Brewing outside - What about airborne contaminants?

[eljefebrewing]

Hi all,

I continue to be impressed with the knowledge and quick response of all the helpful people on this site! Noobs everywhere appreciate it!

In the "I hope there are no stupid questions" category...

I have ordered my brewery kit from williamsbrewing.com (YAY!) and need to get myself a brew pot. I have access to an outdoor burner and a large pot that we used to use for cooking crabs at my parent's house on the coast. I have read that it's best to boil all your wort at once, and this is most easily done outside. I'm always trying to do things cheaply, so this setup, being free to me, seems attractive. However, I keep wondering... if brewing outside, what about stuff that might be floating around in the air, that might fall into the brew pot? Isn't that a pretty big risk to your beer?

 

[llazy_llama]

However, I keep wondering... if brewing outside, what about stuff that might be floating around in the air, that might fall into the brew pot? Isn't that a pretty big risk to your beer?

Anything that falls into your brew pot is going to be falling into boiling liquid. Watch for bugs, leaves, big things like that. Bacteria isn't as much of a concern as a stray bee that wants to sample your wort.

 

[david_42]

If you are really worried, just put a piece of window screen over the top. I've never had a problem, though.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Anything that falls into your brew pot is going to be falling into boiling liquid. Watch for bugs, leaves, big things like that. Bacteria isn't as much of a concern as a stray bee that wants to sample your wort.

Yep, no worries about infection until after the boil is done. I am assuming that since you plan on doing full boils that you have a wort chiller of some kind? I always put a cover on my kettle while chilling. Of course it's only on partway because the hoses must go into the kettle, but it does well enough to keep stuff out of there.

 

[eljefebrewing]

I am assuming that since you plan on doing full boils that you have a wort chiller of some kind?

Well, I'm still just planning everything out in my head and trying to have the whole process and potential obstacles thought out.

I don't (yet) have a wort chiller. I was thinking of taking a large storage tub that I've got and loading it up with ice/salt mix and water from the hose, and having that standing by next to the burner. Then I could just move the pot (since it wouldn't have to go far) into the tub, and let the hose run inside the tub. That would circulate the cold water around the pot, and it could just overflow the tub and out onto the patio. Seems like maybe this would be faster than an immersion chiller... what do you think?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

At flame out just cover your pot with a cloth or something.

Your pot in tub idea will work but nowhere near as fast as a IC or CFC.

 

[double_e5]

It will not be faster than an IC. With a properly sized IC and decently cold water you will chill a lot faster than an ice bath. Did you think people were just throwing their money away buying chillers when an ice bath would work faster?

 

[TampaTim]

My last batch had......hmmn...let's see...

My pocket knife, and welding gauntlet in it during the boil.

After flame out...a bee decided to land in my straining funnel to sample some of that sweet nectar, and consequently got drowned by the oncoming rush of wort that I had already poured. In addition, I always see fine particles of something landing in my wort (stuff from the Oaks, and Sycamores floating down), and I've had no problems whatsoever.

Matter of fact, my last batch was downright awesome!

 

[Marko73]

I brew outside as much as I can and I have not had a problem with this yet. I am still chilling the wort with snow banks, ice baths, etc. and not a wort chiller so I make sure the lid to my pot is sanitized right before I put it on. I leave it on tight until taking a temperature reading at about 20 minutes and I barely take the lid off when I do that. I don't worry about it when it is actually boiling as many said.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Unless you're fermenting outside, it's a non issue. The boil will kill anything that gets in during the mah/boil process.

 

[eljefebrewing]

Ha ha! That's good to know!

 

[Beau815]

should he be using a pot that boiled crabs or anything else in it already? Shouldnt you designate a brew pot for brewing only?

 

[eljefebrewing]

should he be using a pot that boiled crabs or anything else in it already? Shouldnt you designate a brew pot for brewing only?

I wondered about that, too, but thought it might be okay if cleaned out very well. Plus, I'd still have to do the oxidization step, which I thought would help.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Mmmm... Crabs.