May well have spoiled my very first batch on bottling day..

So here's the set-up. I was having a hell of a time trying to get my siphon going and it had me all stressed out and scatterbrained. I filled the siphon with tap water, then let it flow out with an end in a bowl of sanitizer solution to fill the hose withe the solution. I am not 100% sure that all of the tap water was replaced by the solution. So I go over to my fermenter, and stick my racking cane into it. Not thinking, instead of beginning my siphon into the cup I had left next to the bottling bucket, I begin draining my siphon into my priming solution in the bottling bucket. Realizing my mistake within a second or two of course, I quickly switched over to the cup. By this time of course I probably had a half a siphon full of either sanitizer solution or, f*ck me, tap water in my bottling bucket. Of course the siphon had started and I was already all wound up so I just went ahead with the siphon. What do you guys think? Am I pretty much screwed?

I'm sure you're fine.

Because of tap water? Plenty of people use 3 gallons of tap water to top off every batch. Unless you use well water and live on a pig farm, I'd guess you'll have no problems.

Tapwater won't hurt it. Neither will sanitizer.

I'd be surprised if your batch was ruined. half a siphon of sanitizer or water won't affect much in the overall profile of a 5 gallon batch. And with alcohol already present, I doubt there will be much room for infection unless you're using something super dirty dirty.

it will be delicious! don't worry!

I need to get an autosiphon, I always have a hard time with getting my siphon going and all that.

I'm sure I got some water in my first brew (I just started, I'm on my fifth batch).

RDWHAHB (or since you haven't finished making it yet, drink something else! .

Yeah the autosiphon is a godsend. Not too expensive and makes life so much easier. Just "pump" once and let the siphon work its magic.

Glad to hear I'm still in good shape. I just remember reading in John Palmer's book something along the lines of that rinsing bottles with tap water is the #1 cause for ruined batches. For me logic would dictate though that it probably won't be a problem. This brew is probably a solid 8% alcohol anyway; not exactly conducive to the growth of bacteria. Definitely +1 on the autoshiphon.. I had no idea what kind of a hassle I was in for. The constant fear of contamination just makes it that much worse.

yeah I avoid tap water as much as possible (more so because of chlorine than contamination). Clean your bottles with tap water after you pour from it, rinse/soak with sanitizer right before actually bottling (i have a plastic tub the bottles soak in for a couple of minutes/shaked dry before being filled) and all should be well!

Well you've made it this far. Just a side note so you know, at 8% alcohol you're going to have to give it a little while longer in those bottles to prime fully. Don't expect your beer to be carbed in 3 weeks.

Not that it matters much but what kind of sanitizer was it?

HomebrewMTB said:

Not that it matters much but what kind of sanitizer was it?

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It was LD Carlson easy clean. It's a no-rinse-necessary sanitizer.

Elweydoloco said:

Well you've made it this far. Just a side note so you know, at 8% alcohol you're going to have to give it a little while longer in those bottles to prime fully. Don't expect your beer to be carbed in 3 weeks.

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maybe. I've had an 8% beer that carbed in a week. It's important to remember than this is just a general guideline, not an absolute.