Found this today and I think it is a nice tool to see if your sanitation is as good as you think
This technique comes from 'An Analysis of Brewing Techniques' by George Fix, page 92.
The only equipment required is a sealable jar (canning jar, baby food jar), your nose, tongue and a calendar. As you are filling your fermentor, before pitching, divert a little wort to a sanitized jar; seal and store in a warm place (0.5L & 86F are suggested). Check it a couple times a day until you see signs of infection (cloudiness, surface growth, bulging lid). The time to infection evaluation is:
< 24 hours serious trouble - toss your beer and review sanitation procedures.
24-48 hours less serious but unacceptable sanitation, expect some off flavors
48-72 hours Beer will not be affected, but better sanitation is called for.
> 72 hours the desired situation.
The nice thing about this simple test is that it's then easy to smell and taste the very same infections that are likely to appear in your beer. If you have a microscope it's a great opportunity to ID the organisms present.
This technique comes from 'An Analysis of Brewing Techniques' by George Fix, page 92.
The only equipment required is a sealable jar (canning jar, baby food jar), your nose, tongue and a calendar. As you are filling your fermentor, before pitching, divert a little wort to a sanitized jar; seal and store in a warm place (0.5L & 86F are suggested). Check it a couple times a day until you see signs of infection (cloudiness, surface growth, bulging lid). The time to infection evaluation is:
< 24 hours serious trouble - toss your beer and review sanitation procedures.
24-48 hours less serious but unacceptable sanitation, expect some off flavors
48-72 hours Beer will not be affected, but better sanitation is called for.
> 72 hours the desired situation.
The nice thing about this simple test is that it's then easy to smell and taste the very same infections that are likely to appear in your beer. If you have a microscope it's a great opportunity to ID the organisms present.