieval brewing, before the monopolisation of brewing techinques by the church and moreso to the ale wives beginning the concept of a public house (note the derivative of pub).

Well there used to be something known as a cock beer. Apparently the way this particular beer was made was to get a live chicken in a bag, smash it against the side of the wall and put it in the brew, bones, blood and all.

Used to be moderately popular.

Anyways that was just something interesting I came across in my readings for my beer documentary

[Dogger Dan]

Just so you know the egg was having a smoke and the chicken was pissed of, so that should put that to rest.

As far as the flies go, what doesn't kill you will go to fat,

Shouldn't be any troubles unless they were mutant flies carrying West Nile and then you are hooked (Just kidding)

Dogger

[Oliver]

I'd be surprised if you encountered problems. After all, many beers (Belgian Trappist beers, for instance) have always been and still are fermented in open vats, so god only knows what crap falls or crawls into it.

Who knows, with those flies in it you might end up with a Chimay!!!

Cheers,

Oliver

[Guest]

If you throw in a spider to get the flies, then throw in the bird to get the spider and that still doesn't work, throw in a cat. If it still doesn't work, at least you've done the world a favour.

[grabman]

now to really get myself in trouble!!!!

mmmm beer and pussy, an interesting combination!!!!!


nuf said

[gregb]

Grabman said it, but we was thinkin' it....

[db]

racking near a compost bin?.. thats just asking for trouble isnt it?

[Dogger Dan]

Yeh, I would think that to but hey, if it is working for ya why change. Never argue with success. God only knows, I brew near the sump (hole in the ground full of stagnent water).

Dogger

[Tom Summers]

No problem mate, I had a beer with a big fly like a horse fly in it and it came out OK, see my post of5/9/08

[drsmurto]

4 years too late there mate, somehow i suspect he wont see this post.....

[lethaldog]