contamination.

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nolabrew85

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I am on my 3d brew and think i accidentally contaminated the last 2.

On the 2d brew, a red ale, I sucked on the siphon (like an idiot) to get it started and then stopped it and dipped it in non-rinse sanitizing solution before letting it pour into the bottling bucket. I don't know if this quick dip was a good enough sanitation. Should I just toss out the batch or just see what happens? What do you think will happen?

On the 3d brew, a nut brown ale, my knuckle (I can't remember how clean my hands were) ever so slightly dipped in the cooled worth as I was trying to take that temperature. Also, as i was adjusting the airlock on the fermenter, some of the unpurified tapwater in the airlock backed up into the valve and dripped into the fermenter. Considering the foregoing, do you think this batch is contaminated and/or ruined? Should i throw out the batch and start a new one instead of waiting 3 weeks and taking the time to bottle a possibly soured batch?

I am starting to feel like it is impossible to brew and bottle a batch without some incident that could have possibly contaminated the batch, regardless of how careful I try to be and regardless of how much I prepare before hand.
 
You're probably fine. No point dumping it, might as well see how it turns out. People top up with straight tap water without getting infections. I wouldn't be worried at all.
 
It is HARD to contaminate a beer. The scenerios you laid out have about a 0.005% chance on infecting the batch, unless, of course, you have an oozing infection on your knuckle and a wild yeast infection in your mouth. Did the knuckle you dipped in your beer look like this??

images


Even if you dipped that knuckle into your wort for a few seconds, I would put my money on the beer still turning out OK.

With any batch of beer, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT UNTIL YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. If it gets soured, THEN worry about dumping it, not before. Send it through the process. You'll be amazed how resiliant beer is, and despite everyone's best attempts, it is HARD to comtaminate a beer!!!

Should i throw out the batch and start a new one instead of waiting 3 weeks and taking the time to bottle a possibly soured batch?

Taking the time??? You are already in the fermenter. If the beer is infected, you'll know it during the fermentation. So be PATIENT and let this one finish out. If the beer starts to grow a baboon heart and turns into vinegar, it'll happen during fermentation. If you have a wort sample that tastes like wort when you take your FG, then it's likely NOT infected.

So, to recap. 0.005% chance you have an infection, 99.995% chance you are absolutely fine. Dump it if you want, but I like your odds.

RDWHAHB!!
 
You worry too much. Beer is hard to ruin. I sucked on the siphon of my first batch and dropped the hose in the bottling bucket without using sanitizer. No issues. I would recommend an auto-siphon if you didn't already get one, but don't worry about it.

You should also use sanitizer or vodka in your airlock, but a little bit of water getting in your fermenter will not hurt. Do a search on here to see what kind of things people have had fall into the fermenter with no issues.
 
Thanks for all the help. I sort of figured that it has to be a little resistant to spoiling from contamination, especially considering all the bacteria in the air which inevitably falls in there, and when you think that people made beer before they even knew about bacteria, or even yeast for that matter!

I will definitely get an autosiphon before I bottle this batch. Just seems easier and less mess. Will let Yall know how the beers turn out. Thanks again!
 
If you do do the "Siphon Suck" method in the future, slosh a bit of mouthwash around on your mouth and lips immediately beforehand. I did that for two years before I finally bought an autosiphon myself!!
 
nolabrew85 said:
Thanks for all the help. I sort of figured that it has to be a little resistant to spoiling from contamination, especially considering all the bacteria in the air which inevitably falls in there, and when you think that people made beer before they even knew about bacteria, or even yeast for that matter!

I will definitely get an autosiphon before I bottle this batch. Just seems easier and less mess. Will let Yall know how the beers turn out. Thanks again!

I dropped something in the fermentor once that I needed to get out. Just reached in and grabbed it... Beer came out just fine. I don't recommend doing that obviously, but it's a data point.
 
Just popped open the first red ale and it is great! (Actually on the fifth now and feeling pretty good). Yall were right. Thanks. We will see about the brown ale in a few weeks.
 
On the nut Brown ale, I tasted the beer out of the fermenter before bottling, and although it dis not taste bad, it gave a slight bite or twinge to the back of my tongue when I swallowed it. I am just wondering if this something that might go away or will stay w the beer. Thanks
 
R E L A X

Have another one or two of those red ales

P A T I A N C E

Have another one or two of those red ales
 
Don't judge the beer until it is done carbing and conditioning. A post-fermentation, pre-carb sample won't tell you all that much about the final beer. It is also still a young, green beer.

If it does still have a slight twinge once you are carbed, conditioned, and cold, you can typically condition those slight off-flavors out with an extra 4-6 weeks of conditioning at room temp.

Good luck!
 
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