Adding junk to the finished fermentation.

Is the risk of infection a lot lower with all that alcohol in there? I'm talking about hops, berries, coffee, etc. I read all of these threads about adding stuff but wonder about all the impurities that will be coming for the ride.

you should be fine, berries and fruit should be boiled before entering the fermentor after the primary to scurb any wild yeast on the skins, i have used coffee and hops without steriliaztion and have had no off flavors at all, if infection is a worry dip your hands in isoproply alcohol or just some one-step, overall the secondary can handle the hops or spices, cause the bulk fermentation has finished and your flavors are pretty much locked in, only problem would be wild yeast or over oxidation neither should pose a problem in the secondary.

Hops is a natural anti-infectant and alcohol also is (hence rubbing alcohol) this is why historically beer was sought after more than water in Europe for long voyages because it would actually be more sanitary than their water. However since the percentage of alcohol is generally low in beers compered to drinks like vodka some bacterias will have better tolerances to it.. Although if you were months at sea stale bread and slightly infected beer wouldn't be all that bad all considering.

Good info. Thanks.