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Author Topic: fruit flies in airlock  (Read 4787 times)

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: fruit flies in airlock
« Reply #15 on: September 25, 2014, 08:08:18 am »
I sometimes get the flys in the airlock. Never had an infected batch yet.
Biggest problem for me is they like to hang out in the beer faucets.
So, the first pour of the day usually has me picking them out of my pint of beer.

You can buy little caps for the taps (Hey I'm a poet!) or, alternatly just put a little bit of seran wrap over the end.

+1.  Cheap too :

http://www.amazon.com/Kleen-Plug-Draft-Beer-Faucet-Brush/dp/B002S3Q4N4
Jon H.

Offline 69franx

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Re: fruit flies in airlock
« Reply #16 on: September 25, 2014, 08:59:45 am »
I had a crazy number of fruit flies in my basement a couple years back.  They had taken up residence in the floor drain beside my deep sink.  I ended up have to soak the drain, grate and exposed inside pipe with "Home Defense" stuff 2 or 3 times to kill all the little buggers.

I haven't had another bout with them since.  I did learn to be more vigilant with that drain though.

Paul
For pesky drain flies, you need an active source solution like live bacteria that will eat through food matter/sugar deposits left by spilt wort, etc. Check it out here:http://www.amazon.com/Bio-clean-Drain-Septic-Bacteria-lb/dp/B001N09KN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411656990&sr=8-1&keywords=bio+clean
I have not used this specific product, but live bacteria was the only thing that would get rid of drain flies in the restaurants I have worked in: if the drain has any food residue, they will nest and breed in it and never go away
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline Stevie

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Re: fruit flies in airlock
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2014, 09:48:43 am »
I had a crazy number of fruit flies in my basement a couple years back.  They had taken up residence in the floor drain beside my deep sink.  I ended up have to soak the drain, grate and exposed inside pipe with "Home Defense" stuff 2 or 3 times to kill all the little buggers.

I haven't had another bout with them since.  I did learn to be more vigilant with that drain though.

Paul
For pesky drain flies, you need an active source solution like live bacteria that will eat through food matter/sugar deposits left by spilt wort, etc. Check it out here:http://www.amazon.com/Bio-clean-Drain-Septic-Bacteria-lb/dp/B001N09KN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411656990&sr=8-1&keywords=bio+clean
I have not used this specific product, but live bacteria was the only thing that would get rid of drain flies in the restaurants I have worked in: if the drain has any food residue, they will nest and breed in it and never go away


A flush with white vinegar helps as well, but you need to get enough in there to flush the entire pipe and fill the trap. I pour about a quart of vinegar down the kitchen drain whenever we leave town for more than a few days.

Offline Slowbrew

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Re: fruit flies in airlock
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2014, 10:07:51 am »
I had a crazy number of fruit flies in my basement a couple years back.  They had taken up residence in the floor drain beside my deep sink.  I ended up have to soak the drain, grate and exposed inside pipe with "Home Defense" stuff 2 or 3 times to kill all the little buggers.

I haven't had another bout with them since.  I did learn to be more vigilant with that drain though.

Paul
For pesky drain flies, you need an active source solution like live bacteria that will eat through food matter/sugar deposits left by spilt wort, etc. Check it out here:http://www.amazon.com/Bio-clean-Drain-Septic-Bacteria-lb/dp/B001N09KN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411656990&sr=8-1&keywords=bio+clean
I have not used this specific product, but live bacteria was the only thing that would get rid of drain flies in the restaurants I have worked in: if the drain has any food residue, they will nest and breed in it and never go away


A flush with white vinegar helps as well, but you need to get enough in there to flush the entire pipe and fill the trap. I pour about a quart of vinegar down the kitchen drain whenever we leave town for more than a few days.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll hang on to them in case the beasties return. 

"Knock on wood", the have not returned for a couple of years.

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?