Fruit flies in the starter

[animaldoc]

Yes, I do like the idea of the foam stoppers in general, but if you do have a bunch of flies running around on top of the foam and the lip of the flask, there are additional concerns about sanitizing the foam for future use and flaming the lip of the flask before pouring. The foil keeps them off the lip. I also use foil on my carboys when I've got the stoppered airlock in there... on at least three different times in the archives JZ's bitched about the little crack between the stopper and the opening, and how he gets freaked out about dust settling in there and later falling into the beer. Wrap that thing in foil, no issue.

You can autoclave those foam stoppers if you have a pressure cooker

I just boil water in the stoppered flask to sanitize the flask and stopper then let it cool before filling the flask with canned wort.

[PSUHomebrewer]

I worked in a fly lab while in college and we had millions of fruit flies, that of course meant some escaped their vials. We trapped them using dry yeast in an empty bottle and a paper funnel. To prevent them getting in your starter just leave an empty bottle out that you had bottle carbed with the yeast layer and put a paper funnel in the top. The yeast will go into the bottle, and with the paper funnel wont come out.

Also if you dont like using the foam stoppers, go to a local craft/upholstering place and buy bulk cotton. The cotton makes an excellent plug for the flask and is also able to be autoclaved. Ive been able to pick up 6L flask just by this cotton plug which is also a plus.

[scotchpine]

I worked in a fly lab while in college and we had millions of fruit flies, that of course meant some escaped their vials. We trapped them using dry yeast in an empty bottle and a paper funnel. To prevent them getting in your starter just leave an empty bottle out that you had bottle carbed with the yeast layer and put a paper funnel in the top. The yeast will go into the bottle, and with the paper funnel wont come out.

Also if you dont like using the foam stoppers, go to a local craft/upholstering place and buy bulk cotton. The cotton makes an excellent plug for the flask and is also able to be autoclaved. Ive been able to pick up 6L flask just by this cotton plug which is also a plus.

Fermented flies, yum! Might go well in fruit cake for the holidays!

[mordantly]

i think fruit cake has the only shelf-life greater than twinkies.