Hand washing?

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metaldwarf

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I am worried that I might be infecting my beer by touching my equipment while brewing. How do you recommend keeping your hands clean and sanitized?

I usually was my hands with soapy water then dunk them into a bucket of sanitized (iodofor) before I start. I resanitize my hands if I scratch my nose or touch anything which hasent been sanitized.

I don't use gloves. Should I?
 
Just make sure that you don't touch parts that touch cooled wort and you'll be fine.

I've never used gloves and I've, nock on wood, never had an infection.
 
I do what you do "dunking hands into iodophor" then wave hands violently in air to dry, I also use sanitized canning tongs (rubber on the ends) to pick up the sanitized stuff and try not to touch equipment to much with my hands. So far this technique has worked. J
 
Don't wash, don't dunk in sanitizer, and I just don't touch anything that's going to touch cooled wort. Brewing 9 years it's never been an issue.

I will say that I am getting some gloves though as I had some boiling wort pour over my hand this past weekend. It wasn't pleasant.
 
It's definitely good to wash your hands often. Dipping them in a sanitizer is even better, but there are just too many nooks and crannies on our hands for bactieria to hide.

I just try not to touch anything with my bare hands that will come into contact with wort, yeast or beer. When I'm sanitizing/assembling kegs, I'll wear disposable latex (or latex-free) gloves that have been dipped in sanitizer.
 
I never worry and have never had a problem. just use common sense...I think sanitizer is overkill...(won't hurt, but not necessary)...
 
goose1873 said:
I never worry and have never had a problem. just use common sense...I think sanitizer is overkill...(won't hurt, but not necessary)...
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You'll be singing a different tune when infection sets in. ;) Without sanitizing it's just a matter of time before an infection.

Sanitizing is pretty mandatory and one of the only really important steps that needs to be done.
 
I work in a hospital, so I always have access to gloves and alcohol-based hand sanitizer. (Used both while brewing today).
 
I always keep a gallon or two of sanitizer while brewing to keep utensils in, dunk my hands in occasionally etc. I'm not overly careful about anything, just use common sense. I haven't had a problem yet, knock on wood, but I have just recently started.
 
mmb said:
You'll be singing a different tune when infection sets in. ;) Without sanitizing it's just a matter of time before an infection.

Sanitizing is pretty mandatory and one of the only really important steps that needs to be done.
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I'm pretty sure he meant sanitizing his hands, not his equipment. Sanitizing hands is totally overkill...I think this is a RDWHAHB moment if there ever was one.
 
Kilted Brewer said:
I'm pretty sure he meant sanitizing his hands, not his equipment. Sanitizing hands is totally overkill...I think this is a RDWHAHB moment if there ever was one.
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Didn't read it that way but I was referring to sanitizing equipment. Sanitizing hands is a belt and suspenders approach. :D

Just treat the stuff that touches wort as "hot" and there won't be a problem.
 
mmb said:
You'll be singing a different tune when infection sets in. ;) Without sanitizing it's just a matter of time before an infection.

Sanitizing is pretty mandatory and one of the only really important steps that needs to be done.
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so you dip your hand in sanitizer before touching anything? I'm new to the site but have been brewing for years. Sanitizing equipment is extremely important but I don't sanitize my hands "in sanitizer" between every step....did you read what i replayed too?
 
I don't wear gloves while brewing, but while it's cooling with my IC, I put on my gloves and dunk in starsan then wave crazy to air dry. I do this to handle my funnel, auto siphon, yada, yada.... I do the same when handling my bottling bucket. I sterilize my dip tube and stopper while not fitted in the valve so there's no where for bacteria to hide. Then with sterilized glove hands, install stopper and dip tube before racking into it.
 
Anyone who has taken a microbiology class should know you can't ever really kill all the bacteria on your hands. What most home brewers call sterile would not even pass for clean in a hospital. As far as hands go, I wash as I would if I were preparing any food item, soap and water then dry with a clean towel. Wet hands might actually transfer more bacteria than dry hands. I believe that going "infection free" is a result of luck as much as it is clean technique. Unless you are using an autoclave, there is going to be some bacteria that survives.
 
f1oored said:
Anyone who has taken a microbiology class should know you can't ever really kill all the bacteria on your hands. What most home brewers call sterile would not even pass for clean in a hospital. As far as hands go, I wash as I would if I were preparing any food item, soap and water then dry with a clean towel. Wet hands might actually transfer more bacteria than dry hands. I believe that going "infection free" is a result of luck as much as it is clean technique. Unless you are using an autoclave, there is going to be some bacteria that survives.
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I used to work in a hospital..on the surgery recovery floor...drying your hands with a clean towel adds residual soap back onto your hands...:mad: leaving them wet (with Starsan) is actually better...;)
 
mordantly said:
i spritz with starsan when im done doin anything "suspect" with my hands.
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Same here. Just get a spray bottle at Home Depot and make some StarSan solution. Whenever you're doing anything where your hands might touch the wort, just give your hands a few sprays.
 
Using a sanitizer on your hands is probably overkill, and it'll actually be worse for your skin than just washing your hands. Use regular soap; anti-bacterial soap is pointless in the home environment.

As other people have said, don't touch the cooled wort with anything that is not sanitized. This includes your hands.

I will, however, point out that I've dunked my arm halfway up my forearm into the fermenter, and no ill came of it. I don't recommend doing this on a regular basis, but remember that you really only need to be clean, not sterile.
 
I use antibacterial soap. The wife gets it free from work- she works in a kindergarden and after swine flu she gets loads of it. I think I'm a bit paranoid, but I'd rather be safe then sorry. Clean hands never hurt nobody.
 
NorJerseyHomebro said:
I use antibacterial soap. The wife gets it free from work- she works in a kindergarden and after swine flu she gets loads of it. I think I'm a bit paranoid, but I'd rather be safe then sorry. Clean hands never hurt nobody.
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This is a completely off-topic rant, but:

Why on earth would EDUCATORS distribute ANTIBACTERIAL soap in response to a VIRAL outbreak? Argh! The widespread use of low-level antimicrobials is very likely contributing to the continued development of MRSA and, of particular concern to a kindergarten, CA-MRSA. Stop! You don't need antibacterial soap! It's counterproductive! ARGHHHH!

/soapbox
 

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