How do you sanitize your hands?

[Corkster]

I just move everything around with force powers. No hands = no bacteria.

While this may be true, you do risk the occasional infection from 'The Dark Side' I've heard this can lead to some off flavors...

 

[menschmaschine]

Sticking hands in wort/beer is obviously extremely risky for infection regardless if your hands are clean or sanitized. There are just too many nooks and crannies on your skin for bacteria ("normal flora") to hide and survive through cleaning and sanitizing.

However, when handling things that will come into contact with wort/beer I would first wash them thoroughly with soap/warm water, then "wash" them again with 70% isopropyl alcohol. It's the main ingredient in many hand sanitizers and costs 1/8 the price. Even better, and like Edwort said, is to wear latex gloves and sanitize them with a sanitizer or isopropyl alcohol. That would eliminate the "normal flora" factor with your hands.

But one thing to be wary of with wearing gloves is what I've seen in the food service industry and at the dentist's office when they wear gloves... gloves can have the psychological effect of making one feel overly comfortable and start touching other things. Like when the glove-wearing dental hygienist opens drawers, moves the overhead light over my head, scratches her nose, then puts her gloved hands in my mouth.

 

[IowaHarry]

Open flame, that's the ticket.

One step up from that wussie sticking his hands in boiling water. Nyah!

Can't believe it, five pages of how to sanitize your hands.

I'm just glad I could contribute in a non-meaningful way.

 

[Corkster]

Open flame, that's the ticket.

I'm just glad I could contribute in a non-meaningful way.

Welcome to my world IowaHarry!

 

[IowaHarry]

It's good to have a place you can let your inner smart-ash off the leash now and then.

But not to stray too far off topic, remember to wear sanitized rubber gloves when unleashing the smart-ash. Nasty beasts, always making a mess.

 

[conpewter]

5 pages? I'm on page 2, try bumping your post per page, less clicking ;o)

Count me in for just dipping my hands in star-san occasionally. I have not yet had to stick my hand in wort.

 

[jgln]

This thread reminds me of the AFV video of a overweight woman laying on the beach reaching down the back of her bathing suit to scratch her butt crack. She was really getting in there.

 

[boredatwork]

For the people that have injured themselves with starsan I would double check your dilution amounts. It should not hurt you. As for checking the first aid warning on the bottle, that is referring to the full strength starsan - not the diluted version you are making for sanitizing. Once you dilute it per the instructions on the bottle it should not hurt you.

 

[SOB]

I am SOOO glad you did not offer me any of that brew!!

Honestly...that was one of my top 5 beers! I called it "I Wear My Sunglasses in My Belgian Wit"