Kettle/Boiler tap

[agentgonzo]

Now that I'm keeping yeast slurries between batches, I'm starting to become more concerned about sanitisation and yeast preservation. A couple of questions cropped up in my mind.

*Does anyone sanitise the tap on their boiler/kettle? It occurred to me that everything up to the boil in sanitised in the boil and the fermenter and all tools are sanitised with solution before the wort is put into them. But the tap on the outside of the boiler that the wort flows out of won't be sanitised by the boil (or will it?) as the boiling wort doesn't get to it. What's the best way to sanitise this? I've started boiling it in a pan of water on the hob for 15 minutes whilst the mash is going on. Will this damage the tap in the long run?

*Some sources have said that you should taste a sample of the yeast before pitching it to see if there are any off-flavours. I tried this with the last batch and all I got was "eugh, that's disgusting", then spat it in the sink and pitched the yeast anyway. What should it taste like and what are the off flavours that should be recognised? It smells fine, so for the time being, that's what I'm going on.

Cheers for the help

 

[ScubaSteve]

The spigot on my kettle is metal and gets EXTREMELY hot. I like to open it a bit and quickly flush with boiling wort. Then, right before attaching my tubing I will wipe the connection point with alcohol and attach my sanitized tubing.

 

[Jekster]

I just use a spray bottle full of one-step sanitizer and gave the spot a good spraying before attaching my sanitized tube. I know the spigot gets really hot during the boil, but I was worried about the introduction of bacteria during my ice bath. I figure a quick spritz with sanitizer would take care of anything funky going on.

 

[ebeer]

I use an immersion chiller in my BK, with pump driven whirlpool to chill. With 10-15 minutes remaining in the boil I connect the hoses and recirculate out the ball valve, through the pump, back into the boil. I'm pretty satisfied that this is sanitizing the valve, lines, and pump.

Otherwise, I think a combination of heat and spray bottle full of Starsan will effectively keep the nasties away.