UH OH, sanitation problem?

While brewing in a hurry I accidently made a mistake. I racked my beer from primaries to secondaries and had two empty ale pales. I rinsed both with hot water and one I washed expecting to use it right away. I then sanitized one with one step (the wrong one) and put my new batch of beer in it. I realized after I was done I used the one that only had a hot water rinse and a one step wash and not the one that was washed more thoroughly. I know there is no guarantees but do you guys think I have a better chance of being ok then not being ok? Hate to think I've ruined my first attempt at a pumpkin ale. Its in it's first day of fermentation, anything I can do other then just ride it out and find out on Halloween if it's ruined? Thanks in advance, Ken

Were both pails fairly clean, no caked on gunked or anything? I'd say if both were clean, as in you washed them after the last time you used them, the hot water rinse and one step were all you needed. The extra scrubbing probably wasn't necessary.

On another note, from reading your post it sounds like your beer has been fermenting for just one day and you're transfering it. If that's the case that's way too early. You should really leave it in the primary at least a week and preferrably 2-3 weeks before considering a secondary.

I don't know about One-Step, but most sanitizers are effective if there is no visible "gunk" on whatever you are sanitizing. You're fine, don't worry about it.

Ride it out. If you washed and rinsed well and there wasn't any gunk stuck to the insides of the bucket you should be fine. The beer might not last for years but should be fine for a batch that you drink up.

Remember, brewers had been making beer for hundreds of years before "sanitizing" was ever though of. Most didn't even brew in a "clean" environment.

RDWHAHB!

Turkeyfoot Jr. said:

On another note, from reading your post it sounds like your beer has been fermenting for just one day and you're transfering it. If that's the case that's way too early. You should really leave it in the primary at least a week and preferrably 2-3 weeks before considering a secondary.

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Actually, I think he's saying he racked into the primary. So its really in the first day of fermentation.

Thanks for the quick replies. Yes, i poured not racked into primary, i racked from the primary on my last batches to my secondaries, had two empty buckets one a little more clean then the other, no gunk inside, wiped off all the gunk on both with hot water and a soft cloth, washed one better to use right away , then grabbed the one not so clean, sanitized it with one step only and brewed my new batch instead of using the double cleaned one, Ken

So it's wiped out, rinsed, and sanitized with one step and didn't have and gunk in it?

Sounds like you did everything right.

If you worried about the One Step - I've used it since day one as my primary sanitizer and even rinse with hot tap water and have never had a problem. (Knocking sound)