Embarrassing Blunder

BangorBrewer · 10-29-2007, 10:40 PM

So today I racked my American Wheat into my bottling bucket. Usually when I do this, I point the spigot towards the ceiling and turn the valve into the off position--except, this time I failed to turn the valve off. Not thinking, I spotted the leak and immediately thought the gasket inside the bucket was faulty. So, doing the unthinkable, I reached into the bucket and attempted to tighten it. Luckily, my hands were clean as they had been in sanitizer all day, but I am still concerned about the final product. I am hoping my yeast are strong enough to ward off whateve contaminates were on my hands.

:-(

weetodd · 10-29-2007, 11:00 PM

Doh! Keep your fingers crossed, but I'd bet you'll be okay, the extra alcohol in the beer at that point will help to fight off any potential contamination. All the more reason to drink faster once your bottles carb up!

BangorBrewer · 10-29-2007, 11:10 PM

I sure hope you're right; losing a batch of beer is like losing a member of the family. It's only happened to me once before, and I think it was more a matter of over-carbonation and a crappy recipe.

I am a very volatile person, very irrational.

My girlfriend was standing right next to me telling me to check the valve, but I was dogmatic that it couldn't have been anything but the damn gasket. Shows how much I know.

The next five-seven days should tell the tale. I like drinking by wheats young anyway; and I hope you're right about the alcohol levels in the beer having a mild anti-microbial effect.

It's time like these it's imperative to remember where the beer is.

Crazytwoknobs · 10-29-2007, 11:13 PM

I'm taking bets that it'll be fine.

2:1 odds, in bottles to be traded only.

Tenchiro · 10-29-2007, 11:19 PM

I have done this twice **blush** and both times the batches were fine. In fact some say the beers without the arm treatment are missing something.

rdwj · 10-29-2007, 11:20 PM

You were bottling, right? that means it was fermented and full of alcohol. There is almost NO WAY that you could have something on relatively clean hands that would hurt your brew at that stage of the game.

Even if you did that before it was fermented, the chances of passing something along are fairly slim.

homebrewer_99 · 10-30-2007, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdwj

You were bottling, right? that means it was fermented and full of alcohol. There is almost NO WAY that you could have something on relatively clean hands that would hurt your brew at that stage of the game.

Even if you did that before it was fermented, the chances of passing something along are fairly slim.

...yeah, but what about the hair in my beer?...

rdwj · 10-30-2007, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebrewer_99

...yeah, but what about the hair in my beer?...

It's not hair, it's dry-hoping!