Got "flu" 24hrs after brew day. Could batch be screwed?

[BKamp1457]

Working on my first Berliner Weisse that soured up nice for about 4 days before I boiled/hopped. About 24-30 hrs after yeast pitch, I developed a stomach virus that seems to be going around the family (yay holidays). Doing ok now.

I try to keep everything as clean/sanitized as possible, but I wasn't sure if my illness being in "incubation" while I was brewing could affect it? Probably would be hard to tell with a sour? Fermenter has been in the cool brewing bag since pitch and I haven't handled anything besides opening the zipper to check on it.

 

[Natdavis777]

You can start being contagious right before your symptoms manifest. That being said, as long as you werent sneezing/coughing into your beer/carboy, you should be fine. Especially if you were a stickler to sanitation. Ive brewed a few times while sick and had no ill effects...(pun intended)

 

[b-boy]

Influenza is viral. Your beer will be fine unless you were puking and sneezing all over it. Even then the infection would be due to wild yeast and local bacteria, not your sickness.

 

[rossi46]

I'm no expert, but I would say if you didn't drip snot in it, drowl in it, or cough up a lung in it, it will be fine.

 

[BKamp1457]

Lol, no hacking, etc... into it. I figured it'd probably be alright. Does sanitizer (I use PBW) repel germs for a little while after soaking or does it only kill stuff while immersed? Still newb. Thanks!

 

[bigtex52]

PBW is a great cleaner, but not a sanitizer, and you need to make sure your PBW is completely rinsed off. You need to be using a true sanitizer where it is required.( Anything coming in contact with post boiled, cooled wort or beer, racking cane and hoses, fermenter, stopper, airlock, kegs or bottles, caps (I personally use StarSan as it's easy and non-toxic, but which one is a personal choice.) Hope that helps.

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

If you can cultivate viruses in your wort, I am sure that the CDC would like to know about it.

 

[BKamp1457]

PBW is a great cleaner, but not a sanitizer, and you need to make sure your PBW is completely rinsed off. You need to be using a true sanitizer where it is required.( Anything coming in contact with post boiled, cooled wort or beer, racking cane and hoses, fermenter, stopper, airlock, kegs or bottles, caps (I personally use StarSan as it's easy and non-toxic, but which one is a personal choice.) Hope that helps.

I rinse with hot water after using PBW. I'll pick up some starsan, thanks!

 

[b-boy]

+1 for Star San. You can buy a quart of it and it will last you a long, long time. It keeps for months if you store it in a sealed container.

 

[seanybubbles]

Call it your flu brew!