Infection: Test Your Instincts and/or Knowledge...

A couple weeks back, I went to rack my Pilsner into a keg for long-term lagering. After about 3/4 thru, I realized that I'd overshot my vol by a bit, and had more than the keg could hold. I didn't have time to sanitize my bottling bucket, but I wasn't about to dump a sixers worth of homebrew down the drain either. So I whirled around, grabbed the unsanitized bottling bucket, and moved the tube from the keg to the bucket with seconds to spare. I sanitized the bottles, added carb tabs to them, and bottled six 12oz'ers.

So here's the test: what do you think'll happen to these bottles? The bottling bucket was clean, but it had been sitting in my brewery for several days collecting whatever fell into it. Since we're always so concerned with sanitation, and my only two infected batches have gotten infected at some point in the bottling process, I'm anxious to see whether these 6 bottles are infected. So, test YOUR instincts and/or knowledge, and venture a guess. I'll let you know what happens in due time...

I vote for sheer dumb luck that you dodged the bullet on this one....
The sanitizer in the bottles and the alcohol in the beer zapped any contaminants from the bottling bucket.....Since it was only a 6-er worth of beer, it wasn't in contact with the nasties in the bucket long enough to do anything....If it had been a full 5 gallon batch in the bucket for an hour...that'd be different.

Revvy said:

I vote for sheer dumb luck that you dodged the bullet on this one....
The sanitizer in the bottles and the alcohol in the beer zapped any contaminants from the bottling bucket.....

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vote in the poll then!!

Evan! said:

vote in the poll then!!

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The poll wasn't there when I posted...I did, and edited my post...

I said no infection, but really that depends on what happens after they are carbonated. How will you store them... How soon you will drink them...

olllllo said:

I said no infection, but really that depends on what happens after they are carbonated. How will you store them... How soon you will drink them...

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They're carb'ing at 70-something for a few weeks, then stored at lagering temps for another month for "bottle lagering".

I reckon a serious infection is unlikely due to the low ph and alcohol content of the beer. I'd finish up the bottles as soon as possible though, maybe keep one for a year to see what develops.

I voted no infection, as both my instincts and knowledge tell me to RDWHAHB.

Send them to me for inspection and analysis. I'll report back, hic, as soon as posiber.

you'll be fine!... i hope! but it'll be interesting to taste vs. the keg at least. good luck!

I'd say that, if any are infected, they all are. Critical question: did you mill any grain in your brewery since that bucket was last cleaned? If so, I'd say you're running a decent chance of lacto.

There's a good chance you got lucky, though.

Any household members sick? Is your house clean? Is the bucket also used for latrine cleaning duty at times? Any molds present in your home? Humid or dry inside?

(I still voted no infection, hoping to stump for the merits of beer being antimicrobial.)