Adding Anything with Less than 20 to go?

I've DO it however alot of my buds and family would ask if i worry about infection. I tell them no... but got me thinking about hops orange peel seeds and flavorings that are normally added to the end (-20 min) if it could potentially introduce enouch bacteria for infection...

Personally i'm changing my recipes.. but just wondering what the thoughts are out there... my only response is i've never had it happen to me and i dont exactly know how to test or sanitize "corriander" before i add it...

One way you could sanitize it is to soak it in some vodka first. However I think that's completely unnecessary. You don't need to boil something for a full 20 minutes to keep it sanitized...a few minutes will do the trick unless of course you're putting some insanely dirty surface with tons of contours in your wort. As for your standard brewing ingredients I wouldn't lose any sleep over late additions of ingredients.

It's still boiling "less than 20" and will be above pasturization temps for at least 15-20 minutes AFTER flameout while you're cooling. Your really don't need to sweat this, you're family doesn't need to sweat this...people have been doing "flameout" additions for probably hundreds of years of brewing, and it's not been an issue...

And even if there were an 'infection" issue which would be extremely rare, since nothing pathogenic can grow in out beer, it wouldn't be the kind of "infection" that could harm you....

I'm confused? Are we talking 20 minutes left in the boil? Cause thats when I (and I thought everyone) add flavoring hops? Most of my recipes have either a 5 min or flameout addition.

Maybe I'm not understanding the question?

If you add them any earlier in the boil, you'll be driving off a lot of those aromatics that you get from late additions. Also, do you use an immersion chiller? If so, you're probably adding that without about 15 minutes left in the boil anyway...at least that's what I do (as well as most others that use an IC). Don't sweat it.

theo1069 said:

I'm confused? Are we talking 20 minutes left in the boil? Cause thats when I (and I thought everyone) add flavoring hops? Most of my recipes have either a 5 min or flameout addition.

Maybe I'm not understanding the question?

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That's what I'm thinking he means. A lot of things state that to sterilize or pasturize you have to hold the temp or boil for 15 minutes, so I think his folks are worried that whatever gets added won't be...

I'm getting a whole lot less worried about sanitation. Of course I clean everything very well (with oxyclean) and follow general sanitation principles. I starsan everything after the boil.

But I figure we put in so much yeast compared to other bugs in there (I always use Jamil's suggested size starters), that the other bugs don't have much of a chance to do anything of consequence.

I've never had any problems. I used to get paranoid, but I have noticed when I forget something here and there, it never really matters. But maybe I just have always used good general sanitation technique. I have heard of others who do have problems with infections, but never have experienced it.

It's so cliche, but RDWHAHB.

Dont get me wrong... Most of my best beers have late additions...

I just wondered how everyone else felt regarding the late additions and dry hopping.. I will never stop dry hopping...

Most of my hops go in after 20. I put in things like orange peel and corriander at 10. Hopsand sometime honey and LME/DME at flameout and dry hop all the time.

Absolutely nothing to worry about.

Dr1nkBeer said:

Dont get me wrong... Most of my best beers have late additions...

I just wondered how everyone else felt regarding the late additions and dry hopping.. I will never stop dry hopping...

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Well anything you add into boiling liquid is pretty much instantly pasteurized. There's nothing to worry about even with a flameout addition.