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Gnats!!!! What do you do?

Scott Ickes

Grandmaster Brewer
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I'm not sure where this should be, but I'm finding the gnats terrible this year.  I brew in my garage and as soon as something is opened up (carboy for racking or bottling, mashing, etc.) they just appear!  After I'm done and everything is cleaned up, my canning jar of vinegar with small holes poked in the top gets rid of them eventually.  They go in through the holes and can't get back out. 

But......they are a nuisance.  Does anyone have a secret for keeping them from coming around?  I know that nobody will, but sheesh...I gotta ask.
 
Easy, move to North Dakota, any sort of bug issue seems to resolve itself, usually in October, and for some reason stays that way until about May.  Can't quite figure out why though  ;)
 
What about using screens on the windows instead of leaving the doors wide open?
 
No windows, since it's a garage.  Just a side man door and the double garage door.  When I brew, I need them open to keep from asphixiating myself.
 
I have heard tale of some folks who use a screened canopy you keep bugs out.  Yeah. In their garage.  Would not fit in my garage though.  Luckily the only critters I deal with are beer drinkers and they are welcome.
 
Big a$$ fan, set on high speed?  Maybe pointed upwards to create steady drafts? 

Spray a piece of paper with insect repellent or RAID, and let it get sucked tight to fan's back side?  Low-level scent of DEET or RAID, but might deter them a little. 
 
You could put ventilation above the brew kettle. Some kinda screened vent for makeup air.

I don't worry about it so much though. I cover the brew pot while cooling and call it good. Sometimes I bail to inside and let the boil roll if it gets too bad.
 
I had a terrible time with them one summer. I was told that they're attracted to yeast and will fly miles if they smell it.  So I made traps from paper cones pointing downward into beer bottles with a bit of yeasty wort as bait. Caught tons of the things. They quickly bred, and in days they were pupating on the inside of the glass.  Yuck.  Meanwhile my airlocks were still clogged with the darn things. Even tried cheap vodka in the airlocks and it made no difference.  Lived at that apartment for three summers if I remember correctly, and only one was really bad.  This was all indoors with window screens.  That was my kitchen extract brew days. I dunno. Hopefully it's just a bad year and things will be better next season.  Good luck!
 
They're pretty much gone now.  The red wine vinegar in a pint canning jar with little holes poked in the top has trapped and drowned most of them.  I'm afraid to open the garage door and have them come right back in though.  I can't brew for a while, so that isn't a problem.  I do have some ESB to bottle though.

The usually don't bother the boil so much as they gather around the MLT.
 
where do you people come up with all of this stuff?  I swear its the MacGaver of Homebrewing
 
The vinegar in a canning jar thing is from way back!  My mom used to do that back in the 60's.  It's probably been published in "Hints from Heloise". ;D
 
Adopt a Greyhound, they are neurotic when there is a bug or a fly to eat. Anything below 6 ft high is easily handled!
 
RiverBrewer said:
Adopt a Greyhound, they are neurotic when there is a bug or a fly to eat. Anything below 6 ft high is easily handled!

Alas, I'm allergic to dogs.  I love dogs, but I'm miserable around them.  My eyes water and itch, then start to get puffy and swell.  Then my throat gets scratching.  Then the sneezing starts.

So this is out.
 
Scott Ickes said:
RiverBrewer said:
Adopt a Greyhound, they are neurotic when there is a bug or a fly to eat. Anything below 6 ft high is easily handled!

Alas, I'm allergic to dogs.  I love dogs, but I'm miserable around them.  My eyes water and itch, then start to get puffy and swell.  Then my throat gets scratching.  Then the sneezing starts.

So this is out.

Bats then?
 
RiverBrewer said:
Wildrover said:
Bats then?

Added bat guano spice to the boil.........the boil would sanitize it leaving an "earth" quality which would complement a nice piney hop!

Thank you fellow brewers.  This exchange put a huge smile on my face!
 
Bottled 5 gallons and brewed 10 gallons.  No gnats!  It cooled down and is raining.  I'm happy!!
 
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