Rack to new vessel or risk contamination?

I've got a sweet stout that is in the middle of high krausen right now. I just noticed that there is a slight leak in the gasket of my bucket fermenter, causing a small amount of wort to seep out. I imagine this is a superhighway for contamination.

My original plan was to leave it in the fermenter until it was ready to bottle, but now I'm worried about something getting in through the leak. At this point, would it be better to rack to another vessel or just risk contamination?

klymenos said:

I've got a sweet stout that is in the middle of high krausen right now. I just noticed that there is a slight leak in the gasket of my bucket fermenter, causing a small amount of wort to seep out. I imagine this is a superhighway for contamination.

My original plan was to leave it in the fermenter until it was ready to bottle, but now I'm worried about something getting in through the leak. At this point, would it be better to rack to another vessel or just risk contamination?

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From what I have learned, it is best to leave it as is. During the aggressive fermentation phase the pressure from the co2 pretty much keeps everything out of the bucket. I have read this many times when a bucket or carboy blows its top and people are concerned about infection. You many want to let it finish in the primary then move it to secondary so nothing gets in when it is less active.

I wouldn't even rack it at all

Don't touch it, it will be fine. Like the folks said when your ready to throw it in a secondary would be the time.

Agreed. Clean up the outside to keep the fly's away, but other than that, I would leave it alone. if you are planning to age it for over a week, then maybe rack it when fermentation is complete.

Yep, I'd leave it. I had a crack that developed at the airlock hole in one of my bucket lids and extended about 3/8" from the hole- a lot of the crack was definitely not covered by the O-ring. I did 3 or 4 brews in it before I finally replaced the lid. No problems at all. As stated above, the CO2 should keep everything out, and by the time that CO2 blanket might dissipate, you should have enough alcohol content in there to stave off any potential nasties that might happen to find their way through that tiny crack. Moving the beer probably presents more risk than leaving it as is.

Reading my original post again, I realized I left out some important info. The leak is on the spigot of the bucket, not on the lid.

Are you fermenting in a bottling bucket? How bad is the leak? I would rack it out of a leaking bucket as soon as primary fermentation is done just for the fear of l
constantly losing beer.

The leak is very slight. A small amount of wort seeps out and then dries. At this point beer loss isn't a concern, assuming it doesn't get worse.

klymenos said:

Reading my original post again, I realized I left out some important info. The leak is on the spigot of the bucket, not on the lid.

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Is is pissing out beer? If not i wouldnt worry about it for this batch but would definitely replace it after next batch

If your leak is at the spigot then as long as there's liquid in there pushing against the leak, there is constant positive pressure on the inside of the bucket in that location- it's gonna be a one-way street leading out, not in. No worries about contamination, just losing beer.

Any nasties you could worry about are floating in the air. "IF" something could infect it's be because you left it wide open and something settled on to your beer. They don't have legs.

Thanks for the replies. My original concern was that the exposed wort would get contaminated and then it would work it's way through the leak and into my precious beer. One thing I learned quickly in the relatively short time I've been brewing, is that there is always something you can make yourself worry about.

Duct tape.