Can my wort catch my cold?

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I would guess that having a cold greatly increases the number of bacteria etc. that migrate from our bodies in search of a new one. Just wash your hands well and don't sneeze into a fermenter.
 
Obviously you need to be drinking more beer to fight off the cold!

Sanitation and pitching the right amount of healthy yeast will do the job. In spite of all our attempts to be germ/bacteria free I suspect our fermentation's are filled with other creatures small and smaller looking to take hold of our wort. That's why having enough good yeast will overpower the bastids.
 
I would guess that having a cold greatly increases the number of bacteria etc. that migrate from our bodies in search of a new one. Just wash your hands well and don't sneeze into a fermenter.


Colds are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Viruses do not contaminate beer. The bacteria that would make you sick do not contaminate beer. The types of bacteria that contaminate beer are not pathogenic to humans, but live in high numbers on our skin and floating about in the air. Sick or not, you still have same chance of infecting your beer (which is pretty small once the yeast have started doing their thing).
 
Obviously you need to be drinking more beer to fight off the cold!

Drinking alcohol decreases your immune response. A little bit is no big deal, but essentially, the more you drink, the more prolonged your cold will be.

broadbill is right (i.e., most colds are viral). However, if you're expelling a lot of mucous, you might take extra precautions not to let any get in your wort/beer/equipment. In addition to the virus, your mucous will carry a variety of bacteria (normal flora or not).
 
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