I blatantly stole this from another forum--but it looks like an awesome test to see how your procedures are.
Discuss.
Discuss.
Basically you take a wort sample in a sanitary container and seal it. Take the sample after cooling the wort, while you are filling your fermenter and before pitching the yeast. Store it in a warm place. Aim for 86 degrees. You wait for the lid to bulge or foam to form on the surface, bubbles rising, or other proof of active fermentation. You need to check the sample often so you can accurately note the length of time it took your "sanitary" wort sample to start fermentation. If it starts to ferment in under 24 hrs. the beer is a dumper. From 24-48 hours to ferment, expect off flavors in the beer. 48-72 hours to ferment would indicate no off flavors but better sanitation is needed. If it lasts 72 hrs. or more before fermentation starts you have adequate sanitation.
This is an easy test to perform and it has humbled a great deal of home brewers, myself included. I have had a home brewer tell me that many of the comercial brewers could not pass it. Whether this test is tougher than it needs to be or not I do not know, but it is my goal to pass the test on a regular basis.
I tested a Vienna that I brewed 4/04/06. I took great care concerning sanitation knowing I was going to test it. The test sample went 60 hours until fermentation began. I used a sanitized beer bottle/airlock. It was a slow ferment which lasted several weeks. I read somewhere that yeast cells can multiply 6-8 times with no oxygen depending on how healthy the cells were to start with. (I took the sample before aerating with O2) When the ferment was completed it left an obvious layer of yeast in the bottom of the bottle. The fermented test sample of beer didn't taste or smell like a bacterial infection. (no sour athletes foot or dirty diaper type stuff) I use Star San, I love it and will continue to use it regularly. I beleive it really works on bacteria but I am having trouble beleiving in its effectiveness in killing yeasts. The acid washing techniques given by Wyeast and White labs lead me to the same conclusion.